Federal Compass - Waypoints

When pursuing the next opportunity, it’s [of course] important to understand the competitive landscape—who are the major players? how entrenched is the incumbent contractor? The answer to these questions lies in two fundamental areas of research 1) human intelligence, and 2) data-driven market intelligence. The only way to paint a complete picture of the competition around any opportunity requires both elements and requires them to work in concert.

I was reading a research report a few years ago on the president’s latest budget. These were the Obama years, and with a Republican congress a continuing resolution was all but assured. What’s most interesting about the report, and what really took me back, is how little it mattered to me. Not that budgets don’t matter (they do!), but that this was the exact same report that everyone in the industry was consuming and then applying to their strategic decision-making process. That’s a problem.

As many others in this industry, I’ve worked with FPDS data for a long time. I suppose the good news is that the system has changed little over the years, so time invested in learning its quirks is worthwhile. Below, I’ve outlined a few methods for maximizing its value and pitfalls that you may encounter.

We meet with many small business owners and executives and listen to the unique challenges that they face with government contracting. Those discussions and that feedback works its way into every aspect of our products. That’s why, at Federal Compass, we aim to level the playing field by empowering small business contractors. Learn more by downloading the free eBook, Small Business Guide for Federal Contractors.