As Abraham Lincoln, once remarked, “if you wish to win a man over to your ideas, you must first make him your friend.” Nowhere is that more true than federal procurement.

Established contracting players have the advantage of many friends in D.C., thanks to their years of selling to government and their well-funded budgets. They have the opportunity to meet with agencies early and often throughout the procurement process, allowing them to speak up about requirements long before requests for information and proposals are released.

At the same time, a lack of access to agency decision-makers further discourages small businesses from pursuing federal work.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.federaltimes.com/story/government/solutions-ideas/2015/08/04/culture-shift-procurement-reform/31125781/