There is no getting around it. The federal government is a monstrous bureaucracy. The federal rules concerning competition for contracts and how the federal government buys have changed significantly over the past ten years. The new rules seek to eliminate (or minimize to the largest extent possible) red tape to make federal buying faster and more efficient. Under recent rule changes, the government has defined a new category of "commercial" products that can be purchased quickly and with less paperwork. The revised rules also expanded the government's multiple-vendor contract programs. This type of contract allows an agency's buyers to place orders with companies that are pre-qualified to handle government business at pre-approved prices.

As with the older versions of the procurement rules, the new rules favor both the government and insiders. Generally, the government plays the purchasing game as you would if you were in their shoes. Government buyers go with the proven, trusted source.

On the other hand, the government does have the best interest of the taxpayer at heart. With recent natural disasters in mind, most citizens would prefer that the government possess the ability to buy necessary products and services quickly. The multiple-award contract system attempts to address these concerns. No one has figured out a better way to buy under the conflicting constraints of our system. So let's accept the rules and play by them.

This article is an excerpt form the new book "Rolling the Dice in DC". The book is written for managers and sales people and describes the day-to-day dogfight of competing and winning in the federal market. Read this book if you want to know the good, bad, and the ugly of the federal market, what it takes to enter the market, and the potential returns.