Glossary of Terms

competitively negotiated contract

A cooperative process that allows the purchaser to take all critical factors into account, including quality, vendor responsiveness, and financial stability, when establishing an agreement for specified performance.

conceptual estimate

Relating to design-build, a hypothetical costing figure determined by a design-build professional, based entirely on the construction requirements, and adjusted for local labor rates and possible contingencies, that is: what you should realistically expect to spend.

conceptual schedule

Derived in a similar way to a conceptual estimate (see above), it is a determination of the true amount of time that will be required to complete a roofing project, including allowances for contingencies, that is: how long you should realistically expect it to take.

Contractor Team Arrangements (CTAs)

GSA Schedule contractors may use Contractor Team Arrangements to provide total solutions when responding to a customer's requirements.

Under a Contractor Team Arrangement (CTA), two or more GSA Schedule contractors work together, by complementing each other's capabilities, to offer a total solution to meet an ordering activity's requirement. Contractor Team Arrangements provide a "win-win" situation for both GSA Schedule contractors and ordering activities: GSA Schedule contractors may compete for Schedule orders for which they may not independently qualify.

Ordering activities may procure a total solution rather than making separate buys for each part of a requirement.

Corporate Account Program

Designed for the special needs of customers with multiple facilities in various regions, the Garland Corporate Account Program enables companies stressed by reduced staffing and purchasing inefficiencies to work directly with one full-service organization to manage their roofing assets as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

damaged substrate

Said of the protective membrane underlying a roofing system when it has lost its ability to resist water infiltration, or is losing its structural integrity.

design-build

A construction strategy that reduces building-owner risk by assigning a single entity responsibility for all phases of construction, including architectural, engineering, design, and construction services.

GSA

U.S General Service Administration

A central management agency that sets Federal policy in such areas as Federal procurement, real property management, and information resources management. GSA consists of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), the Public Buildings Service (PBS), and various Staff Offices, including the Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP).  Eleven Regional Offices extend GSA’s outreach to Federal customers nationwide.

GSA Schedules (also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules and Federal Supply Schedules)

Long-term governmentwide contracts with commercial firms to provide commercial supplies and services that can be ordered directly by Federal agencies ; schedules are not created through a competitive procurement but are solicited by and deemed by the Federal government to be fair and reasonable offers.

guaranteed completion date

The fixed schedule for the entire project, devised during the design phase of the design-build process after the conceptual schedule has been revised based on specific design and material solutions.

guaranteed maximum cost

The ceiling cost for the entire project, which is specified during the design phase of the design-build process after the conceptual estimate has been revised based on specific design and material solutions.

infrared scan

A roof inspection technology that uses sophisticated sensing equipment to provide a true picture of the hidden properties of an installed roof, providing information about the roof's underlying integrity, beyond what is determined by visual inspection.

ISO 9000

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1946, in Geneva, Switzerland, to create and maintain an international standard for quality for a complete spectrum of products and services. Certification requires regular, independent auditing of pre-established quality standards.

low bid

A bid chosen largely or exclusively on the basis of initial cost, often at the expense of reduced quality and/or increased maintenance and repair costs.

market survey

A document that comprehensively defines the scope of work for a construction project.

photovoltaic

A property of certain substances, and devices using such substances, wherein they produce an electrical current when exposed to a light source. Sunlight energy can be harvested in commercially viable quantities using modern photovoltaic technologies.

QA/QC

Quality Assurance/Quality Control, a formal methodology for monitoring all the phases of a project to help ensure that it proceeds in conformity to certain critical standards.

qualification list

Critical vendor factors, such as reputation, capacity, capabilities, solvency, knowledge, and experience, that are used as the method of organizing competitive bid proposals.

RAMP

Roof Asset Management Program, a proprietary integrated suite of professional roof management services available through DBS and designed to extend the work life of your roofs while increasing the value of your properties.

RFQ

Request for Quote, a formal solicitation by a purchasing entity such as a government agency, for bids or quotations from qualified vendors to execute a certain project, e.g., for roof construction.

total installed roofing cost

The complete cost of a roofing project, including roof engineering and design, materials, and installation.