Deams Project

Requirements for DEAMS Enterprise Architectural Plan

Section A: What are the major challenges to the DEAMS project in the area of Enterprise System Architectural planning?

I. Motivation/Rationale

The Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System (DEAMS) is a crucial part of the Business Management Modernization Program started by the Department of Defense. The purpose of the BMMP is to overhaul business and financial processes and systems in order to improve combat support for the Warfighter. DEAMS will accomplish this by providing the Warfighter with accurate, updated, and reliable financial information that will enable efficient and effective decision-making for the Department of Defense. DEAMS will improve upon outdated processes and systems that are used for funds billing and accounting operations.

II. Characteristics

DEAMS will provide a single solution that:

o Provides reliable, accurate, and timely financial data for decision makers

o Provides standardized business rules, processes, and information

o Provides for one integrated system to process and record all budgetary, accounting and vendor pay transactions

o Captures and validates information once and uses it across the enterprise

o Meets the requirements of the BMMP architecture

In addition, the future architecture will consist of more efficient processes. For example:

o The requirement for paper forms will be reduced. The user who initiates a business event will enter transactions directly into the system. This will also eliminate the need for data entry based on paper form

o All data will be validated at the point of entry into the system

o Funds availability will be checked and reserved automatically for all appropriations

o Budgets authority will be distributed to the lowest level of management possible. Once distributed, management of budgeted dollars will be the responsibility of the operational organization

o Electronic transactions will be routed by the system to the appropriate users for online approvals thereby satisfying internal control requirements

o Authorized users will have the ability to query the system directly rather than to wait for reports to be generated

o Control of accounting policy and guidance will be handled centrally rather than being distributed

o Entering transactions into the system at the point of the business event will reduce the need to create a paper form and thus will eliminate the need to key these transactions into the system

o Automated budget verification, commitment and obligation eliminates the need for manual funds verification for each transaction

o Edit of transactions at the point of the business event will require field level personnel to be properly trained regarding initial data requirements and correction when transactions are rejected

C) List the items that you may suggest to DEAMS project team when establishing a transformation and transition plan in Deams Project.

The 6 primary legacy systems in the Deams Project are:

1. The Automated Business Services System (ABSS)

2. The General Accounting and Finance System (GAFS)

3. The Integrated Accounts Payable System (IAPS)

4. The Airlift Services Industrial Fund Integrated Computer System (ASIFICS)

5. The Military Sea Lift Commands Financial Management System (MSC-FMS)

6. The Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) Transportation Financial Management System (TFMS)

There are several problems with the current setup: Current users spend a significant amount of their valuable time processing transactions and reconciling data via ancient, as well as expensive to support systems with much redundant data or processes.

The Future of DEAMS: The future of DEAMS is to consolidate the legacy systems with the creation of additional business functionality into a single, modern commercial off the shelf (COTS) and standard DoD business