Courtesy Photo | Richard Ginman, defense procurement and acquisition policy director, talks to Defense...... read more read more
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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Acquisition professionals learned how their ideas and input to improve their processes resulted in change at the second annual Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Acquisition Stand Down-Day Nov. 22.
During last year’s event, acquisition professionals were invited to tell leaders what worked and what could be improved.
“You really stepped up and gave us some great feedback,” Navy Rear Adm. David Baucom, DLA Troop Support commander, told the workforce. “And we listened. I was so impressed by your comments that I made … enhancing acquisition outcomes a top initiative in my 90-day plan.”
Reducing defects in acquisition was one of three command priority projects that resulted from workforce comments at the 2010 Stand Down. As outlined by DLA Troop Support Deputy Commander Richard Ellis, 395 of those comments required contracting language improvements and 64 percent involved language ambiguity issues.
The employee-driven solutions to these and other comments were to implement a contract findings database and develop supply chain acquisition libraries.
The three Continuous Process Improvement projects that Baucom referred to as his first top initiatives were:
-- Reducing defects in acquisition,
-- Develop automated contract tracking and reporting, and
-- Reduce cycle times on contacts greater than $1 billion.
Two sensing teams were also developed – Training, Systems and Templates team; and the Acquisition Process Improvement team – which led to additional employee-driven solutions.
It was reassuring for many of the more than 900 DLA Troop Support acquisition professionals to know their opinions mattered to the command.
“It’s most important to know that senior leadership understands our concerns and that they’re willing to follow up and rectify those issues,” said Joseph Percaud, an acquisition specialist with the construction and equipment supply chain. “Each supply chain component has different problems. Those problems are easier to address because of streamlining the process throughout the supply chains.”
Baucom said this year’s stand-down will serve to ensure that improvements continue.
“Now we must focus our efforts on … our next reach,” Baucom said. “Part of this focus is improving contract management, reducing bridge contracts and continuing to educate the workforce on fraud awareness.
“At DLA Troop Support, we have been exceptionally effective at providing what our men and women in uniform need to succeed in their mission,” Baucom said. “It is now time for us to be equally efficient at it, and we’re getting there.”
Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy Director Richard Ginman was the guest speaker. For the DoD acquisition system to operate effectively, Gilman said, the workforce was going to increase.
“We are on track to hire 10,000 people [throughout the Defense Department],” Ginman said. “What you do as the acquisition workforce … is get what is needed to the warfighter.”
Ginman advised the workforce to consider contract incentives not tied directly to costs, but incentives related to the overall performance of an end item. He also suggested reaching out for an independent point of view on contracts by having other teams review them.
The split session – morning and afternoon – stand-down also included a fraud-prevention presentation and a question-and-answer session with a three-person panel from DLA Headquarters.
An agent with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service said that since the Revolutionary War, there has always been an aspect of fraud involved in supplying American troops.
“Unfortunately, fraud will probably always be with us,” said John Davis, resident agent in charge, DCIS Philadelphia Resident Agency. “In our investigations, we usually find that a sign of fraud was detected early. It’s important to inform your counsel or us early if something doesn’t feel right.”
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2011 08:53 |
| Story ID: | 80766 |
| Location: | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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