The Department of Defense is redefining acquisition for the modern era.
Read on for answers to common questions about the DoD’s move from the Defense Acquisition System to the Warfighting Acquisition System.
What does “the end of acquisition as we know it” really mean for DoD software?
It signals a move away from compliance-driven contracting toward outcome-driven delivery. Instead of measuring success through documentation or milestone reviews, the DoD will measure how quickly software reaches users and improves mission effectiveness.
How does this impact contractors working under IDIQs?
Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicles are moving from indefinite delivery to immediate delivery. Contractors that can execute in short, iterative loops, and demonstrate measurable outcomes within each task order will have a competitive advantage.
What is “speed to outcomes,” and why does it matter?
Speed to outcomes, the organizing principle of the new Warfighting Acquisition System, is the ability to deliver usable capability fast enough to create operational impact. It connects agile delivery, empowered teams, and production learning into one continuous flow, shortening the time between idea and mission value.
How can teams measure outcomes instead of outputs?
Stop tracking features shipped, and start tracking metrics like user adoption, time saved, risk reduced, or mission effectiveness improved. Those are the results the new acquisition model rewards.
What makes Rise8’s model different from traditional DoD software contractors?
Rise8 builds software in short loops, learns in production, and aligns delivery directly to mission-critical outcomes. We partner through flexible vehicles like IDIQs to continuously deliver value, not after years of review cycles.
How does this reform affect prime contractors and new entrants?
Primes will need to operate with the agility of small teams and the transparency of startups. New entrants with proven speed-to-value delivery models can now compete on outcomes, not process pedigree.
What should acquisition leaders do now to prepare?
Re-evaluate contract language, funding models, and governance structures to prioritize learning, iteration, and measurable value. Align teams and vendors around shared mission outcomes, not compliance checklists.
How does the introduction of Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) change the game?
PAEs replace the traditional program-centric approach with portfolio-based leadership. Each PAE oversees a set of related programs and has the authority to move funding, adjust requirements, and reallocate resources to deliver integrated capabilities faster. This reduces silos between systems and empowers leaders to make rapid, risk-informed decisions aligned with mission outcomes.
What is the ultimate goal of this new acquisition era?
To create a defense software ecosystem that learns as fast as it delivers, where every delivery cycle tightens the feedback loop between users, developers, and mission impact.
The system may be changing, but the mission hasn’t.
If your organization is ready to deliver at the speed the mission demands, Rise8 is already there.
We don’t just ship software. We ship outcomes.
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