FAS is also developing a common acquisition platform to improve the quality of the digital services agencies use for acquisition and to help realize the benefits of category management by guiding buyers through the acquisition process start to finish, Sharpe said.
The FAS is focusing on a category hallways concept at this stage of developing the common acquisition platform.Sharpe explains that eventually buyers will embark on an acquisition by choosing a category on the platform, or searching for the product or service they need. The buyer would then be able to select what they want in a virtual hallway, from subject expertise and data, to tools and on-demand procurement assistance. The hallways will feature advice and acquisition sources that government-wide category managers have determined would help professionals make better buying decisions.
Over time, the hallways will be iteratively developed with services and capabilities needed to continuously improve acquisition outcomes, including a procurement optimizer, search engine, category-centric market research materials, real-time data on pricing and purchasing, a collaborative contracting library and an ecommerce platform for simple purchases, Sharpe said.
