Offutt one of three bases to test new purchasing program

  • Published
  • By Delanie Stafford
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  A team from Air Combat Command's Directorate of Logistics visited Offutt Air Force Base March 5 where they introduced a program to resource managers and purchasing agents that could potentially save the Air Force millions of dollars per year by streamlining the way organizations purchase hand tools.

"One base would buy a wrench and spend $20 for it where another one, for the exact same wrench, would spend $100," said Anthony Baity, resource integration division chief for the ACC Directorate of Logistics, Joint Base Langley-Eustice.

Baity said that purchasing inconsistencies such as this added a considerable amount of overhead. This led to research and collaboration with Air Force contracting agencies that produced a new and more efficient way of purchasing tools.

The process works by requiring units to purchase tools from one of five tool vendors that have negotiated blanket purchase agreements with ACC. Baity estimates the blanket purchase agreements will reduce the cost of hand tools by 10 percent, saving the Air Force millions of dollars per year. He also anticipates the higher demand among the five selected vendors will create greater competition for future price negotiations.

"It's kind of like the Costco effect; the more you buy in bulk, the cheaper your prices are overall," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Raja Beckles, who traveled to Offutt AFB from ACC's Directorate of Logistics to present the program.

Until now, units were purchasing tools from approximately 400 different vendors with a price margin of up to 400 percent. Baity said his division worked with the five selected vendors to negotiate prices for more than 700,000 hand tools that should meet all of the Air Force's hand tool requirements.

He hopes units will embrace the new purchasing process that stands to provide significant cost savings during a time of ever-shrinking budgets.

"If it can in fact maximize efficiencies, it will be a good thing," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Dennis Knight, the 55th Maintenance Squadron commander. "Of course, as a commander we want to make sure we can get our tools; what we need, when we need it in a timely manner."

Logistics and maintenance squadrons at Offutt AFB will begin using the blanket purchase agreements March 9 for a period of at least 30 days. ACC will use feedback from Offutt AFB and two other test bases to determine if any changes are needed. If the program works well, it will be implemented across ACC and other organizations later this year.