Skip the Trip! Click, Call, then Walk to Finance

Published June 6, 2008
By Maj. Michael S. Vaughn
72nd Comptroller Squadron Commander

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Are you applying your time and unit funding efficiently to meet your leadership's vision? As we transform in the Air Force today and in the future to win the fight, take care of our people, and prepare for tomorrow's challenges we must use our limited resources wisely. One way to do this is by working smarter not harder; focus our time and efforts on what is important.
   The 72 Comptroller Squadron AKA Finance mission is to deliver world-class Financial services to Warfighters and improve services to the Airman. One of the ways we do this is to increase the range of financial service options to you the customer and save you time to do your mission. The 72 Comptroller Squadron is preparing now for the future when financial document processing and customer service will be provided by the AF Financial Services Center (AFFSC) at Ellsworth AFB. As Finance transforms to the future not only will customer service and support to Airmen improve but over 90 finance operating locations will consolidate into 1 operation. This is estimated to save $200M Over 10 years, with 598 Manpower Authorizations Eliminated.
   The Air Force is in currently in the first phase of Financial Management transformation. The AFFSC is in the middle of consolidating base-level finance backshop operations to the central finance site at Ellsworth AFB. IOC was established October 2007 and all MAJCOMs plan to be fully operational by October 2008. The second phase will establish a 24/7 Full Service customer service contact center. The Contact center will provide contact by phone, email, and internet. It is scheduled for IOC in October 2008.
   Another part of the Finance mission is to educate and train customers so you are better prepared to handle your own financial needs with the tools available. To do this in the future you can CLICK first, then Call, and then walk to Finance as a last resort.
   The first place customers should seek solutions to financial service is on the web. Click first and make the Web Self-Service on the AF Portal your stop for financial services inquires and answers to your Frequently Asked Questions. Continue to use MyPay, DTS, and LeaveWeb as you do today. In the future there will be more options like virtual PCS in-processing and entitlement forms will be available to you for even greater time savings. Bottom line: these customer self service initiatives saves the AF thousands of hours of processing and waiting time and they allow you to Skip the Trip to Finance!
   As always you can call finance customer service for help on your pay issues but in the future trained agents at the AFFSC will also handle a variety of pay and travel inquiries. The AF Financial Services Contact Center will be ready in FY09. The 24/7 Contact Center will provide consistent one-stop answers to your pay and travel questions. So remember to call next after you checked the Web for self assistance.
   Your third option will be to then Walk in to Finance: Select processes will still be handled by the financial services office. Base Comptroller Squadrons will continue to provide emergency customer service in person and a select group of financial processes.
   Our goal is to continue to improving financial services to Airmen while we Transforming Financial Management. We will focus on education and training customers and the workforce to work smarter and not harder so we save you time to focus on your mission.
   Maj Michael S Vaughn, 72 CPTS/CC, Comptroller! Now making you rich and saving you time...