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The report discusses technical and economic feasibility of widespread computer-netting technology to aid DOD procurement effectiveness, and describes procurement automation system development, the software and hardware required, and provides a hardware configuration. Next steps are logically detailed in a procurement automation system. Cost-benefit analysis and a survey of procurement automation systems presently in use is provided. It is indicated that savings in excess of $1 billion per year might be achievable in the future.

Some specific topics addressed in the present Quarterly Technical Report include: (1) Consideration of system modules necessary for a large set of procurement related functions; (2) Description of an early list of evolutionary functions felt to be most applicable; (3) Determination of the file sizes for the records considered; (4) Determination of the state of the art of inputting and storing the large text database implied in automating procurement; (5) Consideration of secrecy protection means that are more effectively built into the initial system configuration design rather than as an afterthought; (6) Survey of present procurement information automation efforts, and consideration of evolutionary growth from this presently highly advanced basis; (7) Analysis of the cost of sending one-way text messages via a number of alternatives ranging from postal mail to various forms of electronic transmittal; (8) Work in progress in evaluating present day legal interpretation of governmental secrecy provisions and private proprietary information protection legislation of import to procurement automation.