GSA considers tools to identify supply chain fraud

The General Services Administration wants to be able to check a commercial item’s history—from its manufacture date until it is purchased or resold—as a means to fortify the supply chain against cloned or falsely advertised items.

GSA’s intent is strengthening the compliance and security of the supply chain and preventing tampering, counterfeiting and “grey market” offerings.

The supply chain solution and interface would authenticate items, such as information and communications technology products, that enter the federal market, and identify counterfeits and questionable technologies.

GSA wants to recognize items sold as new when they are actually:

• Recycled components
• Obsolete parts
• Test rejects and substandard parts
• Parts marked with falsely elevated reliability
• Lower quality clones or copies
• Covertly packaged components

Ideally, GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service would set up an integrated and portable tool set through which the government can monitor performance metrics and would allow for management through roles and business rules rather than physical control of assets and direct software licensing.

GSA released a request for information May 9. Responses are due by May 31.