Monday, June 22, 2009

Why are we so excited about our GSA Award?

Well, for starters, we are able to sell all our services at the top echelons of local, state and federal government. We are now part of a select list of “ok to use” government suppliers. This means Valora will be actively solicited by government agencies across the nation.

But, what it really means is that we have garnered an impressive seal of approval on our collective lapel. The Government Supply Agency (GSA) really does its homework on who may become an official supplier of goods and services. The goal is for government agencies to streamline their purchasing by using a pre-vetted supply source. But the upshot for everyone else is that Valora has earned this special position by performing admirably over a number of years. Here’s what Valora had to show in order to become a GSA supplier:

  1. That we have several years of outstanding and honorable service delivery and business dealings. GSA surveys a minimum of twenty (!) references to create an “OpenRatings” score for each GSA applicant. We are extremely proud of our OpenRatings score, having scored a whopping 92/100 total possible points!
  2. We must establish fair pricing and justify each and every cost item. We have to indicate every discount, every bundling variation, and every custom software/services configuration.
  3. Our staff had to undergo strong background checks, including financial, criminal and employment verification. We had to prove our company employs American workers, pays fair wages, holds appropriate insurance policies, is up to date in its federal and state tax payments and so on.

In short, we had to prove we are an organization in good standing, that provides strong-quality work products at good prices, and is comprised of decent, hardworking and upstanding people.

Valora received our certification in under 6 months – an outstanding accomplishment, which I think speaks very much for itself. Well done, Valora team! Well done!

-Sandy