Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations from FAI provides resources in 6 categories:  Alternate Authorities, Market Research, Solicitation, Evaluation, Award, and Post Award.  Here is a link to a training video:  Introduction to the Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations
 

It's not about beating down the price of an item we buy from a vendor.  Not always anyway.  What if you look at a requirement, analyze how industry satisfies the requirement, determine if technology is available that changes the way DoD can deliver on that requirement?  Thus, deliver the requirement differently.  Check out the Land Mobile Radio (LMR)​ video found on the community home page's video showcase at the bottom.  The requirement is two way push to talk communication over the LMR infrastructure.  We can accomplish that by buying a $5,000 radio or paying $15 a month to put an application on a cell phone that gives us the exact same functionality.  Will it work in all cases? No.  It requires understanding the requirement and figuring out where it will work  (e.g., our Chaplains, air show workers, etc.) and where it won't.  
 

Category Management initiatives are recognized at the highest levels of government via the President’s Management Agenda (PMA).

In the Biden-Harris PMA, using Best-in-Class solutions is cited specifically as a target area in the PMA, along with other elements for fostering improvements to the federal acquisition system that align precisely with category management principles.

Category management is found in the PMA’s Priority Area 3: Managing the Business of Government to Build Back Better. The PMA calls out category management key performance indicators (KPIs) to demonstrate increased stewardship year over year, including cost avoidance, spend under management (SUM), spend through Best-in-Class solutions, and training on category-management principles. The government aims to increase the number of new-entrant small-business entities in the federal marketplace for common goods and services, the primary acquisition scope of category management.

Category management also strongly supports efforts to advance equity in procurement goals by promoting small disadvantaged businesses. 
 

The Air Force Security Forces Center-led Government Working Dog Category Intelligence Team recently submitted the Working Dog Category Intelligence Report (CIR), which looked into the requirements of maintaining working dogs within the Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, in an effort to identify gaps and opportunities, recommend more effective and efficient sourcing strategies, close gaps between current practices and share government and industry best practices.  Find the six recommendations reported in this story, "Government Working Dog Category Intelligence Report Identifies Crucial Gaps And Best Practices."​

The new Category Management Credential, CACQ 007, provides an overview of Category Management (CM) and a foundation for both the Acquisition and non-Acquisition workforce on a CM team or that support CM oversight and reporting in the Department of Defense (DoD).  Upon completion of this credential, learners will be able recognize the concepts, principles and functions of category management.

The assumption is that learners have little or no experience or exposure to category management and this credential will provide the Just-In-Time knowledge to help them get their job done. 

You use CM in your everyday life—food, transportation, recreation may be some categories you think about.  If you commute in a metropolitan area, you have transportation options and likely you use cost, schedule and performance as data inputs to choose your transportation method.  What works best changes and when ride-share came along, that innovation changed the mix.  The Department needs innovations to improve how we do business.  CM is a way to find and adopt innovative solutions based on data to drive results! 

Visit the CM Credential Concept Card to review the requirements.  While there, just click on "Apply for this Credential" to apply.  The training is all on-line and you will earn 12 CLPs, plus a bonus of 2 CLPs for taking the credential exam (CLPs may change based on actual student times to complete CACQ 007).  The CM Credential will appear on your DAU transcript and it is good for 5 years.

How does the DoD define CM?  Category Management consists of a structured, data-driven business practice whereby the organization broadly and strategically analyzes and manages common categories of spend with an enterprise-wide focus in order to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiencies and enhance mission effectiveness.

From the US Army—the Army has taken a three-pronged approach consisting of improving contract processes, supporting decisions with data analytics, in order to save time, money, and manpower.  Initially the Army is addressing the areas of Transportation and Logistics, Information Technology, Facilities, Professional Services, Construction and Medical. 

Mr. Rich Lombardi, Air Force deputy under secretary for management and deputy chief management officer, has said "With the publishing of the National Defense Strategy, we have a clear understanding of where the department is going and category management clearly is a good fit with the line of effort to reform the department."  This in turn provides the potential to realign resources to increase the lethality and readiness of the joint force.

"The Air Force is driving a paradigm shift from budget execution to strategic cost management in an effort to obtain maximum value for each precious taxpayer dollar spent," according to General Holt.

The USAF uses the "Parthenon" to illustrate the four pillars of CM principles:

1. Manage Demand & Consumption;
2. Issue Policy;
3. Use Strategic Acquisition Solutions; and
4. Adopt Industry Best Practices. 

Only the 3rd pillar is about an acquisition solution or procurement.  The CM processes are Categorize Spend, Assign Cost Ownership via Category Managers, Develop Business Intelligence and Drive Results!

Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) governs, coordinates, and synchronizes strategic supply chain decisions across Navy.  The 2022 Commander's Guidance to drive higher performance uses the following Pillars: 

• Demand Management to reduce demand and increase predictability through design, engineering, maintenance, etc.;
• Optimize Working capital fund portfolio, taking a portfolio approach to manage cash allocation to maximize readiness;
• Shape the industrial base.  Expand competition with suppliers and deepen partnership with strategic suppliers;
• Increase End-to-End (E2E) Velocity--shorten repair Turn-around-Times in line with commercial benchmarks and move parts in the supply system faster.
• Integrate existing supply chain resources to achieve E2E integration.

At DAU, find the Category Management credential, CACQ 007, and other great learning opportunities on the CM Community.