Evaluate recorded substitute items

Part of these button learning paths: Just My Opportunities · Machine Shops Opportunities · Unfulfilled NSN Opportunities · Search by NSN/NIIN · APL/AEL Historical · DLA Prime Contractors · Commercial Part Number to NSN · Weapons System Designator Codes

Substitutes from an NSN result opens recorded replacement relationships. This is catalog research. A replacement row does not authorize offering a different item against a solicitation.

How to get here and continue

  1. Search for an item through Search by NSN/NIIN, open its NSN result, and choose Substitutes. The next page shows any recorded replacement relationships for the NIIN.
  2. Follow a populated Repl. NIIN link to the candidate item's result, then compare the full item identity and solicitation requirements. The relationship is a research lead, not an approval to substitute.
  3. Back returns through browser history to the item page. Use the item page to continue catalog research.
Field Meaning and why to check it
FSC Federal Supply Class shown for the relationship. Read it with the original NSN and replacement NIIN when following the row.
Repl. NIIN Last nine characters of the recorded replacement NSN. When populated, its link is intended to open the replacement's item summary. Preserve leading zeros and compare the full resulting NSN. A blank linked cell is not an usable replacement identifier.
ISC Item Standardization Code. The displayed code needs its applicable official value table before it can be interpreted as a substitution decision.
Std Orig. Stored origin code for the standardization decision. The page does not expand the code.
Std Date Stored decision date, shown in the original encoding. It dates the recorded decision, not a current procurement approval.
Status Stored NIIN status code. It does not establish current stock, approved-source status or permissibility under a notice.

Back returns through browser history; Main Menu starts hidden. The result grid pages at 15 rows. When empty, the grid hides and the page shows No substitutes. No page-specific export is present.

For NSN 4030-00-266-7415, the example shows one row, with FSC 4030, no replacement NIIN displayed, ISC 2, Std Orig. KZ, Std Date 15-DEC-1974 and Status 0. This differs from the explicit No substitutes empty state. Without a replacement NIIN, you cannot identify a candidate from this row. The relationship and date do not approve an alternate.

Substitute-row example with a blank replacement identifier

Buying example

If a supplier proposes an alternate, record the original and replacement NSNs, open the replacement summary, and compare technical characteristics, controlled documents, source approval and the current solicitation's alternate-item terms. Ask the buyer for clarification where those terms do not permit a clear decision. This page is supporting evidence; it does not itself approve a substitute.

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