Federal Contract Management and Vendors' Readiness
Part One: Entry of Small Vendors into Federal Contracts
P.J. Jakovljevic - January 12, 2005

Event Summary

In the market for application software there is a large number of small, highly focused vendors. The business model for these vendors focuses on a relatively small, tightly defined market with specific requirements that cannot be met with more generic products. These specialists, boutique, or niche vendors (neither of these terms is meant in a derogatory manner) will compete by having in-depth product functions and intimate knowledge of their market place, or by offering services (with regard to content or location) not available from the Big Few or large independent service providers. When these vendors go for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and like solutions to help improve the business of small, midsize, and large aerospace and defense (A&D); engineer-to-order (ETO); contract manufacturing; maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO); and like project-oriented manufacturing companies they may face the need to meet government contract requirements...