Does your entire acquisition team operate using a consistent and universal set of processes and procedures? Is the same type of requirement handled consistently regardless of your team makeup? How you do what you do - the entirety of your business processes -- plays a critical role in the effectiveness and efficiency of your procurement function. And in an environment of reduced resources and workforce churn, repeatable, integrated processes may in fact define your success.

According to the GAO Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function, "Ideally, policies and processes clearly define the roles and responsibilities of [staff], empower people across the agency to work together effectively to procure desired goods and services, and [proactively manage the acquisition process]".

You can develop and implement processes that move your workflow from ad hoc or reactive to defined and repeatable, building in continuous improvement and the ability to scale with increased workload. Process improvement models give you the tools to define cross-functional process flows and develop the related instructional materials and training needed to empower the acquisition workforce to operate "in-sync".

This sample process development model integrates both knowledge and quality management to ensure that your processes become self-evaluating, continuously improving, and codified throughout the organization.