For the 2008 Top 100, we have refined the product service codes (PSCs) used to analyze data from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation. Our goal is to capture the wide range of technology work and mission expertise that contractors provide to the federal government.
The data analyzed for this year’s rankings covers fiscal 2007, which ended Sept. 30. Revenue generated since then is not counted.
The adjustments we and our research partner, FedSources, made this year reflect lessons learned last year when we overhauled how the Top 100 is compiled. At that time, we greatly expanded the number of codes used to analyze the procurement data. Many of the codes might not seem related to systems integration or information technology, but IT is what gets the work done.
We refined the list this year to eliminate codes that did not reflect technology-intensive work, such as construction and security guard services. They were included last year because they were part of families of PSCs that include high-tech work. Some PSCs were eliminated in this refinement process, but others were added as FedSources’ research discovered new areas where IT is having an important impact. We are using 702 codes this year, up from 625.
We are not including company rankings from last year’s Top 100 because the changes make a fair, year-to-year comparison impossible. Some companies dropped significantly from last year as a result of the changes, and others fell off the list completely. Readers who want to track information on companies from previous years can find those rankings online at http://www.washingtontechnology.com.
As with past Top 100s, there are several caveats to keep in mind:
- Agencies report contract actions worth more than $3,000 and obligated to prime contractors. This represents spending on a contract during the time period analyzed, not the contract’s life.
- The reports are for prime contracting only and do not include subcontracting revenue.
- General Services Administration schedule transactions of more than $3,000 are included, but some agencies are better at reporting their GSA spending than others. FedSources analysts said companies should encourage contracting officers to make accurate and timely reports to the Federal Procurement Data Center.
