DIRECTOR'S DESK

Welcome to AFNAFPO.com, your portal to value based purchasing tools, programs, and information. These web pages provide field level activities and suppliers with important information on the purchasing tools that comprise the Commanders' Smart Buy Program (CSBP). The CSBP has proven its ability to drastically reduce purchasing lead-times at field level while offering high quality products and services at prices that, on average, are 15-20 percent below those available at the local level. Recognizing that "beauty" (i.e. best value as defined by quality and price) is "in the eye of the beholder," someone will say that they can get better value from local suppliers. If so, we want to know. However, keep in mind that at the AFNAFPO we assess value in terms of the entire Services community. Using a grocery market analogy, we judge value based on the entire grocery basket…you can always find some items cheaper at another market, but when you evaluate the grocery basket as a whole, we're convinced you won't find a better value anywhere else. Bottom line is that the CSBP offers field level activities the most effective and efficient way to manage precious NAF purchasing dollars. This is our top priority!

Looking ahead, AFNAFPO will continue to lean forward and focus on customer support. We will increasingly rely on technology and the Internet as catalysts to further refine and redefine our business practices. We have been working on the Internet Based Purchasing System (IBPS) for the past few years and successfully deployed the system in April 01. By eliminating the paper trail from requiring office through funding to the Contracting Officer, we have broken down that barrier leading to total electronic contracting. Thus, this electronic streamlining of NAF purchasing will result in even more responsive customer support. Next on the horizon is consolidated buy enhancements, electronic staging, fax and e-mail capability to any customer. Future enhancements see electronic catalogs and other functions, all focused on improving customer service.

Technology, however, is NOT the catalyst for improving our support…YOUR FEEDBACK is the most important ingredient in our formula for continuous improvement. These web pages, just like everything else we do at AFNAFPO, exist to support you! I know many of you have ideas on how we can improve support. Again, our goal is to provide field activities with purchasing tools capable of quickly delivering quality products and services at prices below those available at the local level. Let us know how we're doing, we value your feedback!

Director, NAF Purchasing