The General Services Administration is planning to make contract procurement easier with the reveal of its new database architecture Dec. 18.
The procurement database will allow companies and agencies to sort through GSA’s acquisition data.
It will be added to GSA’s Integrated Award Environment and System for Award Management and automate some processes in the pre and postaward stage, as well as in the entity management stage.
The three stages are what Kevin Youel Page, assistant commissioner of IAE, called the boundary areas, where “things happen.”
“We are not changing the why we are doing, but we are changing the what and the how,” Page said, speaking at a Dec. 18 event at GSA headquarters. “No matter how many systems are being automated, everything touches data.”
The new architecture will be built off several principles to ensure its success, according to GSA officials.
The IAE code will be open source where possible, as well as the data, to ensure development outside of the government. The main concern for GSA is balancing security with openness, which is why GSA is also focusing the security of the new architecture.
GSA will be working on continuous improvement for the architecture by constantly engaging with users and striving to understand the personae of stakeholders.
GSA plans on using all of 2014 and part of 2015 to build the initial APIs, refocus SAM and identify and access management.
“The full combined force of our talented resources is making a difference and will continue to make a difference,” said Casey Coleman, GSA chief information officer.
The post GSA’s new architecture opens new worlds in procurement appeared first on FedScoop.