Courtesy Photo | Laura Long, NETCOM Commander’s Initiatives Group Procurement Program Specialist,...... read more read more
From small beginnings, great achievements can be born, as was the case when a standard option-year re-writing of an IT service contact’s Performance Work Statement (PWS) recently netted the Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command a remarkable $1.2 million in cost savings.
“The cost savings were re-writing the Microsoft Consulting PWS and working with the KO [Contracting Officer] and Microsoft [negotiations] to reduce the cost of the contract without losing critical services support for the current contract and adding future capabilities support,” said Laura Long, NETCOM Commander’s Initiatives Group Procurement Program Specialist.
“Re-writing the PWS is special, because with most contracts the PWS doesn't change from option year to option year,” said Long. “IT contracts do have a tendency to change from option year to option year because of changes in software and programs.”
“When I was renewing the new requirements and reduced requirements, [I noticed] there were more reductions than adds, and that is when I realized there would be significant cost savings,” said Long. “I was very happy to save money. With funding shortages across the Army, the savings for this contract can help fund other requirements that are short on funding.”
To re-write a PWS is a time-consuming process, Long explained the timeline of events. “The entire process took about six weeks to complete. There were technical reviews, legal reviews, and ACC [Army Contracting Command] reviews that had to be completed even before it was submitted to Microsoft for their review,” said Long.
Although the process sometimes can take months, Long’s efforts were made easier by some help from within. “I would like to recognize Stuart Wells, who is the Technical advisor for the contract. Without him, I may have missed a requirement that was crucial to the services support,” said Long. “He has my back so to speak, and is always there to technically assist me.
“Second, I would like to recognize Shelby Burroughs- the Contracting Officer (KO) and Lynnette Fairbanks De La Viega, the Contracting Specialist who works with the KO for this contract at Army Contracting Command- who assisted with the coordination with Microsoft to make this a smooth option year award.”
“The re-writing of the Microsoft Consulting contract was largely to support the Army 365 mission that NETCOM was given,” said Stuart Wells, NETCOM G35 Army 365 Program Manager.
“In the first year of execution, we surged resources to assist with e-mail migrations that can be intense as anyone who survived the DEE [DoD Enterprise Email] migrations from on-premises can tell you,” said Wells as he explained the process. “These resources were perfect for the mission and allowed the Army to accomplish the largest ever e-mail migration, 800K accounts within the year. For the second year, with migrations largely complete Laura suggested the elimination of the e-mail task from the Consulting contract to which I concurred because all of the goals were met. This resulted in a significant savings on the contract even when providing some surge capability for the SharePoint Online migrations that are in the next phase of Army 365.”
“Laura is a wonderful partner and asset to NETCOM,” continued Wells. “She has performed exceptionally in a role where NETCOM has struggled in the past. She is very committed and focused on NETCOM getting the best value for the investment in the contracts she manages. It has been refreshing to work with someone that is competent at her job and motivated in this way.”
“Laura’s dedication to the task, and to the CIG, are not only a great reflection upon her but a great reflection in what we do and how we do it as ‘we strive to always evolve and become better’,” said Long’s immediate supervisor, Robert Mayfield, CIG Deputy Director.
“Ms. Long has distinguished herself as a Subject Matter Expert with regards to acquisition, contracts and contracting,” said Mayfield. “She is a consummate professional and is always looking out for the government’s best interest. Her exuberant attitude and demeanor are infectious to those around her.”
“Ms. Long's exemplary efforts highlight the diligence needed within the Army to continue providing critical services to our mission partners, while also pursuing cost savings for those services,” said the NETCOM Deputy Chief of Staff/CIG Director, Matthew Barker. “This is a difficult task in any effort, but Ms. Long's efforts are greatly appreciated and go a long way in ensuring we can also fund other critical needs across the Army's portion of the DoDIN.”
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2022 15:29 |
| Story ID: | 422604 |
| Location: | SIERRA VISTA, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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