CHANGING MISSION, CHALLENGING CLIMATE
WITH THE GROWTH IN THE CONTRACTING WORKLOAD AND THE PROLIFERATION OF ORGANIZATIONS HANDLING IT CAME A MASSIVE INCREASE IN REGULATION, POLICY AND GUIDANCE OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES.
and FY11, more than 5,200 audits and inspections of Army contracting offices were conducted. Audits have created a climate of concern among young practi- tioners, making them very conservative in their approach to contracting. Another unintended consequence of too many audits is that they tend to divert the focus of the staff to audit findings and correc- tive action plans, leaving less time and fewer resources to execute the current workload. Tis tends to have the opposite effect than the audits intended.
While the Army’s Office of Business Transformation has made great strides to improve the organizational effectiveness and efficiency of many Army commands, there are still many opportunities for improvement in the contracting commu- nity. LTG Tomas W. Spoehr, director, Army Office of Business Transformation, summed it up in his article, “Change in Order to Stay ‘Army Strong,’ ” in the April 2014 issue of the U.S. Army Com- bined Arms Center’s Military Review, arguing that changing the culture to bet- ter value the efficient use of resources is critical to our survival. “We have the best
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Army in the world, but continued success is not assured. We must transform the way we operate in order to remain Army Strong,” Spoehr wrote.
To that end, my last effort as I wrap up my 37-year career in Army contracting is to bring a culture of continuous process improvement
(CPI)
to Army contract-
ing. It starts with documenting our processes. Using a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach to contracting, we can deliver outstanding service to our requiring activities, turning our customers
into
raving fans. Communicating what we do and how we do it is critical to our ability to deliver much-needed supplies and services to our Army.
It seems that our contracting community spends more time dealing with problems, performing re-work and putting out the fires we start, than investing the time and energy in CPI. We must consolidate the many scattered initiatives, aiming to improve contracting processes under the CPI umbrella so that the resulting changes can become part of our cul- ture without continually reinventing the wheel. Fundamentally, CPI is about spending resources proactively instead of reactively. But there is so much more to CPI than training or completing LSS projects: also important are getting stake- holder buy-in up front, considering the voice of our customers, preparing the leadership to be champions of change and rolling out great products in a way that ensures that new processes and pro- cedures are understood, anticipated and embraced.
CONCLUSION Over my three-plus decades
in Army
contracting, I’ve seen many changes, and the time for another big change is at hand. We must change our culture now no matter how difficult—the risk is too
Army AL&T Magazine October–December 2014
great not to. In the current climate of personnel shortages and budget cuts, we must dedicate our precious resources to standardizing and documenting our pro- cesses, defining roles and responsibilities, and becoming proactive rather than reac- tive. Tis is the only way to be a more efficient organization. I wholeheartedly echo the words of LTG Spoehr: “If we are unable to change the way we operate, then we fundamentally risk our Soldiers’ lives by sending them to conflict unpre- pared due to a lack of basic resources to properly train and equip them.”
Budget cuts are driving a big change. A study of Army contracting organizational alignment is underway at the request of the secretary of the Army. A bill currently before Congress mandates CPI. Consoli- dating a single HCA under GEN Via is driving standardization. Tese three things will serve as great conduits for change. Te
contracting workforce of
today is very dynamic and accustomed to rapid implementation of change, whether in organizational structure, policy or technology solutions. I am very excited about the future of Army contracting and proud to count myself among this highly skilled group of Army professionals.
For more information about Army contract- ing, go to
www.us.army/acc.
MR. J.R. RICHARDSON served in numer- ous senior Army civilian leadership positions throughout his 37-year contracting career. He was director of contracting operations at ACC from 2010 until his retirement at the end of September. He received a B.S. in business from Stillman College. He is Level III certified in contracting and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.
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