The rest of the world has been buying online for a long time now, and with Congressional permission, our government agencies will finally get to try it out.
A section included in the annual defense authorization bill allows the Pentagon and other government agencies to buy directly from online marketplaces such as Amazon, Grainger and Office Depot as part of a pilot program.
Section 846 could be the catalyst for far-reaching change, leading to new procurement business processes and innovative procurement technology. If the federal government wants to make this initiative as successful as possible, there are a few key things they need to consider.
Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/ideas/2018/03/could-online-marketplace-be-catalyst-procurement-transformation/146807/
The Pentagon will reduce the size of the contract from $950 million to $65 million. The revision will limit its use to only U.S. Transportation Command rather than the entire Defense Department.
The contract caught many industry players by surprise, in part due to the $950 million value and partly because it was awarded without a traditional government procurement. This deal may be a harbinger for how the Defense Department plans to purchase certain technologies moving forward.
Now comes an 
The results of the study may be surprising in light of the recent legislative activity and discussions surrounding online acquisition options for government. They also might inform those who cast a skeptical eye toward the value and vitality of the GSA Schedules Program. The authors gathered data on the top 60 commercially available items purchased by the Air Force using government purchase cards (GPCs) and compared the acquisition outcomes on GSA Advantage and Amazon Business.
This amendment (dubbed the “Amazon amendment”) will permit government agencies to buy commercial products through online portals like Amazon, Overstock, Staples, and Walmart.
