Defining success: the Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council

Abstract

The Department of Defense (DoD) is using industry best practices to transform the way it manages its acquisition functions to include its people, processes, practices, and policies. Strategic sourcing is one such process. The objective of strategic sourcing is the creation and application of carefully crafted procurement strategies to acquire various supplies and services at the lowest total cost. While numerous sourcing strategies exist (e.g., those for strategic items, leverage items, bottleneck items, and noncritical items), this study focused on leverage items and the use of commodity councils, specifically the Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council (AFITCC). Using a case study approach, this research identified the specific factors that contributed to the successful development and implementation of AFITCC. These factors included the development of an overall sourcing strategy, the utilization of an appropriate commodity strategy, and the ability to implement change within an organization. Thus, by documenting specific challenges and successes, this research should help to guide the development and implementation of commodity councils throughout the Air Force, DoD, and various other public organizations.