GSA supports customers, the general public, operational elements, and management officials by developing policies and procedures for the Federal Standardization Program, the GSA Shelf Life Program, the GSA Metric Transition Program, the GSA Value Engineering Program, and the Index of Federal Specifications, Standards, and Commercial Item Descriptions Maintenance Program.  GSA is the primary point for issues related to standardization, packaging, and hazardous materials management.  GSA also:

1.  Maintains the Federal Specification Reference System (FSRS);
2.  Controls printing and distribution of Federal Product Descriptions (FPD's);
3. Serves as the Civil agency/DOD interface for the DOD Index of Specifications and Standards and DOD Standardization Directory;
4. Manages the FPMR 101-29, Federal Product Descriptions; and
5. Interfaces with Veteran's Administration (VA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Governmentwide Food Quality Assurance Programs Interagency Functional Directory.

GSA also collaborates with professional and trade associations, manufacturers, voluntary standards organizations, and government activities in the development and management of Federal Standardization policy and programs. In addition, GSA also prepares and maintains the Index of Federal Specifications, Standards, and Commercial Item Descriptions; and oversee/monitor the federal metric transition program.