Why DFARS Compliance Applies to More Than Just Government Contractors

More than just defense contractors need to be aware of the defense federal acquisition regulation supplement (DFARS). DFARS compliance applies to more than just government contractors. Here are four reasons why:

1. Within the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement is a very large collection of rules and requirements for defense, space, and technology companies doing business with the US Department of Defense (DoD) or other defense organizations. Organizations who want to do business with defense agencies like the DoD must abide by these rules and requirements because without them they cannot contract with defense agencies or defense contractors. Thus, these organizations need to understand the DFARS so that they can follow it. This ensures that both defense contractors and defense agencies are in compliance with defense rules and requirements.

2. The DFARS is a supplement to the FAR, so it should be read in conjunction with the FAR. While the FAR is approximately 100 pages long, the DFARS is more than 1,000 pages long. Thus, organizations contracting with defense agencies need to have someone on their team who understands both defense rules and requirements through the defense agency. They work with as well as defense rules and requirements that apply to all defense agencies. This ensures that organizations are fully compliant not only with their own defense agency’s specific defense rules but also defense rules that apply across all defense agencies.

3. All organizations who provide products or services to defense contracts must follow these rules no matter how large or small they are. Organizations that provide defense products and services to defense acquisitions include: defense contractors, defense subcontractors, manufacturers, resellers, distributors, software developers and data management companies and more. This means that anyone who is in the supply chain of defense technology is bound by DFARS rules.

4. Finally, most organizations who do business with defense agencies also work with other non-defense government agencies or companies. The DFARS applies not just to defense agencies but also any company that provides products or services directly to them. If an organization does business with both defense agencies as well as other non-defense contracting entities there are specific clauses in the DFARS which apply when doing defense work for defense agencies and non-defense government agencies. In these situations, an organization must be prepared to meet all defense rules as well as other non-defense rules and requirements. This ensures that organizations are not only keeping compliance with defense rules but also following the other non-defense rules and requirements they may need to follow to do business with other non-defense government entities.