Lessons from Defense Procurement History for Today's Federal Contractors

The GovDash live session, “From Past to Progress: Lessons from the History of Defense Procurement for Today's Federal Government Contractors,” offered attendees practical advice on navigating today’s defense acquisition process. Wesley Sparks, Honeywell’s Director of Business Development & Growth and author of Buying Power: The Business of Defense in America, joined Andrew Flynn, Account Executive at GovDash, to break down the pressures contractors face and the value of balancing modernization with lessons drawn from decades of procurement history.

This blog highlights the main lessons from the event and gives contractors practical tips to stay competitive and adapt in today’s fast-changing defense procurement world.

Setting the Stage: Historical Lessons Connected to Present-Day Challenges

Andrew Flynn began the session by emphasizing the importance of understanding how history shapes today’s defense acquisition. He raised key questions like:

• How has the history of defense procurement influenced today’s acquisition environment?

• Where is technology, data, and AI genuinely driving change, and what’s overstated hype?

Flynn’s opening remarks highlighted GovDash’s goal to help contractors navigate complex systems and avoid confusion. He also pointed out common frustrations in procurement:

“Those expectations don’t always match the reality on the ground, if we’re gonna call a spade a spade.”

His comments set a tone that was honest about challenges but still hopeful.

Wesley Sparks, who has worked in both military acquisition and the private sector, added to Flynn’s points. He shared how his experience in the Army Acquisition Corps and at Honeywell, working with combat platforms and new technologies like directed energy, shaped his view of government contracting:

“I retired from the army in 2018. Since then, I’ve worked for a couple of prime contractors... currently working at Honeywell ... representing some of the newer technologies like directed energy and trying to help build that internal business case.”

Flynn and Sparks worked together to help attendees see how lessons from the past apply to today’s defense procurement challenges.

The Power and Challenges of Defense Primes

One main topic was the significant role that defense primes play in acquisition. Sparks spoke openly about both the criticism and the influence these large companies have:

“You’d have to, you know, be dishonest to say that, you know, behavior of the primes, good or bad, does shape a lot of the budget. Right?”

Primes are sometimes viewed as slow or too bureaucratic, but Sparks noted that their industrial strength is a significant asset for the Department of Defense. He also urged smaller contractors to be strategic in how they work with primes:

“So it’s kind of a little bit of finding ways to work by, with, and through. Right? Sometimes you gotta play nice. Sometimes you’ve got to find a way to be on that team.”

Sparks advised mid-sized and supplier companies to focus on working together and staying flexible when partnering with primes.

Acquisition Reform: A Perpetual Challenge.

The session also discussed the long history and ongoing challenges of acquisition reform, which Sparks jokingly called “the second oldest profession.” He gave an example of General Washington complaining to quartermasters about inefficiency and waste, showing that frustration with procurement has been around for a long time:

“There are letters from General Washington to his quartermasters saying, You’re buying the wrong stuff. It doesn’t work. It’s showing up late. You’re wasting money.”

Sparks disagreed with the idea that there was ever a perfect “golden era” in acquisition and said that improvement is always possible:

“The idea that there was this inherent golden era where we did acquisition perfectly well... There’s no such thing as that...”

He was hopeful that new policies would be put in place in the next few years and would lead to real improvements in acquisition.

Innovation, Speed, and Strategic Positioning

The session also looked at how smaller contractors can innovate and the challenges of speeding up procurement. Sparks explained that smaller firms can use independent research and development (IRAD) to compete, even if they don’t have the resources of big primes or Silicon Valley companies:

“The opportunity, especially for the middle and lower market there, is to look at opportunities to... replicate that or what can they do.”

Even early-stage or new ideas can help firms get ready for new opportunities:

“Being able to internally turn to your technical team or your solution architects and say, okay. Let’s pull this one out of the playbook, and now put our resources there.”

Sparks also stressed that business development takes action. Success comes from being proactive, not just waiting for luck. You have to be aggressive and go after opportunities where your company can fill a gap. You really have to chase after it and go where the action is.

Closing Thoughts: Breaking Through the Frozen Middle

The session ended on an encouraging note, urging everyone to embrace innovation and move beyond old habits. Sparks noted that there is often resistance to change in the middle layers of government agencies and stressed the need to overcome it.

Similarly, Flynn emphasized the importance of proactivity and optimism:

“The need to be proactive, to innovate, and think about what's lying ahead is now more present than ever.”

Both speakers encouraged attendees to use new tools, such as GovDash and AI solutions, to tackle challenges and develop a growth mindset.

Final Thoughts

At its heart, the GovDash live session offered federal contractors valuable insights from defense procurement history to help them address today’s challenges, encourage innovation, and compete more effectively.

If you missed the session, connect with Andrew Flynn on LinkedIn or check out GovDash resources to stay up to date in defense contracting.

GovDash is committed to serving as a strategic resource for understanding procurement challenges, and this live session demonstrated its dedication to helping contractors with timely, practical solutions.

How GovDash Helps Contractors Compete and Win

Defense procurement moves fast. GovDash keeps you ahead. The platform centralizes your capture and proposal work so teams produce compliant, data-backed submissions without the usual scramble. Past performance, intel, drafts, and reviews stay organized and ready for action.

Want to operate like a top-tier GovCon team? Book a demo and see how GovDash helps contractors win more.

→ Watch the full session on demand