Team Dover implements DEAMS

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Last week Dover Air Force Base, Del., and three other bases: Grand Forks AFB, S.D., Little Rock AFB, Ark., and Pope AFB, N.C., became the latest bases within Air Mobility Command to implement the Defense Enterprise Accounting Management System.

DEAMS is a commercial off the shelf software tailored to perform Air Force enterprise accounting such as Government Purchase Card purchases, requisitions and setting up purchase orders.

The reason DEAMS is being implemented is because the existing accounting system, which was fielded in 1969, can't keep up with the current need for general ledger accounting. For this reason, Scott AFB, Ill., implemented DEAMS in July 2010 and McConnell AFB, Kan., added it Oct. 2012. The goal is for all AMC bases to be running DEAMS by the end of FY 2014 and for the entire Air Force to be on board by the end of FY 2017.

Eric Earhart, DEAMS Functional Management Office on-site representative, said even though there are always problems when change is implemented, the transition to DEAMS at Dover, has been a smooth one.

"It's going very good," Earhart said. "It is really progressing. It is going a lot smoother than was expected. The response has been surprisingly positive."

Dover began the transition to DEAMS in August by holding briefings and informing financial staff and resource advisors about what changes to expect. Training classes started in September and training for resource advisors started on Oct. 7. Along with the training classes, the DEAMS FMO offers OJT or what they call, over-the-shoulder training, where they watch users implement documents.

Henry Pastorelli, DEAMS FMO instructor, said the response to the training, especially the over-the-shoulder training has been positive.

"We have the users do the over-the-shoulder training with live documents, so when their training is done, you're done," Pastorelli said. "They are not wasting any time. We have them bring the documents in that they need to complete and they are getting them done. We are tailoring the training to the user's needs."

Senior Airman Sonya Meaders, 436th Comptroller Squadron finance analyst and DEAMS power user, said that anytime there has been a problem with the system it has been resolved quickly. She also said that the transition for users has been very easy.

"I think users are liking the fact that once you do a document in the DEAMS system correctly, you can copy and save it and you don't have to go through all the steps again," Meaders said. "That makes it easy for the user. So far the transition has not been bad, it has been good."

Pastorelli said that overall the implementation of DEAMS will be successful.

"It's repetitive and once you get a good document the ability to copy that document and save it and to use it the next time is what makes this system easy for users," Pastorelli said. "It will be a success."