NEWSLETTER copy for IAP Worldwide Service's Leading Edge Newsletter

The new world of procurement

Penny Battles was brought onboard IAP last November as Director of Global Procurement to lead IAP’s push to improve and standardize procurement procedures, ensuring those procedures comply with government contracting guidelines.

While that might sound like “just more paperwork,” it actually will mean less because purchasing procedures will be done correctly the first time. With a standardized property management system IAP will better be able to avoid costly and time-consuming fixes that are required if incorrect procedures are discovered during government audits.

“We’re involved with re-education, learning how to do things the right way,” Penny says.

The improvements, including the goal of company-wide certification by DOD’s Defense Contract Management Agency, will also position IAP to win more government contracts and reduce the amount of time-consuming day-to-day documentation now required while a contract is being fulfilled.

“Contractor Purchasing System Review certification will give us a competitive advantage with DOD customers who shy away from working with companies that aren’t certified,” Penny says.

IAP Global Procurement and Readiness Management Support teams were federally certified in December. Now with Penny and her team’ s help Irmo is upgrading and standardizing its procurement system.

Penny’s procurement initiatives are part of IAP’s newly approved purchasing system (the Enterprise Supply Chain Management System), which is currently being rolled out throughout the company.

The new system incorporates both CostPoint and Maximo software, depending on what’s used by the project client, to enter and track purchases. Training on the latest version of Maximo will include guidance by an IAP procurement officer.

Another related change, effective June 16, is better procurement control through a requirement that purchase orders and other procurement agreements are signed off on by an authorized procurement officer.

Penny was chosen to drive ongoing property management system improvements because of an outstanding career of more than 20 years in contracts and procurement both domestically and in the Middle East. Previously she was based in Iraq for two and a half years where she served as the Procurement and Supply Manager for LOGCAP III at Halliburton/KBR.

She is passionate about the value of a standardized system and has spent many hours visiting various IAP sites to help institute it.

“There are so many benefits of a standardized property management system,” Penny says. “Once procurement procedures are used companywide, employees will be better able to hit the ground running when they transfer to other IAP sites.”

Penny’s efforts are strongly supported by senior management, including James Jennings, IAP’s senior vice president and chief financial officer.

            “If we want to continue to successfully grow as a company getting our procurement processes in order is critical,” James says. “There will be some growing pains, but in the long run it will make for a healthier bottom line.”