NECESSARY APPROVALS Automated workflow approvals can be set up easily on Ama- zon Business, which quickly processes requests for purchases. Workflow rules enable the user to have email alerts sent to higher-level purchasers for approval. Depending on how many approvers a commander would prefer, Amazon could implement the roles for purchasing officials, approving official (is the pur- chase appropriate?) and authorizing official (are funds available for the purchase?). For example, a company supply officer could go onto the e-commerce portal and put the items he would like to purchase in the organization’s virtual shopping cart. Ten the next higher purchasing official at the battalion level would get an email alert to approve it.
In addition to workflow approvals, unauthorized items can be flagged. Te Army has mandated that the Army’s Computer, Hardware Enterprise Software and Solutions contract be the primary source for purchasing COTS software, desktop and notebook computers regardless of dollar value. If a user attempts to purchase one of these items on the e-commerce portal, a noti- fication would inform them that it is against policy to purchase this item.
CONCLUSION It’s hard to calculate the potential cost savings that an Army- zon would accrue. If, for example, DOD started with Amazon Business, others, such as Staples, Office Depot, Grainger or Walmart, might decide to build FAR-compliant platforms. Tat would further increase competition and make for more savings. But there are other possibilities for savings, too.
If implemented correctly, opportunities exist to use artificial intelligence to do predictive analysis for combatant command- ers. E-commerce portals could contact ordering officials about purchasing an item again based on their purchase history. For example, the platform might send an email asking, “Over the last six months, we noticed you purchased four black ink car- tridges every month. Would you like us to set up an automatic monthly delivery of four black ink cartridges?” Tis would cut down on the manpower needed to manually track and order supplies on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Having an e-commerce company analyze government purchas- ing data and highlight opportunities for savings would take the burden off commanders and contracting personnel.
Peter Drucker, the late consultant, educator and author who has been called “the inventor of modern management,” suggests
that what hinders innovation is not the lack of good ideas, but the failure of teams and organizations to be willing to discard old ones. With current technology and a multitude of options, now is the time to change our culture and make the shift to e-commerce. By doing so, we can provide flexibility and agility to combatant commanders and save billions of taxpayer dollars.
While spending a year with Amazon as a Training with Industry fellow and seeing the inner workings of e-commerce, it became clear that online marketplaces were the way of the future for the Army. I tried to establish a pilot program with the Army and Amazon to show the possibilities and savings. However, I met with resistance and negativity.
Upon reflection, I realized that it wasn’t policy I needed to change, but the culture. Henry Kissinger said, “Te basic motivation of a bureaucracy is its quest for safety.” It measures success by errors avoided rather than goals achieved. We think nothing of putting guns, ammunition, rockets, missiles, tanks or Soldiers’ lives in the hands of combatant commanders, but allowing them to purchase what they want when they need it is considered too risky.
In an effort to change the culture, I am working with Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to develop a case study illustrat- ing how a great idea that could save billions of dollars was met with such strong resistance. As a future commander, I want the power and flexibility of e-commerce to purchase what I need, when I need it, and get it fast. As a taxpayer, I want the trans- parency, accountability and cost savings e-commerce would provide. We must change the culture within the Acquisition Corps to ensure that we have a premier Army that is ready to fight tonight.
For more information, contact the author at rachael.m.hoagland.
mil@mail.mil.
LT. COL. RACHAEL HOAGLAND is the assistant executive officer
for the Deputy CIO G-6. She has an M.S.
in global
leadership from the University of San Diego School of Business, a B.S. in diplomacy and military history from Hawaii Pacific University, a B.A. in communication from the University of Tampa and an associate degree in photography from Mohawk Valley Community College. She spent a year as a Training with Industry fellow at
Amazon.com Inc. She is a graduate of DAU’s Program Manager’s Course, PMT 401, and is Level III certified in program management.
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