Center delivers accounting, management system on time, on cost

  • Published
  • By Monica D. Morales
  • ESC Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  A vision four years in the making to create a state-of-the-art financial management system that serves the Air Force and United States Transportation Command came to fruition on Friday when the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System Increment 1, Spiral 1 was successfully fielded at Scott AFB, Ill.

The DEAMS program was developed by the 554th Electronic Systems Group located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The group's parent organization, the 554th Electronic Systems Wing, is headquartered here.

DEAMS Spiral 1 provides an accounting and finance capability to U.S. Transportation Command and Headquarters Air Mobility Command users at Scott AFB, and completes the initial phase of the DEAMS Technology Demonstration.

Based on ORACLE e-business commercial software, DEAMS provides the primary financial system with automated audit trails to USTRANSCOM in support of the warfighter. DEAMS will replace several antiquated systems, considerably reducing the time to process and track financial transactions.

"We are very proud of the talent and professionalism of the DEAMS team members who saw this system through to this major milestone," said ESC Commander Lt. Gen. Chuck Johnson. "This marks a significant step toward transitioning from accounting and financial management legacy systems to a more efficient, enterprise-wide commercial-off-the-shelf-based solution."

Further, Spiral 1 was delivered on time and on cost, said 554 ELSW Director Frank Weber.

"The DEAMS Spiral 1 deployment represents a milestone in fielding warfighting capabilities using ORACLE's commercial-off-the-shelf Enterprise Resource Program, 11i e-Business Suite," Mr. Weber said. "The commercial software approach couples defense and industry best practices for improved financial management processes, reduces acquisition costs and provides improved operations and maintenance over a dedicated software development effort."

Mr. Weber said the achievement was made possible through a collaboration of USTRANSCOM, Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management, Defense Financial and Accounting Service financial experts and Air Force Materiel Command acquisition professionals whose talent and dedication made this initial deployment a success.
Alan Bentley, director of USTRANSCOM Program Analysis and Financial Management, said the system's use reflects a marked achievement.

"We are very excited to have reached this important milestone, and are equally excited to mature this new capability," he said.

Subsequent spirals in Increment 1 will provide increased financial management capabilities across USTRANSCOM, including Air Mobility Command, Military Sealift Command and Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. These capabilities plan to be delivered by 2010.

DEAMS Increment 2, still in the requirements identification and acquisition development phases, will deliver financial management capabilities throughout the Air Force.

CONTACT: Monica D. Morales, (781) 377-8543, Monica.Morales@hanscom.af.mil