In The News
NEWS RELEASE | Contact: Kimberly E. Sutton (+1 312.212.4323)
Kairos Worldwide Earns Its Stripes as a Top US Government Contractor
Chicago, IL (September 12, 2011) – Chicago-based Kairos Worldwide is proof positive that the federal government is making good on its pledge to provide opportunities to high-performing small businesses. Kairos has been identified as a top contractor to the U.S. Government in the organizational, administrative and personnel studies category. Most recently, Kairos performed consulting services projected to save the Department of the Navy $23 million over five years, and the Department of Energy $1 million this year alone.
Lynn Sutton, Kairos' CEO, said Kairos recently tied at number 10 in a group of 25 consultants. "Of those 25 consulting companies, seven, including Kairos, are small 8(a) businesses and three are certified women-owned business enterprises (WBE), again including Kairos." Kairos is the only WBE among the top 11 firms listed.
Sutton noted that Kairos is in impressive company; also on the list are some of the biggest names in international consulting (see Federal Times article). "We're of course honored to be among such a prominent group of consultants," she added. "But what's most compelling, especially to American taxpayers, is that our efforts are having a measurable effect in helping the federal government reduce its financial obligations."
In 2011, Kairos was able to "deobligate," as the process is known in federal government parlance, $1 million for the Department of Energy through a process that Sutton described as highly specialized acquisition support. The Kairos assignment for the DOE involved completing an in-depth analysis of existing contracts with vendors, including confirmation that contracted work as completed per contractual terms, and recommending contract close-outs to reduce financial obligations wherever possible.
In an earlier assignment for the U.S. Department of the Navy, Kairos provided consulting services expected to save the Navy $23 million over five years. Sutton said this project addressed the Navy's desire to reduce inventory investment and warehouse/storage logistical costs. The Kairos team developed a methodology for analyzing 350 warehouses comprising nearly 13 million square feet around the world, some as far away as Japan. Kairos created an informational matrix with more than 100 discrete data requirements, made inventory disposition recommendations based on collected data, and advised that 102 facilities should be demolished and 108 warehouses should be transferred from the Navy to the Defense Logistics Agency (see case study).
In addition to its extensive advisory work in the public sector, Kairos is currently providing support for private-sector laboratories across the country. Kairos' acquisition support team provides specialized management and operations (M&O) contract closeout work for Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab. Kairos also performs more traditional closeout activities, including grants for colleges and universities, Small Business Innovation Research grants (SBIRs), and a variety of other types of contracts and grants.
About Kairos Worldwide
Kairos Worldwide, an SBA 8(a) certified company based in Chicago, serves private and public sector clients with global, national, regional and local operations. Led by principals whose experience dates back to 1990, Kairos was founded in 2004. The company is certified as both a Woman-owned and Minority-owned Business Enterprise.
Using an engineering-based methodology, Kairos applies multidisciplinary skills to a range of services, including management and operations (M&O) contract closeout; business process management such as workflow analysis, process reengineering, Lean Six Sigma, optimization and management, service level agreements, audits/reporting and compliance management; organizational development such as strategic planning and resource optimization; and technology integration such as business analysis, project management and change management.
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