Electronic Contracting Cuts Red Tape

摘要

After participating in one of the first multinational exercises to use the U.S. Defense Department's new electronic procurement system, U.S. Army officials are touting the benefits of using paperless contracting in a contingency operation. The technology allowed procurement personnel to save time, respond quickly to customers' needs and work efficiently with contractors from several countries. Adequate planning and training were key to the successful use of a relatively new system in an exercise that involved U.S., Thai and Singaporean troops. Participants in COBRA GOLD 2001 employed the Standard Procurement System (SPS), which was developed by American Management Systems, Fairfax, Virginia (SIGNAL, June 2001, page 41).