Contractor business systems are a mess. That opinion was conveyed by several participants in a hearing of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan Tuesday. The Commission's web site says Tuesday's hearing was intended to "explore the challenges that government oversight officials face when contractors' systems for billing, purchasing, labor, compensation, estimates, and other activities are inadequate for providing complete, accurate, and timely information."

The hearing consisted of two panels. The first panel, in the morning, included Jeff Parsons, Executive Director of the Army Contracting Command; April Stephenson, Director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency; and David Ricci, Director of Contract Business Operations at the Defense Contract Management Agency.

The afternoon panel included representatives of the contractors that came under the heaviest criticism from Commission reports and the morning-panel witnesses. Friday's "In Depth" will feature highlights of the afternoon panel.

Commision member Dov Zakheim was on The Federal Drive yesterday talking about the Commission's work and this hearing; click here to listen.