Gary Arlen | Tailor made

Rhonda Sammon, small-business liaison officer at Harris Corp.'s Government Communications Systems unit, remembers a phone call that she describes as "the best call I ever got."It was a prospective small-business supplier, who started the call by naming the particular project Harris was working on and the specific task the company wanted to outsource."That's a fabulous way of showing that you've done your homework," she said. It also shows the potential partner is focusing its efforts within Harris. The caller had the right attitude because Harris has high regard for entrepreneurial efforts, she said.Fit also figures prominently in Sammon's vocabulary. She uses the term frequently to describe the quest for matching small-business capabilities to Harris' customers' requirements.Although Harris has traditionally focused on defense and communications services, its current project lineup reflects a wider range of technology services. For example, it is working on an automation project for field data collection in conjunction with the Census Bureau's Master Address and Topographic ? Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing database system for the 2010 census.Harris also has small-business partners on several Federal Aviation Administration projects.For these and its defense and intelligence projects, Harris is looking for small businesses to handle tasks ranging from geospatial engineering to cable subassembly.Harris' small-business-supplier Web site is the best way for companies to initiate their approach to the company's opportunities.If a company doesn't find a good fit among the 17 product-and-services categories on the site, it should contact Sammon, she said. She helps companies determine the best fit with Harris.Sammon also suggested that companies select the closest matching category then provide more specifics in the "Special Capabilities" section of the form.The database is available to Harris project managers and procurement officers in the Government Communications Systems group, based at corporate headquarters in Melbourne, Fla., and the company's commercial counterparts.In addition to relying on the Harris registration database, Sammon leads an outreach program that participates in regional and national meetings to find small-business partners. The company tries to engage small-business partners at the start of a contract process, especially if the company fills a specific niche Harris needs, she said.Sammon also monitors VetBiz.gov, the Web site of the Center for Veterans Enterprise, run by the Veteran Affairs Department. She also tracks supplier registration sites at agencies and state and local business development offices "to assure we have what is available.""I do matchmaking. It gives me a good idea for the fit," Sammon said.Harris teams perform due diligence on prospective partners as part of the procurement process. After Sammon's initial evaluation, which includes a review of prior performance ratings, certifications and similar factors and experience, potential partners are examined for underlying competencies."I have a method to make the process more efficient," Sammon said. "You want to make sure you listen to what they have to say. If there isn't a fit, you [give] that small business several avenues to gain business, such as going to supplier events" or pointing them toward other resources.Harris' mentor/protégé program now includes two companies that have been aboard for several projects. Ameretron, a certified small disadvantaged and 8(a) Hispanic-owned business in West Melbourne, Fla., has been involved in several Defense Department tasks. Avineon Inc., an IT company in Alexandria, Va., has provided geospatial, engineering and program management services on Homeland Security Department and other projects.Sammon said Harris is targeting service-disabled suppliers, too.The details are important. Entrepreneurs who take heed of what the contractor needs have a much better chance of making themselves into just what Sammon is looking for: a good fit..