Report: Experts Say DoD Software Acquisition a Perennial Issue

Government and industry experts say issues concerning the Department of Defense’s software acquisition continue to persist, National Defense reported Tuesday.

Beth McGrath, a managing director at Deloitte, cited the complexity of software acquisition.

“Business IT seems super easy when you compare it to F-35 [joint strike fighter] or all of the other systems or major defense acquisition programs,” McGrath said.

“But I found it to be probably one of the most challenging, and some of it has to do with the … literacy of the department in terms of … how to buy and what to buy.”

Brett Lambert, vice president for corporate strategy at Northrop Grumman, said software reflects a changing defense industrial base and that Pentagon now spends 70 percent on software and 30 percent on the physical material.

“At the same time, the acquisition system by which we acquire these products and services didn’t change that much and that’s where all the frustration grew,” he added.

Lambert said DoD officials should shy away from one-size-fits-all mentality with regard to software procurement.

“Not all software is created equal,” he said.