With the recent report that Grainger has been accused of not complying with its contracts to supply government agencies, distributors that sell to the government should reexamine their own systems to ensure they are in full compliance with obligations under the law.

Many companies are so intent on getting government contract awards that they later forget about having to comply with the numerous obligations tucked in the contract documents. But forgetting or ignoring federal contract obligations is risky business and not recommended.

This is especially true because government agencies are growing more aggressive about auditing contracts. So all government contractors, whether new to the federal …