From the Editor-in-Chief A
BACK TALK
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lbert Einstein is known for defi ning insan- ity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting diff erent results.”
T is is one of the key principles driving us toward greater aff ordability and productivity in defense spending. Using the same methods year after year that have led to record cost overruns or delayed delivery dates and expecting better results is, by this defi nition, insanity. Not requiring strong professional qualifi ca- tions for all acquisition workforce members while insisting on them in the commercial sector, or not incentivizing industry and government but expecting best price is, again, insanity.
Running government acquisition like a business: Now that’s Einsteinian genius.
Breaking the paradigm of “business as usual” and changing the entire management philosophy of government acquisition is the intent behind Better Buying Power (BBP) 2.0, championed by the Honor- able Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics (USD(AT&L)). T is cultural shift has not happened overnight. More than two years ago, then-USD(AT&L) Dr. Ashton Carter and Kendall jointly issued the initial BBP guidance to the acquisition community to deliver bet- ter value to the taxpayer and the warfi ghter. While signifi cant gains have been realized, the past two years also have uncovered other areas needing attention.
Initially, BBP consisted of 23 principal actions to improve effi ciency in fi ve major areas: target aff ordability and control cost growth; incentivize productivity and innovation in industry; reduce nonproductive processes and bureaucracy; promote real competition; and improve tradecraft in services acquisition. BBP 2.0 maintains these areas of eff ort, but now encompasses 36 total initiatives organized in seven focus areas.
Refl ecting the importance of competency across the acquisition workforce, BBP 2.0 introduces a new focus area to support, recognize and improve the
professionalism of acquisition workforce members. In addition, BBP 2.0 includes new initiatives focused on enforcing aff ordability caps; incentivizing indus- try by aligning profi tability more tightly with DOD goals and employing appropriate contract types; and increasing the eff ective use of performance-based logistics, to name just a few.
In this issue of Army AL&T, you will see multiple examples of how the Army has saved billions while embracing the tenets of BBP: It has shortened manu- facturing development phases, actively engaged small businesses, implemented aff ordability constraints, incentivized program managers and increased the professionalism of the acquisition workforce—all with the goal of achieving best value for the taxpayer and the warfi ghter.
T e Army is not the only organization transforming business practices to keep pace with today’s ever- changing fi scal landscape. In “Critical T inking,” read how the No. 1 warehouse retail chain, Costco Whole- sale Corp., tackles some of the same issues facing the Army, continually examining all aspects of its opera- tions and, if necessary, making changes to stay on top.
Ultimately, it’s the people that make better buying power possible, as the new focus area in BBP 2.0 dem- onstrates. In this issue’s “Spotlight,” learn about the professionalism and initiative of one of our 42,000 Army Acquisition Workforce members, Cheryl Maggio, as she leads eff orts to eliminate America’s chemical weapons stockpile.
It is too easy to forget the many things our workforce does well, and instead focus on the few things that do not go well. So, I hope you will take a few moments to read this issue and catch up on all the great eff orts taking place throughout the Army Acquisition Workforce. Please share this magazine with other acquisition professionals; it is online at http://
armyalt.va.newsmemory.com/. If you have any comments or story suggestions, please contact me at
armyalt@gmail.com.
Nelson McCouch III Editor-in-Chief
ii Army AL&T Magazine April–June 2013
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