11.203
Customer satisfaction
FAR 11.203 requires acquisition organizations to actively seek customer and, when feasible, industry feedback to ensure requirements documents accurately reflect actual needs.
Overview
FAR 11.203 emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction in the acquisition process by requiring acquisition organizations to actively communicate with their customers. The goal is to ensure that requirements documents accurately reflect customer needs and to gather feedback for potential improvements. Additionally, whenever feasible, agencies are encouraged to solicit comments from affected industry stakeholders on requirements documents, promoting transparency and collaboration.
Key Rules
- Customer Communication
- Acquisition organizations must engage with customers to verify that requirements documents align with their needs and to collect suggestions for corrective actions.
- Industry Feedback
- Agencies should, when practicable, provide industry stakeholders the opportunity to review and comment on requirements documents.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: Must facilitate communication with customers and, when possible, invite industry feedback on requirements documents.
- Contractors: Should be prepared to provide input if invited and understand that requirements may be shaped by customer and industry feedback.
- Agencies: Responsible for establishing processes to gather and act on customer and industry input regarding requirements documents.
Practical Implications
- This section exists to ensure that acquisition requirements are customer-focused and responsive to actual needs, reducing the risk of misaligned procurements.
- It encourages a feedback loop that can lead to more effective and efficient acquisitions.
- Common pitfalls include failing to adequately consult customers or missing opportunities to engage industry, which can result in requirements that are impractical or not market-ready.