SD-5 Market ResearchThe purpose of this document is to provide DoD and other Federal personnel involved in the acquisition process with practical guidance on using market research to ensure the acquisition of products and services that will best serve the government??s needs. Specifically, this document is designed for personnel involved with establishing requirements for products or services, such as engineers, technical specialists, project officers, and customers; personnel involved with purchasing products or services, such as contracting officers, contract specialists, and cost analysts; and personnel who support the acquisition process, such as logisticians, testing and quality assurance specialists, and legal counsel.

Pages 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52

Background

The purpose of this document is to provide DoD and other Federal personnel involved in the acquisition process with practical guidance on using market research to ensure the acquisition of products and services that will best serve the government's needs. Specifically, this document is designed for personnel involved with establishing requirements for products or services, such as engineers, technical specialists, project officers, and customers; personnel involved with pur- chasing products or services, such as contracting officers, contract specialists, and cost analysts; and personnel who support the acquisition process, such as logisticians, testing and quality as- surance specialists, and legal counsel.

What Is Market Research?

Market research, as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 2, Definitions, is the process of collecting and analyzing information about capabilities within the market to satisfy agency needs.To elaborate, market research is a continuous process of gathering data on busi- ness and industry trends, characteristics of products and services, suppliers' capabilities, and relat- ed business practices.The data resulting from market research are analyzed and used to make informed decisions about whether DoD's needs can be met by commercial products or servic- es.When making such decisions, several factors are considered:

•  Degree to which commercial practices allow the products or services to be customized or tailored to meet DoD needs

•  Terms and conditions, such as warranties, discounts, and customer support, under which commercial sales are made

•  Ability of potential suppliers' distribution and logistics support systems to meet DoD's needs.

Market research information can be used to shape the acquisition strategy; to determine the type and content of the product description or statement of work; and to develop the support strategy, the terms and conditions included in the contract, and the evaluation factors used for source selection.

Why Do Market Research?

Federal procurement law and regulations require market research under certain circumstances.

Source:  https://assist.dla.mil  --  Downloaded: 

2                                  Check  the  source  to  verify  that  this  is  the  current  version  before  use.