Deputy assistant secretary - Financial Operations

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. --Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

DEAMS IS COMING!--Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System

October 1, 2003 marked my one-year anniversary as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Financial Operations (SAF/FMP). From day one, I embraced my new responsibilities very excited about the opportunity to lead Air Force Financial Operations. Using our FM Vision as my attitude indicator and surrounding myself with a very loyal, dedicated, and capable SAF/FMP Team, I embarked on a transformation journey that, with your support, yielded numerous successes and achievements.

I spent the last month drafting an article with the intent on sharing with you our many accomplishments over the past year. However, I recently witnessed an event that impressed me so much that I decided to delay publishing my milestone anniversary article. Instead, I have chosen to use this opportunity to share with you what I believe was a landmark event for financial management in the Department of Defense (DoD). I have chosen to use this opportunity to tell you that DEAMS IS COMING!

On Monday, January 5, 2004, I had the opportunity to join General John Handy, Commander, US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), the Honorable Michael Montelongo, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Financial Management and Comptroller, Ms JoAnn Boutelle, Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (USD), Mr Arthur Coleman, USTRANSCOM/J8, and Mr Zack Gaddy, Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly established Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System (DEAMS) Program Management Office in Fairview Heights, Illinois. One might ask, why is establishing a program management office for an accounting system such a big deal? My answer is, this program management office is at the cusp of a major transformation in how DoD and the Air Force will conduct our Operations Support mission and the key role financial management will play.

When complete, our DEAMS project will substantially improve warfighting capabilities and financial support to our warfighters. It will standardize business processes not just for a Command or a Service, but also for the entire DoD. It will significantly reduce the number of transactional touch points so that we can eliminate rework and mitigate errors. It will allow financial management warriors to provide increased decision support to the warfighters using accurate, reliable, and timely information rather than input, chase, correct, and reconcile transactions. And, it will use commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software based on modern technology that incorporate industry leading business practices.

Operationalizing the program management office is just the first step in this ambitious journey. The real test of our resolve is to sustain focus on the to be end-state, while aggressively managing inevitable organizational and cultural change. Easy? No! Necessary? Absolutely! How do we do it? Among other things, we must challenge our current as is assumptions, and we must drive relentlessly toward the best possible to be solutions. To borrow a script from Mr Montelongo, ... we must work earnestly to win converts, and then we must turn them into zealots. Noble missions like these just don't happen. They require a compelling vision, strong senior leadership, unswerving commitment, and unwavering support. DEAMS is important to our future. It's a force multiplier that's critical to the fight. That's why we've been able to come this far and one reason why our comprehensive SAF/FM transformation--of which this project is a key part--is moving forward.

Our DEAMS project is a true partnership between OSD, USTRANSCOM, DFAS, Army, Navy, and Air Force with Air Force as the designated Executive Agent for acquisition. The initial scope of the project is USTRANSCOM. Once the concept is validated and modified with lessons learned, we shall deploy to the rest of Air Force and potentially to other Defense organizations. Over the coming weeks, we will be asking our major command financial managers to provide subject matter experts to help identify requirements and man our planning and execution teams.

While the COTS product has not been selected, the project is on an aggressive schedule to be implemented within 12-18 months. We will meet DoD standard business processes using configuration rather than modify COTS functionality. Our team is working closely with OSD and a similar Army program office to ensure standardization. In addition to sharing a common financial management system, the Air Force of the future will utilize modern and efficient business practices that are consistent across the DoD. These practices will be based on industry leading practices and will leverage the functionality included in a COTS package.

A final comment to our entire financial management community--thank you for your selfless service. We have high expectations for what you will accomplish with DEAMS and the increased capability you will deliver to the warfighter. When completed, we will have made that quantum leap in our financial management capability that our troops need and deserve and the taxpayers expect. We will achieve victory, and our senior leaders will support us every step of the way! It is critical that we remain focused for success. Communication is of utmost importance. Our scope must be clear and understood by all. There is much more to share, but for now, think about what this initiative means to all who work for DoD, including you! We will keep you informed of our progress.

COPYRIGHT 2004 U.S. Air Force, Financial Management and Comptroller
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group