DLA launches new CAGE search, inquiry, request system
 
  By Sara Moore, DLA Information Operations
  Defense Logistics Agency employees, customers and the general public will, at the end of February, have a new tool for finding and requesting Commercial and Government Entity codes.
The new CAGE Public website will launch Feb. 26. It will consolidate all resources about CAGE codes, the five-digit identifiers required for all businesses that wish to do business with the U.S. government. CAGE Public includes CAGE Search and Inquiry, dubbed CSI, which will replace the Business Identification Number Cross-Referencing System website, to be decommissioned Feb. 25 at 6:00 p.m. CAGE Public also includes CAGE Request, which customers will use to request a CAGE code or update an existing CAGE code.
The CAGE Public website will provide a unified solution for searching CAGE codes, finding required forms, requesting a new CAGE code or updating an existing CAGE code, news, training and frequently asked questions. This represents a big shift from the past, when CAGE resources were on several different websites customers had to work through to ensure they were registered to do business with the government, said Wyoma Smith, CAGE program manager in DLA Information Operations. 
“This change is huge to the customers out there, because if they can’t get past the CAGE registration validation step, then they are not eligible to receive government funding in any way,” Smith said. “CAGE is that pivotal point in the registration and validation process, and having our information consolidated in a single landing point will provide a big benefit to customers.”
The BINCS website, active for more than a decade, is a standalone CAGE search tool used by federal agencies, the military services, Defense Department organizations, government suppliers, customers and the general public. CSI updates the search tool into a streamlined, user-friendly design that gives customers advanced search options and modern on-screen navigation and functionality, Smith said. 
“What we’ve done is applied the industry standard and optimized the pages to be clean, simple, user friendly, intuitive and helpful,” she said. “We put it through an incredible transformation.”
DLA Information Operations began working on a proof of concept for a new CAGE website about 18 months ago, Smith said. While the site was being developed, a server migration put CAGE in its own environment, giving it even more flexibility and speed, and the team found ways to keep costs down while producing a quality product, she said. The CAGE team used an existing contract and available technology to design the site, rather than buying a commercial-off-the-shelf software product, she noted, and used its usual planning and development cycle and high level of effort to get the job done. 
“This is an extremely successful effort,” Smith said. “This is one of the only sites that DLA manages that is truly 100-percent public, and it’s monumental to have it controlled and put into place as efficiently as it has been. For the public to do business with DLA and the government, this transition has to happen successfully.”
As part of the rollout of CAGE Public, DLA will also take ownership of all incoming CAGE transactions from foreign countries, eliminating multiple handoffs of data and making it faster for NATO countries to process their CAGE codes, Smith said. This change came about because of an audit readiness business requirement, and it will help maintain data integrity and save money for everyone involved in the process, she said. 
Employees and customers who frequently use BINCS should make note of the CAGE Public website address and update their browser favorites or bookmarks when the new site launches, Smith said. For questions about CAGE, contact the DLA Customer Interaction Center at dlacontactcenter@dla.mil or (877) 352-2255.