“After 18 months of testing, the General Services Administration has signaled its plans to expand a new government e-commerce platform designed to make the purchase of low-cost goods easier for agencies. The GSA portal, known as the Commercial Platforms Initiative, could grow beyond its current model, according to a request for information the agency released in March...” “The RFI makes clear that the GSA is intent on rolling out an e-commerce platform that users actually enjoy using and find intuitive. The business model is less relevant, according to the agency. ‘Buyer feedback has significantly improved GSA’s understanding of the e-commerce landscape, with the buyer’s experience emerging as the top priority area,’ the RFI notes. ‘This feedback underscores the need to think beyond any previously identified business models, given that they were identified more than 5 years ago. The market has evolved and so too has GSA’s understanding of the environment.’...” “So far, the pilot gets high marks, with a customer satisfaction score of 9 out of 10, and strong levels of satisfaction in the areas of time savings (92 percent) and price competitiveness (90 percent). Despite that, the GSA is looking to push its e-commerce efforts further, according to the RFI. Government buyers see the platform as a ‘managed channel’ for their open-market online spending, ‘and have asked how GSA can expand and broaden the pool of participating providers, to include other online retailers,’ the RFI notes...” Read the full article here. Source: GSA Looks to Scale Up New E-Commerce Platform – By Phil Goldstein, April 8, 2022. FedTech.