AFFSC, Airman X Speaking, how may I help you Published Aug. 14, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Mingda Liu and Senior Airman Shane Skaggs 14th Comptroller Squadron COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. -- It's been said that "finance is merging with Services, Outdoor Recreation, Munitions Storage, CATM, the Bowling alley and the Little Kitchen restaurant." Don't believe the stories; none of that's happening. What is occuring, however, is the Financial Services Transformation. The idea behind the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiative is to challenge organizations to eliminate wasteful practices and to leverage current functions with technology. This initiative will make finance processes leaner, more efficient and cheaper for the Air Force, while simultaneously improving customer service. As with most Fortune 500 companies, the Air Force is moving to unite all customer service at a central service center. This will save the Air Force over $200 million, and follows the President's Management Agenda by moving towards civilian industry best practices. Within two years, the Air Force Financial Service Center will be fully operational. The AFFSC is composed of two parts: the Central Processing Center and the Contact center. Located at Ellsworth AFB, SD, the transition will be broken down to two phases. Phase 1, begins Oct. 1 2007, will consist of consolidating base-level back shop operations to the AFFSC. This means that the 14th Comptroller Squadron be here to help the BLAZE Team at Columbus AFB. They will be here to help file your travel vouchers and start allotments. The only thing that changes is that the paperwork will be processed at Ellsworth AFB. Phase 2 is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2008. The contact center will be a fully functional operation, supplying one-stop service from Financial Management experts via phone or computer, anywhere in the world, 24/7. Financial Services transformation will benefit personnel at all levels. The AFFSC will homogenize customer service quality and experience by making processes and quality assurance consistent and standardized. Financial Services Transformation leaders have looked at working examples within the private sector, including the highly regarded USAA customer service structure. Customers will have access to an expert in Financial Management 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. Customers will have access to a wide knowledge base, consisting of all skill levels to better address their needs. Pay issues will be solved faster, due to better access to knowledgeable and experienced personnel. New implementations of technology will enhance customer service by tracking and ensuring accountability for all submitted documents. New computers and systems will provide centralized travel history and reduce research time. Financial Services Airmen have already assembled as an initial cadre at Ellsworth AFB. Financial Services teams are touring base finance offices to prepare for the transition. This team will be visiting Columbus AFB in mid September, providing guidance and training to make the transition as smooth as possible. Each base has a projected time frame which Customer Service operations will begin transitioning to the AFFSC. Columbus AFB transition is slotted for spring 2008. As AFFSC takes over the workload, your favorite Finance Customer Service Technicians will still be at Columbus AFB to assist in special cases and liaise with AFFSC. Further information is available on the Air Force Portal. Click on 'Functional Area A-Z Listing,' then scroll to "Air Force Financial Services Center.'
