Corps of Engineers Study Downplays Reverse Auctions.

A study by the Army Corps of Engineers of its own construction procurement practices could put the kibosh on use of Internet-based reverse auctions in the public sector. The study concluded that reverse auctions could be used for commodities procurement. The Corps study was conducted of agency projects using reverse auctioning in a pilot program between October 2002 and September 2003. Michael W. Gossman, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, says it can be difficult for contractors participating in a reverse auction to quantify their scope of work because it is often not as well defined as in buying a commodity.