response week 3
Respond to the discusion and include citation
Isaac
Fire department training report tracking process:
Instructor teaches a class and records time when class started and ended.
After completion of class instructor logs into Fire Department PC that is connected to the department Intranet.
Opens a web browser and goes to Emergency Reporting website.
Instructor logs into Emergency Reporting with username and password.
Selects "Training 3.0" tab on left hand side.
Select "add class" at the top for new class information.
Enter Class name the date and time of when the class took place.
Select add class.
In Info window enter class category, Station that the class took place, Instructors giving the class, Training Codes (this will contain class duration), Location (can differ from station), Evaluation Method(s), and Objective.(Everything in red is required information)
In Narrative tab, enter in details that took place during the class.
In Files tab, enter in all files and source materials used in class as a file.
In people tab, add all agency personnel that participated in the class including non agency personnel. Select if personnel passed or failed, grade of any test taken, total hours of individuals present, and pay grade of personnel.
In Authorize tab, enter password and select class if tabs info, Narrative, Files, and People are green (Elkin Fire Department 2015).
After Instructor completes inputting record into Emergency Reporting it is transferred to Assistant Chief(AC) of Training for Review.
AC of Training reviews inputted class.
AC of Training then makes a copy of class record on desktop and uploads into Department SharePoint in Training section.
1) Explain why you picked that process.
I selected this process as I'm a Instructor at my Firehouse that teaches other firefighters various subjects. All fire department personnel have annual training hours that must be met under NFPA guidelines. NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association that is the governing body for Firefighter certification and regulations (NFPA 2022).
2) Explain the steps you might take to analyze how to improve the process.
The only step I would have improved would require connecting Emergency Reporting with the Fire Department SharePoint to streamline storing records in a secondary location without the need to manual transfer of data.
3) Who should be involved with you?
The Assistant Chief of Training and ones Supervisor are needed to teach the process to new instructors when using the software. Once competent with the software the AC of Training will review reports for accuracy and final approval of record.
4) What are some of the questions you should ask about the current process?
Currently I have no questions with the current process as it has been greatly improved from all record being manually entered as a word document and then a copy being printed out. One copy was stored in Department hard drives, while the paper copy was stored in filing cabinets taking up space. This current process for tracking training is only five years old at my Department.
5) How will you know if the process was actually improved?
It is already improved over previous methods of manual documentation with paper records. In the old process we lost tons of records to hard drives failing and to paper copies being damaged or destroyed due to time or from hazards. The paper copies for a long time where carbon copies of records that fade easily.
References(Elkin's Fire department is a different department than where I work):
Elkin Fire Department (July 13, 2015) Emergency Reporting: entering a training report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMMz_ggoEdM
NFPA (retrieved January 27, 2022) NFPA 1401 Recommended Practice for Fire Service Training Reports and Records https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=1401
Respond to the discussion and include citation
Deborah
NonAppropriated Funds Central Cashier
If there are revenue generating activities at in Air Force Installation, there is a Central Cashier.
The central cashier has a list of duties. I will focus on only one deposits.
The central cashier:
Receives deposits from all revenue generating activities on the base using AF Form 1876
Verifies their totals and issues a receipt (AF Form 2557)
After each transaction, transcribes the totals to an automated system that tracks the number and denominations of all currency
Totals in the drawer with the automated tracking system at the end of the day
Prepares AF From 1877 and report to the Shared Service Center (SSC) in San Antonio Texas only if both the tracking system and central cashier balance. If not, all cash must be re-verified.
When the deposit is complete, the AF Form 1877 and all supporting documents are stored for 7 years in a file cabinet. (USAF, 2019)
1. Explain why you picked this process? I picked this process because I had this duty daily 10 years ago. The system is updated from 10 years ago, there was no automated system and the AF Form 1877 was copied, faxed, and printed at the SSC on a copier.
2. Explain the steps you might take to analyze how to improve the process. Quantify the time it takes to file the forms vs the time it takes scan the information to a cloud based system. Sometimes times cannot be measured but for this process it should be.
3. Who should be involved with you? The person that should be involved with me is the Air Force Services Agency Chief who is a GS-15 in San Antonio, Deputy, and the Chief Resource Manger for Air Force Services.
4. What are some of the questions you should ask about the current process?
Why aren't we looking at ways to safe space in our offices?
Can we find a system that will interface with the bank’s system to view deposits the same day?
5. How will you know if the process was actually improved? When a new process is introduced, it is advertised. I am not a central cashier anymore. I do know people who work for Services that supervise a central cashier. I would definitely ask if there are changes to how they do business.
References
USAF. (2019, October 2). USAF E-Publication. Retrieved from Air Force Manual 34-209: https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afman34-209/afman34-209.pdf
Respond to the discussion and include citation
Donye
There are currently 165 board of directors (BOD) in my organization that benefits from technology (computers, cellphones, etc.), home internet, and other travel-related items while performing their official duties. Each benefit has a maximum amount that can be reimbursed during a three-year term. My department is tasked with tracking and ensuring the BOD receives the allotted amount using an Excel spreadsheet. The process is the department receives the requested expense reimbursement from the BOD via email. It is then assigned to a team member to audit and record the expenses in the spreadsheet. Each time a new request is received again by BOD, a different person may process another additional board member's request. The selection of the team member who receives it is based on workload. Once the auditing process is complete, the team member inputs into the accounting system for payment.
1) Explain why you picked that process.
I chose to highlight this because it is a process but not an effective one. It does not help us ensure that BOD receives only the benefits they can have. The data tracking for benefits is not accurately captured and does not satisfy the organization's goal to ensure they are not overpayment of benefits (Business Processes, n.d., p.1 para. 1-2). Lastly, the turnaround time to process the expenses is three days. Due to the volume, it has led to benefits not being entered into the spreadsheet.
2) Explain the steps you might take to analyze how to improve the process.
Look at how the BOD reimbursements are distributed amongst the team. Determine comfortability with Excel amongst team members. Lastly, take a hard look to determine if Excel is the most efficient solution based on the need for accuracy, the volume of input, and the number of people who use the spreadsheet.
3) Who should be involved with you?
The people who should be involved are our manager, the team responsible for auditing and updating the spreadsheet, accounting, and the IT manager familiar with the organization's platforms.
4) What are some of the questions you should ask about the current process?
Is there quality control being used to ensure the benefits are correctly captured? Are the BOD receiving more or fewer reimbursements due to the process being used? What measurement is being used to determine if we are reaching our goal?
5) How will you know if the process was actually improved?
A business process management (BPM) should be established to determine the plan moving forward. Currently, there is no documented process outlining the process specifically. This should be done, and no real training and communication of the process (Business Processes, n.d., p. 5, para. 1). One way to gauge improvement would be for everyone to use the same process. Each individual doing things their own way is one of the most significant issues. Consistency will minimize errors leading to higher rates of accuracy.
Reference:
University of Maryland Global Campus. (n.d.). Business Processes. Document posted in UMGC IFSM 300 6384 online classroom, archived at https://learn.umgc.edu