TWO SIDES OF THE SMALL BUSINESS COIN
Army AL&T asked small business executives:
What surprised you the most after winning a contract with the government? Or, what do you wish you’d known before winning that you found out afterward?
Gregory Glaros CEO and Chief Technical Officer SYNEXXUS Inc.
After being awarded our first contract, we were surprised by the barriers to actually getting on contract, the time it took to get on contract and the sheer cost of negotiating a final contract. Instead of making sure the product was successful, in many cases, the program manager spent more time with contract payment schedules and issues related to internal gov- ernment bickering or unresponsiveness. Had they taken into account many of the recommendations we originally sug- gested, we would have completed the tasks ahead of schedule and under budget and, more importantly, delivered a product faster to the men and women in the field.
Many of the acquisition professionals and the program manager we dealt with on our first contract and follow-on contracts had a lack of understanding of what it takes for a small business to compete, sustain interest and perform finan- cially. From delayed-cash-flow issues to contract interruptions and particularly the lack of coordination between government agencies to fulfill the contract, they failed to grasp the impact these challenges would have and the associated risks small business incur. Once small businesses are given an opportu- nity to perform, they deliver.
Richard Lueth Military Logistics Representative Chromate Industrial Corp. When you’re new to defense contracting, the hardest thing is figuring out who to go to, who can help you out and how to get things done properly. Te biggest surprise that came to us was figuring out the difference between military and com- mercial packaging. We packaged our items in two separate
packages but found out at inspection that it wasn’t right. It took a lot of digging to find packaging information, and it was often difficult to find the right person at the Defense Logistics Agency to answer our questions. Knowing this earlier in the process would have made our first transaction a lot smoother.
Staci Redmon Founder Strategy and Management Services Inc. When I established Strategy and Management Services Inc. (SAMS), for the first 18 months, I prioritized building rela- tionships instead of bidding on contracts. I got in front of anyone in the government who would see me—not to sell, but to learn what they needed from providers. Te relation- ships I cultivated continue to benefit SAMS today. As SAMS became known for exceeding our customers’ expectations with people who make a difference, the relationships I built generated a steady stream of business, resulting in multiple contract awards.
Aaron J. Tilock Senior Vice President for Operations and Strategy IP Network Solutions Inc. What surprised us most were the additional needs and requirements of the customer, beyond what was spelled out in the performance work statement. While we had a 60-day transition schedule, the outgoing contractor was leaving in 50. Tus, we had to surge right away. Te kickoff meeting and really tight communications early on are critical for identify- ing gaps in common understanding and getting the contract up and running.
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CRITICAL THINKING
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