and improve the probability that a good contract is awarded when the requirement owner needs it. It also promotes better visibility and control of Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT). Spidel, after determining the root causes of the procurement process problems, decided to create an appli- cation that would help programs ex- ecute today’s requirements, manage tomorrow’s demands, and improve future performance. He wanted to design a system that improved the likelihood that a good contract ac- tion would be awarded to meet the mission requirement. If the required award date could not be met, con- tracting officers needed to inform stakeholders early so that corrective or mitigative action could take place. He also wanted the application to provide information that would allow the organization to learn and improve processes based on readily available, consistent, and reliable data. In doing all this, he maintained the following fundamental concepts and imperatives to keep the application’s capabilities relevant, effective, effi- cient, and dynamic: • Create a Common Operating Pic- ture for all stakeholders to promote awareness and collaboration. • Leverage the power of technology to improve speed, quality, and con- sistency of data. • Use existing authoritative sources to reduce redundancies and pro- vide a single source of truth. • Assist less knowledgeable and ju- nior workforce in identifying and creating necessary documentation.
• Create, track, and manage a robust end-to-end procurement schedule. • Facilitate standardization for benchmarking and baselines while providing fexibility to accommo- date unique situations. • Establish routines so more time is available to address emergencies and exceptions. • Adjust rapidly to changing require- ments and reports. • Provide quick, reliable, and action- able data for informed rational decision-making at all organiza- tional levels. • Maintain version control and ac- countability for timely document completion. • Control access and actions based on assigned permission levels. Those goals, concepts, and im- peratives provided the framework for PMT’s design. The process begins with creation of a Procurement Initia- tion Document (PID). As the user an- swers a series of questions about the magnitude, scope, complexity, and contract type, PMT’s logic determines potential documentation and required actions for the procurement package and contract award. The user also can add other documents and events to track in a procurement plan. When the basic felds are complete, a PID number is assigned and the Procuring Contracting Ofcer is notifed that a request for contractual action is in the works. The procurement plan is built through key stakeholder collaboration to establish ownership, accountabil- ity, and realistic expectations. Once agreed to, the plan is locked, and
plan deviations are documented and evaluated on their potential impact and required corrective action. The Timeline feature integrates events and document information to cre- ate an interactive schedule. Progress, milestones, and document status are fagged with icons and colors for easy identifcation. Figure 2 is a typical Timeline, an AMS feature that integrates events and document status with an interactive visual Gantt chart. Suite attributes also include Electronic Contract File, automated workflows, and digital routing and signatures, which allow all procurement work to be input digitally. The automated workfows are especially helpful in maintaining document version control, capturing the progress from drafting to final approval, and establishing account- ability. Another compelling and powerful PMT attribute is the access to current, accurate, and consistent data. All reg- istered users have permission-based access to reports and visualizations with just a few computer clicks. The
PMT spans the end-to-end network of events, from frst identifying the need for a contracting action to building the requirements package and tracking it through to the desired outcome. That desired outcome is awarding the right contract, at the right price, at the right time.
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