Glossary
Find a term here, then open its linked guide for the buttons, fields and examples on that screen.
| Term | What it means and why it matters |
|---|---|
| Action obligation | The dollar change recorded for one award action. Compare it with a grouped contract Total in award results or award detail. |
| AMC | Acquisition Method Code. Used with AMSC to understand how a catalog item may be bought. See FLIS identification. |
| AMSC | Acquisition Method Suffix Code. Adds detail to an item's AMC. See FLIS identification. |
| APL / AEL | Allowance Parts List / Allowance Equipage List. These connect parts and supporting material to an equipment list. See APL/AEL search and detail. |
| Award action / transaction | An initial award or a later action, such as a modification, on the same contract. Use it to follow contract activity over time in award results. |
| CAGE | Commercial and Government Entity code: a five-character identifier for a contractor facility or organization. Use it to match company profiles with awards or parts references. DLA's CAGE guidance. |
| CLIN | Contract line-item number: identifies a specific line on an award. Use it with the quantity and price in award history. |
| Contract number / PIID | Procurement Instrument Identifier for an awarded contract or order. Pair it with Mod # and Ref # to find the right action in award results. |
| DLA | Defense Logistics Agency. The agency's catalog and procurement information appears in parts and forecast guides. |
| DUNS number | An older business identifier shown in some company and award records. Use it to trace historical records; current SAM.gov entity searches use UEI. See company search. |
| FOIA | Freedom of Information Act. Use an agency's FOIA contact or resource when you need to request a government record. See agency contacts. |
| FSC / FSG | Federal Supply Class is a four-character item category; its first two characters identify the broader Federal Supply Group. Use these to browse item families in NSN search. |
| GSA Schedule | A government purchasing contract and catalog arrangement for buying listed products or services. Use the GSA schedule worksheet to explore a company's listed offerings. |
| IDV / Ref # | An indefinite-delivery vehicle or other referenced parent agreement shown with an award. Use Ref # to see which actions are related in award results. |
| MCRL | Master Cross-Reference List: connects stock-number items with manufacturer or supplier part numbers. See company part-number cross-references. |
| MOE rule | Major Organizational Entity rule. Shows service or agency management context for a catalog item. See FLIS identification and MOE. |
| NAICS | North American Industry Classification System code for an industry. Use it to search awards or companies in a line of business. Census explanation. |
| NIIN | National Item Identification Number: the nine-digit item portion of an NSN. Use it in NSN search. |
| NSN | National Stock Number: the 13-digit catalog identifier made from a four-digit FSC and nine-digit NIIN. Use it to open the exact item and related parts information. |
| Part or reference number | A design or manufacturer reference associated with an item, distinct from the NSN. Search it with the company's CAGE in FLIS references or commercial part search. |
| Place of performance / POP | The recorded location where contract work is performed. Use it to compare work locations in award results; a contractor's business address is a separate field. |
| PSC | Product or Service Code describing the main kind of product or service bought on an award action. Use it to focus award searches. Federal PSC manual. |
| SAM.gov / registration detail | SAM.gov holds federal entity registrations. View SAM Details shows the application's registration fields; see the field guide and SAM.gov. |
| Set aside / business type | A set-aside describes a notice or award's competition category; business type describes a company attribute. Use the relevant field when searching notices or companies. |
| SIN | Special Item Number: a category of offerings within a GSA Schedule. Use it when comparing schedule offerings in company search. GSA schedule overview. |
| Solicitation number | Identifier for a bid notice and its amendments, separate from the awarded contract number. Use it to follow a notice in solicitation results. |
| Total / value | A dollar column whose meaning depends on the screen: action amount, grouped award total, unit price or report aggregate. Check award results or Excel exports for that column's unit. |
| UEI | Unique Entity ID used in SAM.gov to identify an entity. Use it to find a company in company search or SAM.gov. |
| Unit of issue / UI | The unit used for an item quantity, such as each or a package. Use it with quantity and price in FLIS shipping and management. |
| UOM | Unit of measure shown with forecast items. Read it with the monthly or quarterly quantity in the forecast guide. |
A blank field has no displayed value, zero is a numeric value, and no results means the current search found no rows. See the workbook reference for dated examples of exported fields.
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