Joanne Woytek, program director of NASA SEWP, discusses the program's growth since its inception, the impact of the pandemic on SEWP usage, the evolution and success stories of NASA SEWP, the keys to its success, the transformation of the agency catalog into a marketplace, expanding the scope and services of NASA SEWP, customer feedback and scope limitations, and upcoming events and projects.
NASA SEWP program prioritizes small businesses, with over 80% of contract dollars going to small business enterprises.
NASA SEWP program focuses on supply chain integrity and aims to maintain a trusted supply chain for customers.
Deep dives
The Evolution and Success of the NASA Soup Program
The podcast episode features an interview with Joanne Wojtek, the Program Director of the NASA Soup program. She shares the history and evolution of the program, which started in 1993 as a government-wide initiative to streamline IT procurements. The program has grown into a billion-dollar contract vehicle, providing ICT solutions for hardware, software, and services to federal agencies. The episode highlights the flexible and customer-centric approach of the program, with over 8,200 companies currently offering their products and services through Soup. It also discusses the program's strong focus on small businesses, with over 80% of the dollars from Soup contracts going to small businesses. The podcast wraps up by exploring the strategic goals for 2022, including improving supply chain integrity, enhancing external communications and training, and reimagining the website to provide a more visual and user-friendly experience.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Soup Operations and Sales
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the podcast reveals that the Soup program showed no impact on its operations and sales. The program swiftly transitioned to remote work and maintained its operational integrity. The podcast credits the fantastic staff and tech team for ensuring uninterrupted customer service and support. While telework brought certain advantages, such as increased flexibility, the podcast acknowledges the importance of hybrid work models, keeping a balance between remote work and in-person collaboration. The episode highlights that Soup continued to meet customer demands and witnessed growth in requests for technology related to remote work, virtual conferencing, and other tools that facilitated remote collaboration. Although it is challenging to specifically measure the pandemic's impact on Soup's growth, the episode suggests that the program's success can be attributed to its continued ability to adapt to evolving customer needs.
Improving Supply Chain Integrity in the Soup Program
The podcast discusses the important focus on supply chain integrity within the Soup program. The program aims to ensure customers can trust the products and services they procure. It explains how Soup provides information and policies to help customers make informed decisions about their purchases from resellers and OEMs. The episode mentions the ISO 20243 standard developed in collaboration with the DoD and industry to establish supply chain standards. It also highlights efforts to improve the customer experience by creating a visual marketplace and catalog within Soup. This marketplace will enable customers to easily find and navigate products that meet their agency's approved standards. The podcast emphasizes the program's commitment to maintaining a trusted supply chain and supporting secure acquisitions.
The Key Success Factors of the Soup Program
The episode attributes the success of the Soup program to several factors. Firstly, it credits the fantastic and dedicated staff who prioritize customer service and industry partnership. The program aims to provide valuable acquisition support to both government customers and industry. The podcast highlights the program's customer-centric approach, reflected in the ongoing efforts to enhance external communications and training for customers. The episode also mentions the program's continuous improvement, evidenced by its evolution from a product-based contract to a solutions contract. Another key factor contributing to Soup's success is its focus on small businesses, with over 80% of contract dollars going to small business enterprises. The episode concludes by mentioning the program's plans for future growth, including potential expansions into new areas based on customer feedback.
Joanne Woytek, program director of NASA SEWP, joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center to discuss the current and evolving status of GovCon's most famous GWAC.
