This article was originally posted by Michael Keegan on the IBM Center for the Business of Government Blog. Most agencies in the U.S. government rely on products—goods and services—acquired through contracts to perform core functions, pursue agency objectives, and achieve mission success. In FY12, the federal government acquired $517 billion worth of products through contracts.Read… Read more »
by Steve Charles, Co-founder and Executive Vice President Your customers need your help. Not just your products and the requirements those will fulfill, but your personal help to get fully justified purchase requests to contracting shops who can issue the order before the end of the fiscal year. I spoke on a panel discussion lastRead… Read more »
If you’ve seen the commercials, you already know that Google Glass can record your daughter’s first steps, navigate you down a winding road on your mountain bike, and even allow you to virtually “hang out” with friends while jumping out of an airplane. But did you know Google Glass could help deliver critical government services?Read… Read more »
Earlier this year, California Governor Jerry Brown appointed my current business partner and former RFP-EZ teammate Clay Johnson to the state’s Task Force on Reengineering IT Procurement for Success, which was created to “identify how it can (1) hire the right vendors (2) at the best value, and (3) hold them accountable for their performance.”Read… Read more »
In a recent blog post, I highlighted the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Program Management Fellows (PM Fellows) training initiative within the VA Acquisition Academy (VAAA). What I learned in that interview is that the VAAA gained its inspiration for the PM Fellows from another project called the Acquisition Internship School (AIS). AIS specifically administers twoRead… Read more »
I often hear about different tactics to improve customer service, some are good ideas and some not as good. This isn’t to say every idea isn’t worth exploring but rather, successful customer service comes from one core thought: Customer service starts with understanding the customer. So we asked, and we listened carefully. We understand thatRead… Read more »
By Patricia Miller, Senior Acquisition Analyst Recently I wrote an article about the significant role that Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) play in the acquisition process flow. In “Do COR’s Matter in Your Agency? Why they Should,” I advocated the importance of reassuring CORs that they are a valuable force within acquisition teams. This blog generatedRead… Read more »
GovLoop and Integrity Management Consulting are proud to present a 12-part series called “Conscientious Contracting: A Thoughtful Approach to Acquisition and Program Management,” that aims to address common challenges and achieve new efficiencies in government procurement. In our recent guide titled, “Addressing the Complex Challenges Facing Today’s Acquisition Professional,” we shared several critical success factorsRead… Read more »
HP recently released a new case study outlining how they utilized enterprise architecture to improve Detroit’s Water and Sewage Department’s (DWSD) service to taxpayers while reducing costs. DWSD is the third-largest water and sewer utility in the United States, pumping 595 million gallons of clean drinking water each day to Michigan residents and providing wastewaterRead… Read more »
By Craig Taylor, Senior Analyst The original implementation of DoD’s “Better Buying Power” initiative heavily promoted the use of Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract types. Many federal agencies adopted this approach with the intent to control costs and limit the Government’s risk exposure on acquisitions. This does not remove risk from the acquisition itself, andRead… Read more »