Teams map DOD paperless procurement

The Defense Department has its teams in place to guide the implementation of DOD's end-to-end paperless procurement process.

An integrated process team (IPT), which is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of implementing the DOD "To-Be" End-to-End Procurement Process Model, held its first meeting Oct. 20 in Columbus, Ohio, said Lt. Col. Paul Yandik, director of the paperless contracting center in the Defense Contract Management Agency.

Rudy de Leon, deputy secretary of the Defense Department, established the IPT and a cross-functional executive steering group via a memorandum last month to the managers of all DOD services, agencies and related programs, according to Yandik, speaking Tuesday at the 21st Century Commerce International Expo 2000 in Albuquerque, N.M.

DOD's deputy chief information officer is chairman of the executive steering group, and the IPT is led by representatives from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the DCMA.

The procurement process model describes the 220 interfaces required to create a shared data environment and was established in May 1999, Yandik said. It includes all functional areas, from contracting and program management through logistics, as well as six major process areas: requirements determination, solicitation, award/modification, contract administration, receipt, payment and contract closeout.

"The next goal is to drill down into the interfaces and make migration plans from the legacy systems, and that should be done by the end of fiscal 2001," Yandik said.

The program is scheduled to be operational by March 2004, providing an end-to-end paperless procurement environment throughout DOD.

The strategic implementation plan and the DOD "To-Be" Procurement Process Model and system maps are available online at www.dcma.mil/centers/paperless/e2e.