EC Day 2001: From Paper-based Processes, DoD Now Deeply Immersed in eBusiness - Digital Environment - electronic commerce

Program Manager, Sept-Oct, 2001 by Lynn Freudenthal

Electronic Commerce, or EC has changed DoD's culture and business practices in ways never imagined, according to Claudia "Scottie" Knott, Director of the Defense Electronic Business Program Office (DEBPO). Speaking at the opening of EC Day 2001, Knott's comment easily resonated with a crowd who remembered the old days of filling out a purchase request and waiting weeks, even months for delivery

Their theme this year - "Revolution in eBusiness [Electronic Business] Affairs" -- was a revealing indicator of just how far DoD has advanced from paper-based processes to a system that is deeply immersed in eBusiness.

Sponsored by the DEBPO and the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association, the fourth annual BC Day 2001 took place June 7 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, Va. Attendance at the event has been rising yearly -- a sign of growing interest in, and use of, BC technologies, Knott said. EC Day 2001 gave government and industry representatives the opportunity to learn the latest on DoD's use of eBusiness.

The day's events included nine pre-event tutorials conducted on June 6, focusing on various technical topics; presentations from DoD components on their eBusiness initiatives; 10 technical sessions; and over 30 EC exhibits from industry and government. Several distinguished speakers and a "Hardball" panel contributed their knowledge on industry and government electronic commerce and eBusiness to DoD's "Revolution in eBusiness Affairs."

Birth of the DEBPO EC Day 2001 set the stage for the "virtual birth" of the DEBPO. This virtual event symbolized the office's name change from the Joint Electronic Commerce Program Office (JECPO) to its new name -- the Defense Electronic Business Program Office. A change in the office's focus accompanied the name change.

"The use of electronic business technologies within DoD has skyrocketed over the past several years, especially in the traditional areas of Buying and Paying," Knott said. "Now the challenge is for the Department of Defense to harness this potential into the acquisition, logistics, human resources, health care, financial management, and other functional areas, creating a seamless flow of enterprise information. This expansion from electronic commerce to electronic business is a natural and necessary progression in support of the Revolution in Business Affairs."

EC Day Awards

EC Day 2001 featured the presentation of the third annual EC Day Awards for the best electronic commerce initiatives of 2000 (pp. 54-55). DoD experts judged 77 nominations in four categories: Best DoD Web Site Business Implementation; Best EC Pioneer; Best EC Team -- DoD/Small Business; and Best EC Team -- DoD/Large Business. Knott received a Distinguished Civilian Service award from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), one of the eBusiness Program Office's sponsoring agencies; while DLA's Director, Army Lt. Gen. Henry Glisson, was presented a special award from the Deputy Director, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C41) Programs, for accelerating electronic commerce and eBusiness throughout DoD.

Electronic Industries Alliance

Dave McCurdy, former U.S. Congressman and the current President, Electronic Industries Alliance, began the opening session with an industry perspective on DoD eBusiness.

"We have moved to a networked reality from the industrial, then information age," he said. McCurdy discussed the impact of the current information technology (IT) industry "shakeout," calling it "necessary." But basic [IT] infrastructure companies, he said, are still needed.

"The market has not yet recognized this." Concluding, McCurdy shared his view of the key enabler to fulfilling the vision of eBusiness: "We need a robust defense industry that makes a profit."

DISA

Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry Raduege, Director, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), urged the audience to "remember why we're doing this -- to remain persuasive in peace and decisive in war." He called eBusiness a significant opportunity to provide seamless support to the warfighter and noted the leadership role DoD has taken with initiatives such as the Central Contractor Registry and Electronic Document Access.

DLA

Glisson said eBusiness is not just about technology It depends on business cooperation and partnerships. The right policies and standards are essential to conduct eBusiness. "If we are going to meet logistics excellence, we must harness this power," he said. "We need logistics excellence to do our jobs."

C3I

Dr. Linton Wells II, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I), called the potential savings from eBusiness that could be applied to other activities "extraordinary" He also brought what he called the "skunk to the garden party" -- security.

DoD, he said, must have a serious discussion about electronic security because eBusiness is a balance between access and security Wells cautioned that insider threats are greater than potential outsider threats, citing recent espionage cases.