Original Date: 04/20/1998
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Small business programs are designed to promote performance opportunities for those businesses categorized as small; small disadvantaged; and women-owned small. Any contractor that receives a government contract exceeding $500,000 and has subcontracting opportunities is required to afford these businesses with a maximum, practicable chance of participating in the contract. The level of participation is then reported to the government. ITT Aerospace/Communications Division’s (A/CD’s) previous process addressed these requirements on a contract-by- contract basis with no comprehensive view on overall performance. Although small business information was kept in a central database, users often found the data to be incomplete and outdated. In addition, the one-person Small Business Liaison Office shouldered the responsibility of finding and implementing new approaches to identify opportunities for small businesses. In response, ITT A/CD established the Small Business program which employs all facets of the corporation and receives support from top-level management.

Through its Small Business program, ITT A/CD established a standardized process to handle small business plans and review internal performance; set up a procurement team to address utilization performance; and developed a small business library to identify small business opportunities. The company uses a small business boilerplate for all small business plans which provides an in-depth look at the program and the utilization performance. The cross- functional procurement team reviews, monitors, and enhances utilization performance from all procurement areas, and develops innovative approaches to integrate small businesses into the performance aspect of contracts. A user- friendly, easily-accessible small business library houses information on small businesses. This data is categorized by supplier name, as well as type of service and supply.

Since implementing the Small Business program, ITT A/CD increased its utilization of small businesses. Small disadvantaged and woman-owned small businesses’ performances increased by 50% over the past two years (from 1.9% to 3.1%), and ITT A/CD exceeded its 25% business requirement with a 35% small business contracting performance. In addition, the company established mutually-beneficial partnerships with these businesses, and received several incentive awards from NASA based on the program’s proactive development and activiti

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.