An assessment of the implementation of the single process initiative by the Department of Defense

Abstract

One tenet of acquisition reform is to reduce the number of military specifications and standards contained in Department of Defense (DoD) contracts and to allow contractors the opportunity to use their own best practices to satisfy contractual requirements. The Single Process initiative (SPI) is DoD's effort to incorporate this policy into existing contracts, via a streamlined process. The SPI process supports the elimination or replacement of existing military specifications and standards with industry-wide practices and promotes the use of single manufacturing and management processes within a contractor facility. This thesis uses the results from 43 surveys of Government and industry participants in SPI to examine the extent to which SPI has been successful in promoting the use of single manufacturing and management processes at contractor facilities