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DEAMS moves to the fast lane

  • Published
  • By Dave Thuston
  • DEAMS Strategic Communication
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System Program Management Office has confirmed that Defense Department officials verbally approved an accelerated acquisition schedule for the second phase of DEAMS.

The revised schedule extends DEAMS capabilities throughout the Air Force approximately a year sooner than originally planned. The first of three spirals in DEAMS Increment Two will now be implemented near the beginning of Fiscal Year 2009.
 
DEAMS is a joint initiative of U.S. Transportation Command, the U.S. Air Force, and the Defense Accounting and Finance Service to replace outdated and unreliable processes and systems for the billing and accounting of financial transactions with a new commercial off-the-shelf software-based finance and accounting system. A combined team of government experts and supporting contractors is working to adapt the Oracle Federal Financials software suite that is the heart of the new system. 

The accelerated schedule has no direct impact on Increment One, the first phase of the program. That phase begins with a technology demonstration in May 2007 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The first of two spirals in Version 1.1 will replace only the Automated Business Services System at Scott. The second spiral, which follows about six months later, will implement the rest of DEAMS capability at the base. 

The second part of Increment One, Version 1.2, which will deploy DEAMS to the U.S. Transportation Command and USTRANSCOM components at the beginning of fiscal 2010, also remains unchanged. Those component organizations include Air Mobility Command bases, the U.S. Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, and the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. 

The accelerated schedule does not change the initial deployment of DEAMS but according to DEAMS Program Manager Richard Honneywell, it is a major step ahead for the program. 

"This is a good news story," said Honneywell. "This allows Increment Two, Milestone A, to proceed in August 2007." 

Milestone A marks the point in the program when alternatives for Increment Two have been carefully examined, the best approach selected, and officials are confident of the way ahead. The next step after Milestone A is the competition to choose a contractor to serve as the Systems Integrator for that phase of the program. 

DEAMS Increment Two consists of three separate spirals in which the new capability will be applied Air Force-wide. Spiral One applies DEAMS to commitment accounting processes while Spiral Two affects general funds accounting. Spiral Three, which will begin near the end of FY 2009, applies DEAMS technology to the Air Force Working Capital Fund. 

DEAMS Deputy Functional Manager Edwin R. "Randy" Newcome said his team is excited about the revised schedule. 

"DEAMS promises a quantum leap in our abilities to effectively manage financial resources. The sooner we bring this on line, the better it is for the Nation," said Newcome.