Financial Management transformation under way at Tinker, across Air Force

Published Oct. 16, 2007
By 72nd Comptroller Squadron

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- The Air Force Financial Management transformation currently under way is the greatest single change in the organization's 60-year history.
   "We -- and all of Air Force Financial Management -- are transforming the way we conduct business to better provide expert decision support and analysis to commanders while continuing to provide high quality financial services to all Airmen," said Maj. Michael Vaughn, 72nd Comptroller Squadron commander.
   According to John G. Vonglis, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, the result of this effort will save the Air Force more than $200 million over the next 10 years, money that will be available for other programs supporting the warfighter."
   One of the cornerstones of the financial transformation effort is the opening of the Air Force Financial Services Center this fall at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The AFFSC will centralize and streamline most financial processes now being handled by individual bases.
   The AFFSC, which opened its doors for business this month, will centralize and transform the majority of financial services that are currently provided by 93 separate Financial Service Offices at base level, not excluding Globally Separated Units and Reserve Pay Offices.
   "The AFFSC will be established through two phases ultimately resulting in Airmen having the total force expertise of FM matters available at one location," said Roger Bick, director of the Air Force Financial Management Strategic Planning and Transformation Program Management Office at the Pentagon.
   Phase I begins with the opening of the Central Processing Center this month. The CPC will focus on consolidating base-level back-shop operations.
   "Such operations include, but are not limited to, processing travel and military pay documents," said Mr. Bick. "These transactions are termed 'backshop' as they are not generally seen by the customer."
   Phase II operations will begin in October 2008 when a "24/7" full-service contact center is established. Knowledgeable staff in the contact center will provide top-quality pay and travel service to customers via telephone, Web and fax.
   "From this point onwards, Airmen will only need one telephone number to find solutions to their financial issues," said Lt. Col. Howard Osborne, Financial Services Transformation Team lead. "Having a single contact center will eliminate the inconveniences that customers experience in having to fix financial issues during regular duty day."
   To prepare each base to transition to the new Financial Service Center, the Secretary of the Air Force/Financial Management Transformation Financial Service Transformation Team has launched a "Cut-over" initiative. Cut-over includes both the preparation for migration of the workload and the actual migration of the workload to the Financial Service Center.
   A team of experts on Cut-over will be at Tinker Oct. 23-24, to brief wing and base leaders on the process and brief and provide preparation guidance to the Comptroller Squadron personnel on the processes.