Carl Houghton

United States military contractors are under unprecedented pressure to find ways to cut costs for their federal government customers despite the interest in developing new technologies to fight the war on terrorism. Gone are the days when contracts would swell exponentially without any regard for initial quote figures or recourse from their customers. The federal deficit debt-reduction plan, which includes massive defense spending cuts, recently put the contracting community on notice that it has to change the way it does business, become more accountable for cost overruns and find ways to do more with less. Those who don't meet this mandate will find themselves on the outside looking in. Getting the military contractor community to radically change the way it does business is akin to trying to turn around an oil tanker with an oar. It's a daunting challenge, but n... (more)