Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics and a 2019 Wash100 Award winner, noted at a recently held Air Force Association event that the service has a four-step plan to streamline the acquisition process, USAF said Thursday.
Roper said the Air Force plans to jumpstart acquisition by leveraging programs such as Section 804 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 to procure capabilities faster. After that, Roper said the military branch must expand its industry network and move at a pace that matches that of startups.
The third step calls for the Air Force to establish an idea pipeline that will enable industry to suggest new ideas that can succeed old models. The fourth and final step occurs as the service increases innovative processes for sustainability by using commercial technology such as additive manufacturing and predictive maintenance to reduce procurement costs.
The Air Force will hold a pitch day on March 6 and 7 for small businesses and startups seeking to secure same-day contracts for their concepts and ideas.
Visit the Wash100 website to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2019 Wash100 Award. On the website, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2019.