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IBM gets contract for commissary system

By Kevin L. Robinson
January 6, 2006

FORT LEE, Va. (Army News Service, Jan. 6, 2005) – The new year began with a bang for military commissaries with the announcement by the Defense Information Systems Agency that the point-of-sale technology contract for the Defense Commissary Agency was awarded to IBM.

The $270-million contract, awarded by DISA Dec. 31, is for five years with five option years.

IBM will provide information technology support for DeCA’s new Commissary Advanced Resale Transaction System, known as CARTS. This new front-end and back-office support system will replace the commissaries’ current, aging point-of-sale operation by 2008, said Patrick Nixon, DeCA chief executive officer and acting director.

“As technology changes, we must keep up with the latest and greatest if we are to continue delivering the best commissary benefit to our patrons,” he said. “Our deployment of CARTS will dramatically improve our stores’ point-of-sale systems and as a result make us more efficient and effective.”

CARTS is being lauded as the next generation of front-end operations because of its ease of use, higher reliability and automated cash management capabilities, said Bob Comer, DeCA’s program manager for the new system.

“Front-end employees as well as customers will see the difference in improved operations at the register,” Comer said. “The rigorous selection process evaluated every element necessary for a successful replacement and life-cycle management. In the end, IBM was the clear winner.”

“Much of what DeCA does is on the cutting edge when it comes to grocery operations,” Nixon said. “This key investment in technology is funded by the 5-percent surcharge we collect at the cash register. We went to great lengths to ensure our patrons received the highest return on that investment possible.

“This is part of our stewardship responsibility in delivering this all-important benefit,” he added. “This award and implementation will move us another step closer to achieving our vision of making our patrons, employees and partners ‘raving fans’ when it comes to their commissary benefit.”

Plans for implementing the new system will be announced at a later date, officials said.

The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones.

Commissary shoppers save an average of 30 percent or more on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings DeCA officials estimate at about $2,700 annually for a family of four.

(Editor's note: Kevin Robinson writes for DeCA Public Affairs at Fort Lee, Va. He can be contacted at kevin.robinson@deca.mil. He is a former chief of the Army Newspaper Branch.)