One Federal Wallet: Why GSA’s Acquisition Consolidation Could Reshape All of Government

July 10, 2025

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Alan Thomas, former commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) at the General Services Administration (GSA), offers an insider’s take on one of the most significant shifts in federal procurement strategy: acquisition consolidation. Thomas explains why this movement toward centralization is not just happening—but accelerating—and what it means for agencies, vendors, and the broader government contracting ecosystem.

The headline event, according to Thomas, is the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to cancel two of its major contract vehicles—PACTS III and FirstSource III—and move their requirements under GSA. He says the surprise is not that DHS made the move, but rather how and when they did it. Thomas notes that this pivot aligns with Executive Order 14057, which emphasizes consolidating procurement through GSA. DHS, he says, appears to be acting on both resource realities and a desire to align with administration priorities.

Thomas emphasizes that the core rationale for this shift is sound: if GSA already offers contract vehicles like the schedules program and OASIS+ that meet the same needs, why duplicate effort? Especially in a resource-constrained environment, DHS likely sees this as an opportunity to reallocate personnel toward mission-critical priorities like border security, rather than maintaining its own contract infrastructure.

He also sees DHS’s move as a potential inflection point for other agencies. “If DHS is doing this to get in alignment with the White House,” he says, “every other agency is going to take notice.” He points to recent examples like the Army CIO’s directive mandating use of the JWCC contract for cloud procurements as evidence of a broader trend toward centralized buying.

Yet Thomas acknowledges this is a big cultural shift. He explains that while the federal government has talked for years about “buying as an enterprise,” actual practices have long been fragmented. Now, this administration is applying what he calls a “pure corporate approach” to procurement. The goal is clear: fewer contracts, more control, and streamlined oversight. “Think of it like managing credit cards,” Thomas says. “If you have six, it’s harder to manage than if you have two.”

Despite some concern from small businesses, Thomas is optimistic. He argues that fewer vehicles could actually benefit smaller firms by reducing the number of places they need to compete. He also highlights the administration’s strong support for alternative acquisition pathways—like SBIR, OTAs, and Commercial Solutions Openings—as ways to bring new players into the market.

Ultimately, Thomas believes the most critical piece is GSA’s effort to take over the procurement of common goods and services for agencies through its new Office of Centralized Acquisition Services. If GSA can satisfy agencies and deliver high-quality service, the consolidation will be seen as a success. “If that doesn’t go right, nothing else will matter,” he says. “If it does, this will be a landmark achievement in federal acquisition.”