Air Force eyes public sector supply chain bids

   The U.S. Air Force is considering seeking new bids for when it restarts a system-wide computer modernization project which includes its $1 billion logistics management system that never came to fruition.
   The former contractor on the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS) project was Computer Sciences Corp., a Virginia-based firm that struggled throughout the second half of system development. The Air Force halted work on the project in September 2011 and Computer Sciences’ contract ran out at the end of April.
   A source told American Shipper the Air Force will start quietly seeking bids by the end of June, with a more open search to take place in July. The expanded search will supposedly be opened up to new companies and contractors, which the source said “likely includes some of your readers and coverage area.” He spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not officially at liberty to speak about the bidding process.
   The source confirmed that meetings to replace the system have already taken place, but it is expected that congressional and budgetary pressures will push the bidding process more in the open.
   The Air Force is now planning to report on its progress restarting the program to Congress in August, not meeting its prior goal of the end of this month.
   The ECSS project was supposed to save the Air Force billions of dollars over the coming years by unifying and streamlining its existing supply chain management programs, and integrating the ability to buy, move, and manage equipment on a single platform.
   The work is already four years behind schedule, which means the Air Force will likely seek to replace more than its prior estimate of 240 older systems with a unified platform.
   On the project, when including development and contractor fees, the Air Force projects spending $5.2 billion from 2004 to 2027, but expects to save in excess of $13 billion during the same time period. – Geoff Whiting