Can search make feds smarter shoppers?

• By John S. Monroe
• Feb 08, 2012

The General Services Administration is looking for a database search engine that can help government buyers do price comparisons on commercial products.

The search engine should be able to pull up the most current pricing information on a selected product by searching both commercial and government websites, according to a request for information published at the Federal Business Opportunities website.

Target government websites would include e-commerce sites associated with popular interagency programs, such as GSA Advantage, NASA’s Solutions for Enterprisewide Procurement and the Defense Department’s e-mall.

“This database will provide customers a source of real-time commercial and governmental pricing for effective decision making on the acquisition of products,” the notice states.

In addition to pricing, GSA envisions the system providing information on shipping cost, delivery times and quantity discounts.