Every few years, the federal government rediscovers its appetite for efficiency, and the results are usually a stack of slideware. GSA's Federal EOA Playbook, published on June 3, 2026, is a welcome exception. It arrives on the back of a genuine mandate, based on a series of executive orders (14158, 14179, 14210, 14219, and 14222) and OMB memoranda directing agencies to streamline operations, cut costs, and shift work from low-value to high-value. Its premise is disarmingly simple: before you spend a dollar automating anything, ask whether the work should exist at all (Eliminate), whether it can be done better (Optimize), and only then whether a machine should do it (Automate).