TAC Talks S2 E3: Category Management

In Series 2, Episode 3 of the VA Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) podcast, TAC Talks, we discuss the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum M-19-13, entitled “Category Management: Making Smarter Use of Common Contract Solutions and Practices” defines it as the “business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, and deliver more value and savings from the Government’s acquisition programs.”

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ernest Reed, director of VA’s Category Management Support Office within the Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics; Randy Padal, acting executive director of Acquisition and Category Management within the Office of Information and Technology’s Office of Strategic Sourcing; and Lateefah Parker, director of IT Services Category Management within the Office of Information and Technology’s Office of Strategic Sourcing.

Our panel discusses the steps VA has taken to implement category management, as well as the achievements and challenges faced along the way.

The VA Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) Podcast series, TAC Talks, gives you a peek behind the federal acquisition curtain and discusses highly relevant acquisition topics with top acquisition professionals and the Office of General Counsel. Throughout the episodes we will dissect the ins and outs of various acquisition strategies, technical tips for navigating the acquisition process and more!

Want to hear more about the acquisition process and other acquisitions topics? You can check out the back issues of TAC Talks, here.