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New year brings new leaders, focus on future success

By Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Gabbert, MICC commanding generalNovember 25, 2015

New year brings new leaders, focus on future success
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You welcomed me as your new commanding general just 24 months ago, and we have had a very successful two years. We, as a team, created the Contracting Tactical Operations Center application to track our business processes, developed Command Contracting Operations Metrics to measure and improve our performance, and used analytics to make sure we are postured for success today and through 2025 while always remaining focused on taking care of our customers through transparent and quality contracting support. As trusted stewards of taxpayers' dollars, you've managed to maximize our customers' acquisition dollars in austere financial times to continuously meet their mission needs. We are the Army's premier contracting organization and have developed trained Soldiers who have answered our nation's call to deploy and provide operational contracting support. I could not be prouder of the talent and incredible work you do every single day.

The fiscal 2015 numbers are outstanding, but they do not tell the whole story. As you may have heard from Maj. Gen. James Simpson, commanding general of the Army Contracting Command, during the Nov. 16 town hall, without you, the Army cannot go to war. We are responsible for feeding, clothing and training our Soldiers.

As a team, we executed more than 36,000 contract actions valued at more than $5.2 billion and supported more than 600,000 government purchase card transactions valued at $474 million. But beyond the numbers is the true value of what we provide to our Army. Every MICC member must realize that their dedicated work gives our Soldiers and their families the capability to continue to fight and win for our nation. When I meet with leaders across the Army, they reinforce what I already know: each of you are providing outstanding contracting support, and the great members of the MICC are setting the standard for others to follow.

We are placing adaptive and agile leaders throughout our command while not missing a beat. The new fiscal year brings a new command sergeant major to our headquarters, new commanders at the 412th Contracting Support Brigade and 418th CSB, and new directors at numerous offices across the command. Having Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka O'Neal, Col. Dennis McGowan and Col. Lynda Armer as leaders on our team sets us up for a successful future. These leaders not only bring experience and wisdom to the MICC, but also bring compassion and sustainment operations knowledge that will serve as an invaluable link between acquisitions and our customers at the tactical and operational level. Please welcome all our new leaders into our command, and show them the same loyalty and support that you have shown me.

Something I have noticed during my tenure is that our DNA has changed. Like the rest of the Army, we have had to align our command for future success while being the best organization the Army can afford, but I have seen a new attitude and pride in our organization. Part of this cultural shift has been the adoption of CTOC by the entire workforce. When combined with the continued use of metrics, CTOC has improved our effectiveness. The next step for our command is for all of us to continue leveraging the use analytics while finalizing our organizational alignment.

We are already an analytical organization. We use data from CTOC and metrics to understand patterns in how we accomplish our mission. Using CTOC was essential during year-end operations as we were able to estimate at the beginning of September almost exactly what our final fiscal year monetary impact would be within $100,000. This really shows the value of CTOC as we can see every contract the command is working on plus the dollar value of every action. Using the analytics through CTOC also was instrumental in our small business programs accomplishing a first: meeting all five small business goals. By analyzing the data from CTOC, our small business specialists were able to focus their energies on critical areas to meet every goal. With every office using CTOC, we can use analytics to better predict what we are accomplishing for our customers while quantifying what we do.

It is through knowledge management that we're able to capture this data to better refine our analytics and focus on meeting our goals. Data is great, but we must know how to use it and how to communicate it. When you bring data and analytics to show your impact, you win almost every time. No one can refute data. When you can show indisputable data, it changes the narrative. The MICC wins when we can show our customers exactly where they stand financially and what stage their contracts are at any given moment.

In terms of alignment, the men and women of the MICC must understand why the MICC 2025 plan was developed. To remain relevant in today's Army, we must line up with our fighting force while being manned for success for today and in the future. The MICC 2025 plan outlines how we will look in the future, and this was developed by leaders across the command using analytics to enhance our value while being the best organization the Army can afford. We will continue to modify our structure to adapt to the Army end strength.

Everything we do to align our structure is designed with a positive outcome for our workforce and to best support our customers. Weaving analytics with the awareness of our alignment into the fiber of what we do will show the importance of the MICC to the Army while making us the model of acquisition excellence in the DOD.

I'm so excited about what the MICC can do for our Army in fiscal 2016. Further evidence of the confidence the Army has in our value as an organization includes receiving $1.2 million to develop the MICC University to further enhance the knowledge of our contracting workforce, and another $1.8 million for continued development of the CTOC initiative.

We are taking momentous strides to be the best contracting organization in DOD because we will use knowledge management and analytics to take the MICC to new heights while understanding how important our alignment is to the success of the Army. It is obvious that you take our motto -- "Contracting for Soldiers" -- to heart. I am so proud of every member of the MICC for all that you do, and you should take pride in the amazing acquisition support you give to our Soldiers and their families.

Related Links:

Mission and Installation Contracting Command

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Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Gabbert