FSC - Federal Supply Classes

A federal supply class (FSC) is a coding system used by the United States government to categorize and identify the thousands of supplies and services that it purchases. Here are some key things to know about federal supply classes:

• The federal supply classification groups products and services into logical categories for management purposes. For example, FSC Class 5112 refers to "Hand Tools, Power Driven" while Class 7340 refers to "Cutlery and Flatware".
• The four-digit codes are broken out into two parts - the first two numbers identify the group and the second two numbers identify the class within that group.
• In total there are over 3,000 active federal supply classes covering everything from weapons, clothing and knives to services like pest control, welding and research.
• Federal Supply Class is actually a NATO Supply Class and Federal Supply Group is actually a NATO Supply Group. Although the US Government developed the NSN system, NATO has since superceded the management of the catalog. Sometimes the FSC is referred to as the Federal Stock Class.
• The FSC coding system helps government agencies efficiently manage procurement. It allows them to analyze spending trends across supply categories, reduce redundant purchases, leverage buying power, and streamline the acquisition process.
• The General Services Administration (GSA) in the USA maintains the FSC system for the USA and provides tools to decode FSCs through their Acquisition Gateway portal. FSCs are updated on an quarterly basis.
• The FSC system is designed for internal government use, but manufacturers and contractors are encouraged to apply FSC codes to their products to better interface with government buyers.

So in summary, federal supply classes offer a standardized taxonomy for categorizing the vast array of items and services procured by the federal government each year. The codes allow for efficient supply chain management across agencies.

Federal Supply Classes (FSCs)

The Federal Supply Classification (FSC) system is a standardized method used by the US government and NATO in general to categorize and identify all supply items. It is a four-digit code that classifies items into homogenous groups and classes, designed to serve the functions of supply and is sufficiently comprehensive in scope to permit the classification of all supply items.

History

The FSC system was first developed in the early 1950s by the Department of Defense (DoD) to facilitate the procurement and management of supplies and equipment. It was further adopted by other US federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In the 1960s, the FSC system was adopted by NATO and other allied nations, such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Structure of FSCs

FSCs are organized into a hierarchical structure that consists of four levels:

• Federal Supply Groups (FSGs): The first two digits of the code represent the FSG, which is a broad category of items. There are 99 FSGs, such as 10 - Weapons, 23 - Vehicles, and 58 - Communication, Detection, and Coherent Radiation Equipment.
• Federal Supply Classes (FSCs): The next two digits of the code represent the FSC, which is a more specific category of items within the FSG. There are over 2,000 FSCs, such as 2310 - Passenger Motor Vehicles, 5820 - Radio and Television Communication Equipment, and 6505 - Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Equipment and Supplies.
• National Codification Bureaus (NCBs): The next two digits of the code represent the NCB, which is a national agency that is responsible for assigning NSNs to items. There are over 100 NCBs, such as the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in the United States and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the United Kingdom.
• National Item Identififcation Numbers (NSNs): The last 9 characters of the code represent the NIIN, which is a unique identifier for a specific item. NIINs are assigned by the National Codification Bureau (NCB).

National Stock Numbers (NSNs): All 13 digits of the code represent the NSN, which is an identifier for a specific item. The NSN for an item can change over time as the item is re-classifed into a different supply class (FSC).

Benefits of FSCs

The FSC system has several benefits, including:

• Standardization: It provides a common language for describing and identifying items, which facilitates communication and collaboration between different government agencies.
• Efficiency: It simplifies the procurement and management of supplies and equipment by grouping similar items together.
• Accuracy: It ensures that items are properly classified and coded, which reduces the risk of errors and duplication.

Resources

• H2 FSC - Federal Supply Classification Search and Directory: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/SmallBusiness/DLA%20Commodities%20FSC%20Table.pdf
• Federal FSC Catalog - Federal Supply Class: Federal Supply Class - FSC
• NATO NSG Catalog - NATO Supply Group: NATO Supply Group - NSG
• NATO NSC Catalog - NATO Supply Class: NATO Supply Class - NSC
• LISTING of Federal Supply Classifications (FSC) by GSAXcess® INTERNET CATEGORIES - USAID: https://hallways.cap.gsa.gov/

Additional Notes

• FSCs are updated regularly to reflect changes in technology and the needs of government agencies.
• The FSC system is not perfect and there can be some ambiguity in the classification of certain items.