SOUNDING BOARD: A NEW MARKETPLACE
By: Michele Bolos
CEO, Founder
NT Concepts

As seen in this edition of the Service Contractor, collaboration tech, AI and machine learning, and streamlined acquisition platforms and vehicles have found traction and are ready for action. How do service contractors quickly leverage the advanced technologies readily used by private sector companies like Walmart to deliver tangible value and accelerate the customer mission?

Recently we’ve witnessed a fundamental shift in how the Government interacts with industry. It’s a new, gradually-emerging environment focused on helping service contractors bring the open source and commercial solutions to the federal government, faster. I see this as the next big innovative thing: a new Marketplace that re-shapes how contractors interact, communicate with, and support the critical missions of our customers. 

In this Marketplace, the government has increased in the number of market surveys, industry days, consortiums, and public discussions, creating a positive atmosphere where ideas are openly and continuously exchanged so contractors can better understand the requirements and challenges, and rapidly deliver what is needed and what works. 

The Marketplace also bridges the red-tape mired acquisition process with agile strategies and approaches that create a new paradigm for the future of procurement execution. With the popularity of OTAs and other flexible acquisition vehicles on the rise—as well as increased buying under FAR Part 12—agencies are creating pathways to fast, unburdened access to commercial technology. While traditional FAR-based contracting will continue, these vehicles offer iterative approaches for rapid prototyping, text-fix-test phases ahead of down select, and enable the government to screen quickly, refine requirements in near-real-time, and avoid system-specific vendor “lock in”, price tag surge, and lack of competition.

We’re excited about this innovative space the government has created—with its proactive engagement, challenge and demonstration events, and a “try before you buy” approach. It represents a stronger, more transparent relationship between government and industry and establishes an agile, competitive environment for faster commercial technology adoption and mission results. The Marketplace enables technology experts like NT Concepts to bring emerging and leading commercial technology to our customer’s hardest challenges. We have a proven Power of Next methodology to discover commercial technology innovations, evaluate suitability and value, apply the technology to use cases, and rapidly deliver solutions for our intelligence and national security clients.

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This article appeared in PSC's Summer 2018 Service Contractor Magazine. Click here to view the PDF article on pages 9-10.