Government agencies get criticized for not moving quickly enough to adopt new technologies or processes.  Indeed, “agile” has been a watchword in government acquisition for several years now.  You’d think that contractors, themselves, could bend in any direction and run a sub-4 minute mile based on their advertising.  How agile really, though, is your organization?  How many layers of approval do you have to get to respond to a customer, send out a press release, or speak with a potential partner?  Too often contractors can be just as bogged down by internal processes as their government clients.  It’s great to send out a press release on the contract award you got on June 1^st, but not so great if you can’t get it out the door till June 10^th.  By then, the news cycle has turned several times.  Similarly, you’ve just gotten an e-mail from a prospective customer.  They want to see you next week about an actual project.  You look at your calendar and see almost no white space, with much of the calendar being devoted to internal BD meetings.  Putting the customer off can cost you an opportunity, ironically while you’re sitting in a conference room talking about opportunities.  Yes, processes can exist for a reason, but if your organization is a slave to process, it’s a cinch you’re not adept enough at moving at the speed of your customer’s need.  Getting out the scissors to cut through internal red tape might be the best thing you can do to boost your chances of closing federal business this summer