The U.S. Army Program Executive Office (PEO) Enterprise and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement (ODASA(P)) recently announced the integration of the modernized Army Contract Writing System (ACWS) with the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Financial Management System (CEFMS).
The ACWS-CEFMS integration marks a key milestone for the Army. It facilitates the seamless data transfer between the two systems, allowing for real-time updates on contract status and ensuring that contracting and financial data are up to date.
According to a Nov. 4 press release, the newly integrated system is being deployed in waves to 3,250 total users – with about 500 USACE users training and deploying to ACWS each month. The Army expects to achieve a full deployment of the ACWS by April 2025.
“The ACWS-CEFMS integration marks an important milestone,” said Lt. Col. Camille Morgan, product manager for ACWS at PEO Enterprise. “Through the culmination of close coordination with multiple stakeholders and successful management of competing priorities on short and often reduced schedules, we are pleased to deliver this capability to our Army contracting community.”
The integration will provide system improvements and benefits to ACWS users, such as the ability to generate comprehensive financial and contract reports. This will allow project managers to monitor contract expenses against approved budgets more easily.
“Users are excited about the new system, the current functionality and the ability to add capability iteratively over time,” said Maria Dunton, ACWS lead for ODASA(P). “Under the Agile framework, users are providing direct feedback to enhance the system. Our recent ACWS releases are evidence that we are listening to users and incorporating ideas directly into the system.”
The ACWS-CEFMS integration is part of the Army’s broader effort to modernize its contracting and financial management processes. Going forward, the Army said that ACWS will continue to develop future capabilities that “deliver business excellence at the speed of relevance.”
In September, Doug Bush – the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology – said the new ACWS utilizes AI to “enhance speed and efficiency.”
“It’s already being used and it’s getting pretty rave reviews in terms of just being a modern, easier [tool] for our contracting folks to make them more efficient,” Bush said.
