New Study: LPTA Procurements Negatively Impact Government Contracts and Sacrifice Long-Term Value
October 24, 2013
New study from Market Connections, Inc. and Centurion Research Solutions reveals how LPTA contracts are stifling innovation, driving down prices and sacrificing long-term value for short-term cost savings Today, more than 200 members of the government contracting community gathered at the Gannett Conference Center in McLean, Va., to gain key insights into the impact of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procurements on both government and contractors. A new study from Market Connections, Inc. and Centurion Research Solutions revealed that contractors and government believe LPTA contracts may be awarded to less qualified companies, may sacrifice long-term value for short-term cost savings and could ... Read moreWinning Contractor: BAE Systems Land and Armament Sector Creates New Innovations, Saves Government Money and Gives Back
October 23, 2013
With more than 7,700 employees, the BAE Systems Land & Armaments Sector provides breakthrough technology solutions, world-class systems integration capabilities, flexible manufacturing capabilities and integrated logistics support throughout the entire product life cycle. The division is a global leader in the design, development, production and service support of armored combat and tactical vehicles. It also provides major and minor caliber naval guns and missile launchers, canisters, artillery systems and intelligent munitions. Although federal contracts for this arena have been decreasing due to troop drawdowns, the Land & Armaments Sector continues to win significant business. Although federal contracts for this arena have been ... Read moreGovernment and Contractors’ True Perceptions About LPTA Contracts
October 22, 2013
Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procurements have been a hot topic in the federal government contracting industry for the past two years. Contractors worry that LPTA will lead to contracts being awarded to less qualified companies and sacrifice long-term value for short-term cost savings, lowering the standard of performance in the industry. While LPTA opportunities help to control costs and provide an economical approach for product and commodity procurements, contractors are concerned about whether the government will truly receive the best value and quality under these kinds of contracts. Many argue that the LPTA process can drive the government to make “vanilla” ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Government Shutdown is Over; Lockheed Martin Lifts Employee Furloughs; LPTA Event; and a Flood of New Contract Wins
October 21, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. The federal government is officially back open for business. As such, Lockheed Martin is lifting its furloughs of 2,400 employees, and we are seeing a flood of new contracts being awarded. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Open For Business: Government Shutdown, Default Averted After 15 days of a government shutdown and on the eve of when the country was set to lose its borrowing authority, Congress passed legislation to fund the government and avert a default. The Next ... Read moreQ&A: Beth Beach, Director, Cybersecurity & IT Division at TASC, Discusses Value of Third-Party Research for Informing Capture Strategies
October 17, 2013
As the government’s needs for advanced cybersecurity solutions continues to grow, federal contractors are required to develop the most advanced capture strategies for winning new business and beating out incumbents. By using third-party research providers, it is possible to gain the actionable insights about government cyber needs to help fully inform the capture process. This information also plays a key role in developing the right balance for cyber solutions that meet government needs and budgets. As opposed to common online subscription databases, this kind of research is customized, proprietary and provides ‘true competitive’ intelligence and insights. The FedPulse team recently spoke with ... Read moreGovernment Shutdown Continues: Lessons Learned for Contractors
October 16, 2013
As no deal was struck last night to end the government shutdown and raise the debt limit, it is the ideal time to take a hard look at lessons learned. For more than two weeks, industry members have dealt with tremendous uncertainty as new contract awards grounded to a screeching halt, which have caused a severe cut in contractors’ profit margins and hindered the ability to meet earning’s goals. So what did we learn over the past two weeks? The FedPulse editorial team pulled together the following lessons learned: Diversification May Be the Best Defense: The government shutdown has taught us that the ... Read moreUsing Research to Drive Effective Thought Leadership
October 15, 2013
Third-party research can validate a company’s technical expertise by solidifying its position as a thought leader in any industry. For example, the recent nationwide Market Connections study commissioned by NetApp showed that schools are realizing benefits as a result of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) that supports students bringing their own devices (BYOD) such as laptops, smartphones and tablets into the classroom As opposed to doing research and letting it sit on a shelf, NetApp is using the results of the study to both inform their go-to-market strategies and to enhance sales and marketing activities. For example, NetApp developed a white paper and ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Government Shutdown and Contractor Pain; GSA Sets OASIS Deadline; and Lockheed Poised to Win $2.2 Billion Contract
October 14, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. As the government shutdown stretched on for the second week in row, the uncertainty in both the private and public sectors became almost palpable. From government employee furlough news to stories about contractors not receiving back pay, it has been a rough week. Though, new contracts are being awarded and Lockheed Martin is poised to close a $2.2 billion Air Force contract. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Economic Advisor: Sequester ‘Stupid,’ Default a ‘Fundamental Danger’ Americans ... Read moreRespond to Increased Competition in an LPTA Procurement Environment
October 10, 2013
SPEAKERS JUST ANNOUNCED FOR THE LPTA IMPACT EVENT Many in the government contracting industry just returned from the Professional Services Council (PSC) Annual Conference. While it’s no surprise the government shutdown was a big topic of discussion, every presentation and panel also addressed the issue of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable procurements (LPTA). The consensus appears to be that LPTA is not going away, and contractors need to find ways to be more competitive to survive in an LPTA procurement environment. To gauge the impact of LPTA procurements on government agencies and the contractors who serve them, Market Connections, Inc. and Centurion Research ... Read moreGEOINT 2013 Cancelled: Government Shutdown Fallout Continues
October 9, 2013
For the first time in 10 years, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) will not be hosting the premier event for the Intelligence Community in October, the GEOINT Symposium. Last night USGIF officially made the announcement that GEOINT 2013 will be postponed until Spring 2014. The reality is that key government decision-makers are not able to travel to conferences anymore, which was an issue in both 2012 and 2013 — but is now further complicated by the government shutdown. Here’s what Keith Masback, CEO of USGIF, stated in his letter to GEOINT 2013 attendees and USGIF membership: As you well know, we ... Read more