Understanding Success

For example, the U.S. Marine Corps is in the middle of a successful project aimed at unfettering an ensnarled supply chain. Its relationships with VARs such as Sapient are smooth because the Marines have been clear in exactly what the end goal is: to make logistics smooth sailing.

First and foremost, vendors and VARs credit effective communication as the cornerstone of their success. The integrator must thoroughly understand the customer before even attempting a solution.

Furthermore, as Ronald J. Knecht of SAIC notes, one very crucial component to winning substantial government contracts is knowing exactly what the customer wants. SAIC, a $6 billion integrator that ranks No. 13 on our VARBusiness 500 list, ought to know how to please a government customer: More than half its revenue comes from the federal sector. Knowing precisely what the client is looking for in a solution, and understanding that customer's particular place in the wide government spectrum, is critical. The point: Nail down specifically what the job expectations are before diving in. You'll have something tangible to measure your progress against,and so will the customer.

But what if the customer can't, for whatever reason, commit to a goal? Break the project into phases. Each phase will have an ending stating an attainable goal. At the end of each phase, progress can be reviewed. For example, when SRA installed wireless LANs at the GAO, the first phase ended after the wireless LAN was up and running properly. Then the LAN was "turned off," and the integrator began the process of battening down security. Finally, a secure, wireless LAN was delivered to the customer. Every step of the way, progress was evaluated by the customer and the VAR to ensure a successful implementation.

The goal is to avoid promising to deliver on a project that is, in fact, undeliverable because of lack of customer input. If you can't deliver on a government contract, just as in the commercial sector, your reputation becomes sullied. The damage can be irreversible. All the hard work and time you spent trying to get into the lucrative, dependable government arena is wasted. Ironically, it's not for having done a poor job; it's for not having met the customers' expectations. It's also for not having nailed down their goals from the very start.

Recently, I spoke with the head of the public-records department in the Florida Department of Corrections. His department has a mandate to digitize 9 million documents. The public-records department partnered with an integrator that specializes in optical imaging, Advanced Data Systems. The VAR forged an alliance with the corrections department's IT folks. ADS listened to what the public-records department needed and wanted, then enlisted the support of IT. The result: Complete satisfaction, because ADS thoroughly comprehended the problem, knew what the department of corrections was trying to accomplish and understood the desired solution.

The Marines have a motto, "Semper fi," or "Always faithful." That is appropriate not only for the duties the USMC performs, but also for describing the ultimate relationship between a solution provider and its government customer. Communicating effectively is an important step in earning that fidelity.

GovernmentVAR is pleased to announce its partnership with Input, an analyst specializing in the government sector. Look in our next issue for facts and figures from this research powerhouse.