Transformation May Be Your Foot in the Door for Federal Sales

By Kevin Shaker, consultant

If you have genuinely transformational technology, public sector IT executives may be willing to listen now more than ever.

In August, public and private sector officials held a series of short discussions on government IT and procurement, emphasizing innovation in everything from protecting critical assets to reforming acquisition methods.

Here are three top takeaways

GSA Schedules

Alan Thomas, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, said plans are being discussed to consolidate schedules for easier acquisition.

Today, Thomas said by example, an agency wanting to establish a call center might have to use GSA Schedule 70 as well as a Schedule 56 for building materials, and another still for professional audio and video. With consolidated schedules, agencies will be able to reduce how often officials must deal with multiple contracting officers in multiple regions.

Technology Modernization Fund

GSA is also making strides with the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) said Maria Roat, CIO of the Small Business Administration.

One of the goals behind TMF, Roat said, was to spread innovative solutions and processes across the government — to increase centralization and encourage collaboration. Groups that don’t use TMF for modernization need to reach out to other agencies for more collaboration.

For vendors, working your solutions into these early collaborative projects is a good opportunity to get your product visibility in other organizations that are looking to modernize their IT.

Workplace IT Transformation

Workplace transformation makes government staff worry that government jobs may dissipate as automation and AI march forward. The topic was addressed in a discussion with Vicki Hildebrand, CIO of Transportation, and John Wagner, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations for Customs and Border Protection.

Hildebrand and Wagner believe that new technology could elevate existing jobs. Hildebrand noted that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is inspecting pipelines with drones. Those drones still require operators and data analysts but offer savings in time and cost required for on-site employees.

Wagner added that officers are not being replaced with new facial recognition software, biometric capabilities and the Global Entry program for air travel. Now they have more time to do their jobs and focus on inspection and critical decisions, instead of manually inputting data.

Instead of worrying about losing staff, Hildebrand said, the focus should be on getting millennials interested in working for the government. Some dated federal functions and devices, Hildebrand explained, may be turning young people off to government as a place to work.

Vendors with solutions that modernize systems and make them less clunky may have a good foot in the door by demonstrating how solutions can help attract tomorrow’s workforce.

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This blog is adapted from an article published in Washington Technology magazine. The full article can be found here.