Let’s imagine you are standing in the open doorway of a plane -- standard government issued parachute strapped on tight, flying 12,500 feet above ground level and preparing to jump. Now considering the typical “belly-to-earth” fall rate of around 115 mph, you will have approximately 60 seconds to enjoy the fall before having to pull the cord. At this point, would you feel safer knowing the parachute maker won the contract because they made the best parachutes available - or instead, that they won because they slashed their operation standards to come in at the lowest price? It’s a no-brainer, you would pick the first one, of course, a quality-made parachute that will deliver you safely back to earth. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense (DoD), along with other government agencies, are currently required to award government contracts based on a bidding process known as the Lowest Price Technology Acceptable (LPTA). The intended goal of LPTA is to...(Read Full Article)