In order to get on the inside government sales track with a Schedule contract, a vendor must go through an arduous application process. The most difficult and painstaking part of the Schedule application and approval process is negotiating what the government and vendor agree is a "fair and reasonable price" for the vendor's products or services. Because of the complexity of the undertaking, vendors sometimes choose to hire consultants to assist in the preparation and negotiation of the contract. Many report that the expense of hiring a consultant was money well spent, because the entire submission and approval process can be extremely costly in terms of time and energy, and very daunting for the uninitiated.

Once a Schedule contract is awarded, the successful vendor is placed on a list of approved suppliers for that particular Schedule. Federal agency buyers can then order from a vendor using GSA Advantage!, the government's online "shopping mall" for GSA Schedule products and services. A common misconception is that only GSA employees can make a purchase through a Schedule contract. This is not true; virtually any federal buyer can buy from GSA Schedule holders. Congress has also granted state and local agencies the authority to make purchases through the Information Technology Schedule contract (known as the "IT 70 Schedule"). State and local purchasing authority may be extended to other GSA Schedules in the future. Recently, Congress authorized the use of all Schedules by state and local government under emergency conditions and state and local purchases may be made from Schedule 84 Total Solutions for Law Enforcement at any time.