NEW YORK -- The Defense Department is due to release a study of the "less-traditional" industrial supplier base within the next few weeks, a senior Pentagon official said today. The study, conducted by the office of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Industrial Affairs Suzanne Patrick, was initiated last year ( DefenseAlert , Feb. 20, 2002). A major challenge unveiled by the study is that small companies have a very tough time understanding the Pentagon's labyrinthine budget and contracting processes,...
