Streamlining Government with a Back-to-Basics Approach

Building efficiencies into government requires more than adopting new technologies that automate processes. It also involves updating how the government procures those technologies, as well as other goods and services. Several Executive Orders (EOs) have addressed improving the procurement process across government. In response, some recent updates and guidance show progress is being made in revisiting the requirements companies must meet to sell to the government.

OneGov

The General Services Administration (GSA) was created as a centralized function for the administration of government. This included managing procurement, office space, supplies, and records. Over time, these functions have migrated back into individual agencies for a variety of reasons, a key one being (ironically enough) efficiency. Many agencies started their own contracting vehicles and took on more procurement activity because they felt they could better serve the needs of their workforce and missions themselves. In some cases, this was true, but the spread of responsibility led to great duplication in effort and weakened the government's buying power.

According to an OMB memo, only 20% of the nearly $500 billion spent on "common goods and services" flowed through the agency's vehicles.

GSA OneGov aims to take the agency back to its initial purpose, a central procurement authority for buying common goods and services. To start, GSA is focused on executing contracts with large, commercial technology providers that cover the entire federal government. So far this has included Uber, Google, Oracle, Adobe, Salesforce, Elastic, and Microsoft.

Doing this eliminates differing costs for the same services. In one example, GSA found that a Microsoft Office license could have a $200-per-seat differential between a small agency and a large agency.

In prioritizing procurements to consolidate, GSA is looking at four requirement factors:

• No variance based on the mission of the agency.
• Involve highly commercialized products and services with no customization.
• Easy to standardize.
• Allow for economies and efficiencies by reducing variation in offerings and services.

In re-centralizing procurement, GSA will need to balance managing the immense scale of buying with a responsiveness to unique, mission-critical needs of agencies. Additionally, government's need for small, innovative providers cannot get lost in a focus to consolidate contracts with large companies.

FAR Revision

The "Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement" Executive Order included a focus on revising the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), a 2,000-plus page document with over 3,000 directives. The EO ordered an overhaul of the FAR into plain English, and the elimination of nearly all non-statutory and duplicative regulations. As with GSA consolidation, this effort is intended to return the FAR to its "statutory roots."

In August, the FAR Council released new text for six parts of the FAR. This revision removed 500 requirements for agencies and contractors. One example highlighted was the removal of requirements for commercial contractors to report the names and compensation of their five most highly paid executives. Additionally, two entire sections have been removed and consolidated into a central section on information and supply-chain security policies.

To stay on top of all procurement and acquisition reform, check out these resources from GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.

• How to Buy Cloud Computing for Government (September 24, 2025; webcast) - This webinar shares how agencies can procure cloud computing. Learn about the advantages of cloud computing and how to use GSA's contracts to make the cloud acquisition process easier and more efficient.
• 6th Annual Business Beyond the Battlefield Conference (October 8-10, 2025; Arlington, TX) - This event is a business development and entrepreneur educational experience for the military-connected entrepreneur ecosystem at any stage of business development.
• Teaming Tuesday (multiple times, webinar) - Organized by the Government Contractors Association, these online events provide opportunities to network with other professionals to answer questions and make business connections.
• GSA Schedules: A Comprehensive Guide for Government Contractors (white paper) - This guide outlines how the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules program streamlines federal procurement and helps businesses access government markets through pre-negotiated contracts. It explains eligibility requirements, proposal development, compliance, and post-award strategies for maintaining and optimizing GSA contracts.
• Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government (executive order) -This OMB memorandum outlines how to responsibly and efficiently acquire AI systems while safeguarding privacy, civil liberties, and public trust. It emphasizes minimizing vendor lock-in, ensuring intellectual property and data rights, and promoting American-made AI technologies.

For more on government acquisition reform, search for additional events and resources on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.