ARMY AL&T
(FAPIIS) just like a human would—except much faster.
BANK AUTOMATING SUCCESS
Robotic process automation can easily automate a straightforward, repeatable process, thus increasing compliance and saving time and resources. (Image by Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images)
A pilot or proof-of-concept of the new technology allows the workforce to see firsthand how the technology works. Te true benefit of a pilot program is to allow the technology’s capability to speak for itself. Tat way, the workforce has the opportunity to experience how the tech- nology saves them time and improves accuracy. Once the technology demon- strates value—even if just in a few targeted locations—word will spread about the benefits, and then others will clamor to adopt the technology, too. As with all things, adapting to even small or incre- mental changes takes time.
Two civilian agencies have individually piloted similar “contractor responsibility determination” solutions using robotic process automation. Tis robotic process automation—or “bot” for short—is able to pull information from public websites such as the System for Award Management (SAM) and the Federal Awardee Perfor- mance and Integrity Information System
In order for a bot to work effectively, a bot technician simply enters, or records, the exact process that a contracting profes- sional would ordinarily take, right down to mouse clicks, typing of data, screen- shots and pulling of reports. In this case, the process entails navigating to the SAM. gov and
FAPIIS.gov websites, typing in a unique vendor number, also known as a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and checking each website’s database for results and infor- mation indicating whether the contractor is registered in each system in order to do business with the federal govern- ment, does not have any active exclusions (such as suspension or debarment) and is otherwise capable of receiving a federal contract award.
To launch this process with the bot, a contracting professional provides the bot with a DUNS number for each contractor (via email or other electronic means), then the bot takes over the task from there: It enters each DUNS number into both the SAM and FAPIIS websites, creates screen- shot reports from the information listed in the sites, populates a document with the results for each vendor that it finds, and sends the results to a contracting special- ist—in no more than four minutes.
In September, the Army awarded a contract to procure a “contractor responsibility determination” bot to enable contracting professionals to shift their focus from low- value administrative tasks like checking
SAM.gov for a given contractor’s regis- tration, to high-value, critical-thinking areas of their work such as negotiations and cost analysis. Once the Army demon- strates success of the bot, it plans to extend use of it to other DOD and federal agen- cies. Tat way, multiple federal agencies
will have the opportunity to leverage and share in the Army’s success of a stream- lined process. Federal agencies are banding together to divide and conquer other aspects of acquisition ripe for automation, such as searching government systems for contractors’ past performance informa- tion, or auto-populating required Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses for specific types of requirements.
SAVE THE SPECIALISTS AND DELIVER CAPABILITY Contract specialists and contracting offi- cers often manage critical and diverse portfolios of contract requirements for various customers, stakeholders and requiring activities. Usually, each requir- ing activity and stakeholder views the contracting aspect of the acquisition process as the final speed bump to deliv- ering capability or completing the mission. Delivering capability in the Army means delivering lethality and readiness to our Soldiers.
Most contracting professionals are used to an urgent, high-tempo work environ- ment. Robotic process automation has the power to dramatically cut time and reduce unnecessary stress in an often cumbersome acquisition process. In this case, robotic process automation enables contracting professionals to be more productive with their time by allowing them to use their critical-thinking skills on complex cost analysis for procuring weapon systems or conducting multifac- eted negotiations, rather than spending time waiting for multiple websites to load or re-entering the same information into several forms or systems.
For example, it usually takes a contract- ing professional up to an hour to complete a contractor responsibility determination process. Tis tedious task is a required part of the acquisition process that a
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