United States Air Force: Supply Chain Management

The Air Force chose Accenture to help it develop and install the first fully integrated, real-time financial information system. The resulting Financial Information Resource System (FIRST) will collect all accounting data into a single integrated system and provide an enterprise-wide view of financial activity.

Advances in information technology are changing the way the United States Air Force operates. Particularly, the Air Force wanted to modernize its information systems and improve its financial operations.

The existing financial system includes disparate legacy computer systems that isolate budget data, making the process cumbersome and costly. The Air Force preferred to aggregate budgeting data across the entire organization to streamline the budgeting process, increase efficiency and better support decision-making.

The Air Force chose Accenture to help it develop and install the first fully integrated, real-time financial information system. The resulting Financial Information Resource System (FIRST) will collect all accounting data into a single integrated system and provide an enterprise-wide view of financial activity.

Over the next six years, the Air Force and Accenture will work together to plan and implement FIRST. The project team and Accenture's strategic partner, NCR Corporation, will work together to incorporate NCR's Teradata data warehousing equipment and software into FIRST.

FIRST will include all Department of Defense and Accounting Classification Codes. The system's many interfaces will simplify the sharing of accounting information, even while assuring superior data management. FIRST will also improve cost modeling for:

• Manpower tasking.
• Flying hours.
• Civilian pay.
• Budget performance review.
• Similar tasks.

FIRST will also offer innovative program management tools for business and administrative:

• Planning.
• Organizing.
• Directing.
• Coordinating.
• Controlling.
• Managing approval processes.

Such operations as cost, schedule and performance measurement will be standardized throughout the service, along with warranty administration, data, contract and subcontract management and vendor liaison.

The new system, planned for use at 75 bases and commands worldwide, will be released to the Air Force in stages, every nine to 12 months, starting in early 2002.

For the Air Force, FIRST is the process and technical platform for taking financial management to new heights.

Along with much more processing power, financial managers will have better cost modeling capabilities, shared information and a single standard for budgeting and funds management. Financial managers around the globe will have online access to all Air Force budgeting information from any location.

FIRST means a "leaner, meaner" Air Force. The system will update all transactions in real time, delivering timely information to budgeters as needed and lessening dependency on end-of-month accounting reports.

Flexible and easy-to-use reporting and decision-making tools will boost manager efficiency. The system will ensure Air Force compliance with all financial regulations and acts.