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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – A product developed in ancient China has affected Air Force recruits and trainees ever since the service’s birth; however, Air Education and Training Command is looking to shred that product.
An initiative has begun that is determined to eliminate ton after ton of paper from in-processing procedures while improving the recruit’s experience in joining the Air Force.
“The focus of the Paperless Accessions Process Initiative is to establish a paperless accession process allowing for data and forms to flow smoothly from initial applicant contact to final entry into an Airman’s initial personnel record,” said Lt. Col. Mitchell Dixon, paperless initiative team leader. “The ultimate goal of the PAPI is to reduce the cost and man-hours of bringing in a new Airman across the accession organizations.”
Developed centuries ago in China, paper revolutionized human history from being able to record historical events to passing down family stories. Air Force recruits headed to training have always shown up with a stack of paper, bundled in the iconic manila envelope, detailing their lives and perspective careers down to the smallest detail.
“Current governing Department of Defense and Air Force instructions require more than 100 pieces of paper per recruit package in order to process through basic military training,” Dixon said. “With approximately 700 applicants per week, that would equate to about 3.4 million pieces of paper per year.
“That paper is currently hand-carried through multiple offices at BMT as the recruit in-processes. Afterwards, the documents are mailed or driven in crates to Air Force Personnel Center where the forms are then re-scanned and shredded.” Dixon said saving that amount of paper would constitute a 97 percent reduction in paper from the old process.
In addition to saving paper, the switch to a digital experience is estimated to save time and man-hours as well.
“Projected savings in time range from 50 to 100 percent depending on the area,” Dixon stated. “These areas include time with recruiting, military entrance processing stations, BMT, 2nd Air Force’s detachment 1 and AFPC.”
According to Dixon, the problem was identified between a MEPS and an Air Force recruiting squadron commander. The MEPS commander said it took 4 times longer to process an Air Force applicant versus any other sister service applicant due to the amount of Air Force paperwork.
“Every service is at different points in their paperless initiatives with the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps leading the way,” Dixon said. “Army recruits currently carry five pieces of paper to basic training; Marines carry paper orders and an identification card.”
“We are looking at implementing fingerprint scanners and electronic signature pads which will be used for identification and signature capture,” he continued. “In time, a trainee should be able to electronically sign every form required and only carry his or her medical records and luggage to BMT.”
The MEPS and AFRS commander’s conversation led to a continuous process improvement event held in April 2016. CPI facilitator Matthew Jackson said the implementation will take time to be fully implemented.
“This monumental task will require a ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach as we refine requirements, roles, interfaces, software changes and hardware implementation,” Jackson said. “This phased-in approach will see some of the efficiencies overcome in real time while others will take longer to achieve.”
Jackson said there have already been changes made to the process which came directly from the CPI event.
“From the CPI event, we commissioned two teams that are developing requirements and implementing technology necessary to achieve the paperless accessions process,” Jackson said. “During the initial ‘current state’ mapping process of the many accession stakeholders that handle trainee’s paperwork, the team uncovered layers upon layers of antiquated processes and inefficiencies. This led to the opportunity for quick wins where we’ve already eliminated one package of paper.”
Although a date for total implementation has yet to be set, the First Command is determined and committed to bring the accession process into the digital age. Airpower starts in AETC; innovation fuels its future.
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2016 13:22 |
| Story ID: | 212278 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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