by Lt. Col. Camille N. Morgan
Recent global conflicts and military engagements have profoundly influenced the Army’s approach to acquisition, revealing critical insights into the necessity of flexibility, supply chain resilience and scalable production. As the nature of warfare evolves, marked by rapid technological advancement, asymmetric threats and contested logistics environments, the Army must recalibrate its acquisition strategies to remain agile, responsive and future-ready.
To address these challenges, the Army Contract Writing System (ACWS) product office, part of the U.S. Army Capability Program Executive Enterprise Software and Services (CPE ES2), is increasingly embracing modular, open-system architectures that allow for rapid integration of emerging technologies with the Army’s single enterprise contract writing system. This approach enables incremental upgrades without overhauling entire platforms, fostering adaptability and cost-efficiency. Moreover, scalable production models, such as leveraging commercial off-the-shelf solutions and dual-use technologies, allow the Army to respond quickly to surging demand during crises.
The Army’s pivot toward flexible contracting mechanisms has also facilitated faster prototyping and fielding. These new contracting approaches enable collaboration with non-traditional defense partners, accelerating innovation and reducing bureaucratic delays.
To that end, ACWS’ transition to the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) has yielded critical lessons learned that will directly shape and strengthen future acquisition strategies.
The ACWS capability is the foundation of the Army Contracting Enterprise (ACE), driving transformation by replacing two legacy systems by fiscal year 2026. Purpose-built for the Army, ACWS marks a major shift from over a decade of waterfall software development methods to Agile practices, adopted in 2023 in alignment with DoDI 5000.75. This transition is essential for adapting to a rapidly evolving operational environment and accelerating the delivery of mission-critical capabilities.
ACWS, a Business Category (BCAT) II Defense Business System, is set to replace the Standard Procurement System/Procurement Desktop-Defense (SPS) and the Procurement Automated Data and Document System (PADDS) by FY26. Designed specifically for the Army, ACWS will support approximately 8,000 users across 300 locations worldwide.
The system is designed to operate effectively in low-bandwidth and disconnected environments, critical for expeditionary forces, and will support both unclassified and classified networks. It will deliver end-to-end contracting capabilities, featuring centralized services like Clause Logic, standardized business rules (e.g., contract line-item number structures) and uniform data schemas such as the Procurement Data Standard and Standard Financial Information Structure to ensure consistency and interoperability.
The traditional waterfall model, which depended on early and fixed requirements, often resulted in rigid contract structures that could not adapt to evolving project complexities. As ACWS encountered shifting requirements and the need for accelerated delivery, the limitations of this approach became clear. The adoption of Agile methodologies enabled faster, more flexible development, delivering capabilities at the speed of relevance.
The ACWS deployment phase commenced July 28, 2023, with the rollout of a minimum viable product using existing Air Force Contracting-Information Technology (CON-IT) software on a low-code/no-code platform. The ACWS team’s collaboration with the Defense Logistics Agency for system hosting and management not only resulted in significant cost savings but fostered collaborative development across military branches.
ACWS’ Agile transition presented three critical challenges for the Acquisition Training and Readiness (AT&R) Systems Program Management Office (PMO) at CPE ES2. The system’s functional sponsor, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement, identified the following challenges:
Stakeholder resistance to the Agile transition was significant, particularly among the system integrator, PMO staff and ACE end users. To overcome this, the PMO launched a comprehensive upskilling initiative, including in-person SAFe Agile training and the adoption of industry best practices via the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software contract vehicle.
The cultural shift was especially challenging for the ACE, which had relied on legacy systems for over 40 years. To support adoption, ACWS mandated training for all users, achieving a remarkable 90% participation rate, 7,948 ACE global end users out of 8,000 personnel. Since going live in July 2023, the system has processed 27,419 contract actions—including 27,419 awards and 19,788 modifications—totaling $17 billion as of September 30, 2025.
Training equips team members and end users with industry-standard skills and troubleshooting techniques, building confidence and reducing support-ticket volume. Well-trained users not only improve their own experience but contribute to better overall outcomes. Without sufficient training, users are more likely to make errors that can lead to costly mistakes or data loss. A strong understanding of the software helps prevent operational disruptions and ensures smoother system performance.
Integrating Agile principles into the acquisition documentation process was a complex undertaking. Key documents, such as the acquisition program baseline (APB) and acquisition strategy, were revised to align with Agile methodologies, fostering an iterative documentation approach that remains compliant with DoDI 5000.75.
To support flexibility and responsiveness, ACWS established broad initial project parameters and implemented a process for regular APB updates. This structure enables rapid real-time adjustments to cost, schedule and performance, ensuring the program remains agile and adaptive throughout its life cycle.
Agile documentation and principles have significantly improved program effectiveness by promoting shared understanding, collaboration and efficient knowledge transfer, without imposing heavy upfront burdens. This approach enhances transparency, supports short-term sprint planning and ensures consistent, easily maintained information as the project evolves. Agile practices have boosted efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction by enabling faster adaptation to change and delivering high-quality outcomes.
Stakeholder engagement, particularly with the U.S. Army Financial Management Command System Support Operations (SSO) for the Secure High to Low (H2L) interface, has strengthened collaboration, informed decision-making and enabled early risk identification. This has directly improved documentation and readiness for the Q1 FY25 go-live of the H2L General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) –Sensitive Activities Interface. Continued coordination with SSO and the Logistics Modernization Program (LMP), a system applications and products-based enterprise resource planning solution supporting materiel delivery from Army Materiel Command to Soldiers, has been pivotal as ACWS prepares for the LMP/GFEBS interface go-live in June 2026. This interface is essential to successfully sunset PADDS by September 30th, 2026.
Effective budgeting is critical for BCAT II programs like ACWS, requiring comprehensive financial planning across the entire life cycle, from requirements gathering to deployment. Adaptive governance enables timely decisions on cost, schedule, performance and risk, helping maintain momentum in Agile environments.
ACWS has made notable strategic progress in preparing for the transition to support in FY27. Following the sunset of PADDS in Q4 FY26, the program will reduce Agile Scrum Teams from three to one, reallocating resources toward essential services such as support, service desk, break fixes, hosting, automated testing, maintenance and license agreements. This shift supports long-term stability and results in overall cost reductions.
Proactive communication and adaptive governance are vital to successful iterative development, enabling responsiveness to the Army’s evolving needs and aligning with the Army Transformation Initiative priorities: delivering warfighting capabilities, optimizing force structure and eliminating wasteful spending.
In Q4 FY25, the program reduced its contractor footprint by 42% due to a $1.8 million unfunded research, development, test and evaluation requirement caused by a year-long continuing resolution. This funding shortfall delayed the SPS sunset by three months and reduced PMO capacity and engineering staff. The risk of a “stop work” order for the developer system integrator/U.S. Department of Agriculture during the critical fourth-quarter blackout period, when procurement activity peaks, required immediate mitigation.
To address this, the PMO shifted Program Increment priorities from development to support and reallocated available Operations and Maintenance funds to support product services rather than new feature development. This strategic pivot preserved momentum and readiness despite fiscal constraints.
The transition to the Business Capability Acquisition Cycle process established by DoDI 5000.75 represents a major milestone for ACWS, strengthening capability development, change management, documentation and acquisition strategies. This framework aligns business system acquisitions with strategic objectives, emphasizing life cycle management and robust user support. ACWS will pivot to DoDI 5000.87 Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) after it subsumes the two legacy systems in FY27, aligning with the Department of War’s directive to rapidly deliver and evolve software-enabled systems for the warfighter.
Cross-service collaboration has improved through synchronized product backlogs and coordinated efforts among PMOs, helping eliminate redundancies and streamline development. The PMO’s accomplishments in FY25 have been recognized by the Office of the Secretary of War and industry partners. Looking ahead, ACWS will integrate modules from Air Force CON-IT and Navy Electronic Procurement Systems, further expanding its capabilities and joint service interoperability.
The phased retirement of legacy systems like SPS and PADDS is streamlining acquisition processes and fostering a more agile contracting environment. ACWS’ commitment to Agile represents a transformational shift in Army contracting, critical to achieving mission success.
Through continuous process refinement and capability delivery, ACWS is well positioned to meet the Army’s operational needs and ensure the success of ACE. Failure to complete this transition would compromise ACE’s ability to operate effectively and support warfighters, posing significant risks to mission readiness.
LT. COL. CAMILLE MORGAN is the product manager for CPE ES2 AT&R ACWS, overseeing the delivery of a world-class, single, enterprise-wide contract writing and management solution that meets current and future non-classified, classified and disconnected state missions of the Army contracting community.