FAQs
Live Help
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Call Tom Ernst at 937-219-5117 or email support@dibbsnav.com
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The staff at DIBBS Navigator can answer most of your questions. Occasionally, we will refer you to a specific government support number. You can email us at support@dibbsnav.com or call 937-219-5117
Registration
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When you register in DIBBS, the DLA automatically creates an account for you in cFolders. Once you have confirmed your DIBBS account is active and you can log in, go to the Collaboration Folders link on the DIBBS homepage, click on the link, and follow the instructions.
Go to the Registration Guide in the Support Center for additional information.
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You must have a CAGE code. This is a free registration that can be accomplished at www.sam.gov Depending upon what you want to sell, there may be other registrations required. All of these are free and available on government websites.
Go to CAGE Code Registration in the Support Center for additional information.
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Once you have a CAGE it continues to exist in government records. If it has expired, you need to log into SAM.gov and validate that all entries in your record are correct.
Go to CAGE Code Registration in the Support Center for additional information.
Using DIBBS Navigator
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DIBBS Navigator is the fastest way to find opportunities that match your capability. Its groundbreaking Product Groups help you find just the solicitations that are right for you. We send you an email every morning with opportunities that match your capabilities. It offers a fully functional free 30-day trial and a $45 per month subscription. You can cancel at any time.
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The federal government posts thousands of new solicitations daily in primarily two places...SAM and DLA. DIBBS Navigator downloads these daily DIBBS data files and puts the information into a form that allows you to extensively sort and filter these massive lists. DIBBS Navigator will automatically filter the list down to the 10-20 that are likely of interest to you.
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All DIBBS Navigator data comes from the Defense Logistics Agency and other US Government sources.
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A Produce Group isolates solicitations associated with a specific process or product (machining, fabrication, wire harness, etc.). Each Group is defined by a collection of keywords. DIBBS Navigator searches all solicitations for these keywords and shows you only the solicitations that contain one of the words in your list. You can create your own custom Product Group word list.
Go to Product Group Setup for additional information.
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DIBBS Navigator has a specific web page that will guide you through creating your custom Product Group. Of course you can use the default Groups we have already set up for you.
Go to Product Group Setup for additional information.
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NSN Groups help you search for new solicitations based on the National Stock Number (NSN) of the items being purchased. This is extremely useful if you have bid on something in the past. Enter that NSN in your Group, and DIBBS Nav will alert you whenever there is a new solicitation for that NSN.
Go to NSN Group Setup for additional information.
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An NSN group is extremely useful if you know the National Stock Numbers of some specific items you want to watch for. Once you have listed an NSN in your Group, Dibbs Nav will scan all new solicitations every day to look for those particular NSNs. When it finds a match, it will alert you by email immediately. We suggest that whenever you bid on anything, enter that NSN into your NSN Group list.
Go to NSN Group Setup for additional information.
Reselling
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DLA buys many commercial off the shelf items. For each of these items, DLA specifies one or more approved sources and the source’s part number. The reseller is someone who buys the approved part and then sells it directly to DLA.
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The Reseller Tool is designed to help you evaluate approximately 8,000 supplier companies offering products that the DLA needs. While many of these suppliers sell directly to the DLA and are not of interest to resellers, others do not sell directly.
The tool provides a comprehensive view of all suppliers and their products, along with insights into which suppliers sold products to the DLA. It also calculates a Reseller Opportunity Score for each supplier, based on how often they allow resellers to sell their products to the DLA. This makes it easier for you to identify and target suppliers with the best opportunities for reselling.
Getting Tech Data
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All military specs and drawings are stored for download in a DLA site called C-Folders. In order to gain access to this site, you must be registered in C-Folders.
Go to the Tech Data Guide in the Support Center for additional information.
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Frequently, there are many documents and drawings in a downloaded technical data package. If you are just trying to get a high level view of what the item is, there are several handy shortcuts. Dibbs Nav will give you the drawing number for the "IAW Basic Drawing" in the Basic Draw column. Look for this drawing in the tech data file package. You can also look through the list of drawings and select any that have a DD in the drawing file name.
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C4 files are a type of drawing file. Most technical drawings for the military are in this format. You need a special viewer application to open them. Click MORE for additional information on getting the free government viewer and for our recommendations for other options.
Go to How to Open .C4 format files in the Support Center for additional information.
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Many of the drawings have been originally created by a large manufacturer (Boeing, Lockheed, Colt, etc.) and they feel that additional non-disclosure agreements are necessary before the drawings are shared. In these cases, you must download the Agreement specified, fill it out and submit it. Universally, these agreements are simple and easy to complete. You either scan and email or fax the completed agreement back to DLA. Approval is always in less than 24 hours.
Go to cFolders Additional Access for additional information.
Bidding
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No. Price is the most important factor. However, if a solicitation is set aside for a small business, woman owned small business, disabled veteran owned small business, etc. the lowest price bidder does not have to be selected.
General
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The Government uses a proprietary system called Wide Area Workflow (WAWF). This web-based system handles all transactions between vendor and buyer, including notice of shipment, invoice, and payment to the vendor. The system is extremely efficient and easy to use. The government provides a WAWF training website that will guide you through both registration and system use. For more information, visit the WAWF Training Site.
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The solicitation you responded to stated whether shipping was FOB Origin or Destination. In either case, the government provides a system to manage the labeling and logistics of the shipping process. The Vendor Shipment Module (VSM) is a web-based transportation system designed to provide suppliers with the most up-to-date address and routing for their Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) issued contracts. When a contract is free on board (FOB) destination, a military shipping label (MSL) will be provided, and transportation arrangements will need to be scheduled and paid for by the vendor. If the contract is FOB origin, the government will be responsible for the transportation. In addition to the MSL on an origin contract, the supplier will also receive either their small parcel carrier label or the bill of lading (based on weight, dimensions, girth, etc.). The supplier will also receive a commercial invoice to move the shipment through customs when necessary. To register, go to the VSM website.
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NSN stands for National Stock Number. All parts procured by DLA are assigned an NSN.
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The best information about an NSN is contained in the Tech Data Package the buyer provides with the solicitation. This is the only official information. If you are bidding on an item, be sure you comply fully with these specifications.