Tag: Technology

Agile Contracting Spending on the Rise for Federal Projects

Technology is the Future for The DOD
Technology is the Future for The DOD

As the Office of Management and Budget pushes for a new approach to streamline IT development projects, government agencies appear to be going all in on agile contracting. But is this the dawn of a new era in flexible contracts and efficient project management, or is it a runaway train headed for disaster?

Department of Homeland Security Shifts to Agile Contracts

In early 2016 Mark Schwartz, CIO of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (CIS), instituted a Flexible Agile Development Services (FADS) contract requiring vendors to collaborate and compete on an iterative basis. Projects include option periods where vendor teams may be added or subtracted.

Following Schwartz’s lead, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now has two more major agile contracts in the works:

• Flexible Agile Support for the Homeland (FLASH), announced in May, is an agency-wide contract that will be overseen by the DHS Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL).

• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is soliciting agile services through its EAGLE II contract, which is expected to be awarded in early fiscal 2017. This contract, expected to be worth $50 million to $100 million over a five-year period, will cover a variety of agency-wide IT projects.

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Technology Becomes the Property Manager’s Best Friend

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Technology And Property Management

Property managers are using technology more and more — to streamline operations, reduce operating costs, and provide a better experience for tenants.

According to some of Chicago’s leading property management executives, technology affects virtually every type of operating expense. REJournals.com interviewed Lee Kotler of Crossroads Partners and Bob Quast of Lincoln Property Company, and the two discussed property manager tips to handle this change:

  • New products and services may be less expensive or reduce operating costs. Re-open bidding and purchasing to find more cost-effective solutions.
  • Automate, automate, automate! From online tenant applications and work order systems to the labor of property management, the more you can use technology to automate, the better you can control costs.
  • Say yes to tenant requests and provide services to retain tenants. Explore how technology can make it less expensive to provide a better atmosphere.

The best property manager tips all boil down to doing more with less.

As Bob Quast told the journal, the significant expense of janitorial is entirely labor-driven. Market wages and various factors make it difficult to control this cost directly.

Powered carts and dumpster movers are one form of technology that can streamline and control janitorial and property management costs. The WasteCaddy from DJ Products, for example, helps any employee move a dumpster across the property. This can help minimize the wage you need to pay for a certain position, or help that employee get the job done in less time.

DJ Products has technology for property management, including a variety of motorized carts and dumpster tows. Follow our blog for property manager tips and visit DJProducts.com for more info.