ACC-RSA taking on communication culture

By Maj. Terry Butler, ACC-Redstone Arsenal, Ala.December 20, 2012

ACC-RSA taking on communication culture
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal, Ala., Operations and Services Directorate is taking on the challenge of changing the culture of communication.

In particular, efforts are being made to reinforce ideas and expectations that will allow contract center members to more effectively communicate with customers, according to ACC-RSA officials.

"Communication with a customer is the most difficult thing that a contracting professional will ever do," said Charles Farrior, director, ACC-RSA Operations and Services Directorate. "Doing it effectively is even harder. Just taking the time to ask the customer to see their products or to see their lab or test facility goes a long way in building trust and building an important relationship."

Opening these lines of communication will help those on the contracting side of the equation to better understand the customer requirements, he said.

"That should translate into a better contracting solution," Farrior explained. "What we are trying to model is an expectation of reaching out to the customer to try to build that trust."

Directorate employees visited two of its customers' facilities to better understand the customer products, requirements and their challenges.

ACC-RSA members visited the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center's Prototype Integration Facility with a follow-on visit to the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation; Project Manager for Instrumentation, Targets and Threat Simulators Targets Management Office and to its aerial targets lab.

"I thought it was good to get on the ground to see what our customers are doing; this helps reinforce the significance of the product," said Maj. Aquiller Cole, ACC-RSA contracting officer. "The usefulness of what we are doing when working a package is more tangible."

During the tours, the visitors put hands on both ground and aerial targets and developed a better understanding of what it takes to sustain key test vehicles that support live fire exercises,

and the unique capabilities and rapid response the PIF provides the war fighter.

Related Links:

Army Contracting website

Army Contracting on Facebook

Army Contracting on Twitter