Marty Burke is Executive Vice President at ISM. He is responsible for business development, capture, strategic initiatives and corporate direction to federal markets. Prior to his time at ISM, Burke served as President of Public Sector at Intact Technology, Executive Vice President at Spectrum Systems Inc., as well as served in other leading roles at multiple firms.
Burke recently spoke with WashingtonExec and discussed how ISM has maintained growth during unstable market trends, the benefits of a supporting a mobile workforce, the company”s goals over the next five years and more.
WashingtonExec: As EVP for Federal Government Solutions at ISM, how has the firm maintained growth during these unstable economic times for the federal government?
Marty Burke: Today’s economic instability is temporary but tighter federal budgets are here to stay. The goal of federal IT transformation is to remove budget pressures as a hurdle to agencies’ mission success. As is too often the case, IT transformation projects are costing agencies a great deal of time, up front expenses and cultural heartburn which prevents them from realizing IT transformation’s full benefits. Conversely, agencies in the earliest stages of IT transformation are slogged down by antiquated or geographically dispersed systems and assets with sometimes devastating affects to productivity and operational performance.
The federal market’s universal need for a partner who really knows how to nail IT transformation has turned our modest footprint into a burgeoning federal civilian and defense practice. Our approach is unlike any other in the market. We view IT transformation as an outcome of business transformation – not necessarily buying the latest and greatest of private sector IT. It’s this business perspective, married with our team’s extensive federal and technical expertise and a proprietary methodology we affectionately call FRITZ® that allows us to achieve transformation objectives as much as three times faster than other programs. The faster uptime saves federal customers a great deal of money in both contract fees and efficiency gains.
We’re grateful to our federal clients for their evangelism and continued support once they’ve experienced our work. Our model covers the entire capability of running IT as a business, so often our existing federal clients will engage us for additional transformation projects. For example, one federal client hired us to transform their enterprise mobile strategy after seeing our accomplishments in data center consolidation. We also win a lot of work through referrals to peer organizations or agencies that need us to help redeem initiatives previously attempted and failed with other partners.
WashingtonExec: How has ISM used mobility and what are its benefits, if any?
Marty Burke: This is a timely question. ISM is a heavily mobile consulting firm. We use advanced mobile tools including cloud and social media to connect and manage our workforce and client portfolio. Our mobile capability and empowerment is a tremendous benefit to our clients. There is zero transfer of overhead costs (we don’t have any) and we can have our subject matter experts “on site” at a moment’s notice, avoiding geographical barriers or travel delays! We currently have a client in Colorado in the midst of the flooding. The client and our team are working remotely, using various mobile media tools to continue progress so as not to drop the deliverable schedule.
ISM has directed and been involved in some of the largest Federal agency mobility implementation and upgrade solutions ever attempted. This includes security, on boarding and the often forgotten critical service of mobile device monitoring. Most organizations’ mobile monitoring approaches are based on the end user being your steadfast and robust monitoring tool. We executed a “Capability on Demand” strategy, which included ISM’s consulting focus on “Planning and Managing IT as a Business” which allowed the clients to deliver and manage their services in a professional and efficient manner.
“Federal contracting absolutely benefits from the increased opportunities for small business involvement in all programs and solicitations. The American economy is based on the success of small business and, in our opinion, small business drives innovation, especially in the Federal and DoD markets”
WashingtonExec: On ISM”s website, it’s predicted that by 2020, the mobile/social/cloud/big data technologies will drive about 90 percent of all growth in the IT market space. How does and how will ISM differentiate itself from other firms that offer these same technology solutions?
Marty Burke: We apply technology to the business to achieve maximum IT business value, not technology for technology’s sake. Technology innovation can deliver great things for an organization in terms of adding new capability and business performance improvement. But it can also present a major business diversion and a waste of resources if the target environment lacks a strategic roadmap and plan to achieve business objectives. Planning and running IT as a business is the key to getting business value from new innovation and providing the business return that is critical in today’s tough economic times.
We approach all IT solutions from a “holistic” business perspective. This encompasses every critical component of a business management system; people, process, technology, information management, and governance. Our consultants have in depth business backgrounds as well as process, best practices and IT management expertise. This allows us to implement IT solutions that are not strictly technology focused but meet the customer where they’re at in terms of culture and organizational maturity.
For many of our clients the future is now. We recently worked with one agency to set up a well-recognized enterprise portfolio management tool that will operate on a NIST compliant cloud platform. Within 24 hours, we engaged a third party cloud provider, obtained and loaded the software applications, ran testing and were prepared to commence loading of relevant content. The metadata content will be uploaded from remote consultants. Secure cloud infrastructure remotely managed and tweaked to support sophisticated enterprise architecture from approved devices. The prototype review by the CIO level client will be remote. This is the future we reference. Current expertise of architecting applications, infrastructure, process and data together sets us apart today and will continue to do so.
WashingtonExec: What is ISM”s largest goal in the next five years?
Marty Burke: The federal IT enterprise is in a phase of adolescence when it comes to process maturity. We’re excited to see what federal organizations – and our country – will be able to achieve when it is powered by a sophisticated IT engine. We truly believe that together we can solve the major business challenges in federal government that are holding back our security and prosperity as a nation. And so do our clients – our business process framework, Framework for IT Success (FRITZ®), is now required in several agencies and commands.
Our goal over the next five years is to introduce FRITZ® to as many industry and federal associates as we can to assist them with their current challenges and pave the way for a prosperous future. We will continue our efforts to become a recognized premier technology service provider of portfolio-managed process/tools/infrastructure provisioning in the commercial, Federal, and DoD markets. ISM has a solid footprint in all of these markets and has expansion plans to increase our priming and partnering opportunities.
WashingtonExec: Do you think the playing field in the federal contracting arena benefits more or less with specific government programs for small businesses?
Marty Burke: Federal contracting absolutely benefits from the increased opportunities for small business involvement in all programs and solicitations. The American economy is based on the success of small business and, in our opinion, small business drives innovation, especially in the Federal and DoD markets.
Small businesses seem to have a matter of fact perspective on the proper approach to implementing comprehensive business solutions which seems to be lost on many of the larger prime contractors with their “butts in seats” contracting approach. With small businesses, end users and stakeholders are not so separated nor disconnected from the leadership of the contractors, which increases the likelihood that innovation will be continuously introduced.
We partner with many small businesses, like ourselves, that are the absolute best at what they do, and provide the most cost effective solutions to their clients. Restricting small business involvement in Federal contracting is not only a short-sighted procurement strategy, but it deprives Federal agencies of best-in-breed solutions.
WashingtonExec: What is your opinion of the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) environment?
Marty Burke: We have seen LPTA work in some environments, but for the most part it is more effectively suited for commodity purchasing. LPTA bids are relevant when the bid is being awarded, but contractors know that business requirements will evolve and they will be asked to do more to serve the needs of their client. LPTA award winners are not willing to make the necessary adjustments to properly serve their customer a lot of the time.
IT solutions are very complex with a lot of moving parts. Putting too much emphasis on lowest cost does not acknowledge the potential business value that a possibly more expensive, but more innovative solution can provide the customer. All too often, once a contract starts with the LPTA vendor in place, the customer learns the hard way that lowest cost is based on inadequate provisioning of the solution. Technically acceptable, maybe. The best solution for the customer? Absolutely not. Even under FFP, ISM is willing to step up to the current, and potential future, requirements of the customer and provide a cost effective bid that meets the business requirements and provides the flexibility to meet the business requirements of the inevitable changing business landscape.
ISM is able to provide our services in an economical manner based our extensive track record of successful service delivery, a comprehensive portfolio of IT solution best practices, thousands of IT service management artifacts accumulated over the past 23 years of service delivery, and our process focus including our IT industry recognized business process framework (The Framework for IT Success – Fritz®).
WashingtonExec: You”ve are involved with the AFCEA, George Mason University”s School of Performing Arts, the National Retail Federation and the United Nations Business Council. Why is it important for you to be a part of these groups?
Marty Burke: We strive to be an active part of any industry-based organization that we believe will assist us in keeping our “finger on the pulse” of IT evolution. All of these organizations provide members with a unique perspective that help identify new market, business and social responsibilities. There are many valued organizations I’ve participated in within the DC metro marketplace. Curiously, I was based in NYC for quite a bit of my career where such organizations were few and far between. It’s fascinating how hard we compete with each other in this region and yet have such dynamic coalitions and associations to collaborate within. We also believe that we have a lot of insight and expertise that we can contribute to these organizations. We like to “give back” to our industry and to our communities.
WashingtonExec: What is the best professional advice you”ve ever received?
Marty Burke: My father was a Master carpenter. Many of us that grew up in blue-collar households heard the saying “measure twice, cut once”. In today’s business practice, if you plan changes thoroughly, there should never be traumatic surprise. Predictable unpredictability was a coined phrase in the 80’s and 90’s. While I’ve had the good fortune of working with many icons of the U.S. business community, I find the simple phrases are most relevant and easily followed.
WashingtonExec: Is there a great business book you recommend?
Marty Burke: Jack Welch’s book, “Winning”, best expresses the sometimes painful diligence senior management is required to apply to the internal workings of a company to keep themselves competitive and relevant. While many viewed his tactics as extreme at times, they are a mantra for survival and success in today’s climate. Having spent many years performing turnarounds, the most successful transformation is the one you’re out in front of. You can’t tell your clients that you’ll manage their initiatives in an agile and “best in breed” manner if you’re not applying those same standards in the approach you take to operating your own business.
