In creating the new business development plan, Barber and his team worked with the affected installations, making necessary changes based on their feedback. As a result, business developers at those installations were able to begin making adjustments to fit the new approach even before it was approved, so they could get a running start once it is fully implemented.

“I can’t claim the new business development plan will streamline policy because many of the processes we use today will remain, but because they are standardized, it will help expedite the process. The more we do things the same way, rather than each business and developer and facility doing things their own way, the greater the efficiencies.”

About 80 percent of the members of that task force previously worked business development issues in industry, giving them knowledge of working with government from the outside. The remainder had only government experience, which offered a perspective on those things unique to government those from industry may not have seen. The task force members also came from diverse backgrounds – electronics, construction, manufacturing, etc. – which helped in finding common denominators to build a standard core set of values.

The result was a plan that follows the business models civilian companies already use, so they won’t have to change anything or learn new procedures to do business with AMC.

“The changes are more internal to AMC than external to the contractors,” Barber said. “Look at the models used by anyone who teaches business development today and look at our new template; you’ll see it matches.”

He also believes the plan is flexible enough to stabilize AMC’s relationships and contracts with industry no matter what the budget or requirements environment may be in the future.

“As a business developer looking at an overall plan and knowing the budget numbers going into a fiscal year, this policy gives you the tools needed to see if you can’t meet all the requirements to address operational needs and so can call on headquarters for assistance before things become critical. It’s similar to triage – treat the worst problems first, the least last. So the facilities with the least funding would get help first,” he explained.

“I can’t claim the new business development plan will streamline policy because many of the processes we use today will remain, but because they are standardized, it will help expedite the process. The more we do things the same way, rather than each business and developer and facility doing things their own way, the greater the efficiencies.”

AMC’s First Business Development Plan

The AMC Business Development and Partnership Program policy is an effort to standardize AMC’s business development approach and expand partnering opportunities with program executive offices and industry. Once approved by Gen. Via, the program will establish a standard for all business developers and assist the command in maintaining a set of core capabilities and skills essential to ensuring Army readiness and its ability to respond to future contingency operations by improving operational efficiencies, lowering the cost of products and services, leveraging organic engineering services, accelerating innovation, and maximizing utilization of the capabilities of Centers of Industrial and Technical Excellence (CITEs) and other organic assets. The policy is on track to be endorsed and implemented in FY 15.

Specific objectives of the AMC Business Development and Partnership Program are to:

• Sustain the organic industrial base (OIB), research and development (R&D), and other entities through fostering cooperation and teamwork between one or more government agencies or with government and industry partners throughout the partnering process
• Promote best practices, integrate approaches from the private sector, and continue to modernize and invest through AMC capital investment programs
• Positively impact the net operating sustainment of AMC activities – industry-funded, government-owned, and government-operated AMC depots, arsenals, labs and R&D centers, ammunition plants, and other facilities.