DoD wants to buy services better

The Defense Department is developing up to five pilot programs to change the way acquisition officials buy services, said Dominic Cipicchio, deputy director for defense procurement.

The test programs will help defense agencies get better discounts from vendors for volume purchases and improve coordination.

Cipicchio said the Defense Department will create acquisition strategies for each of the pilots, which may include IT support and administrative and management services. He said department officials hope to get the pilots started in early fiscal 2005.