AF changes affect Moody finance services Published Sept. 17, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Spencer Gallien Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- In the next few years the 23rd Comptroller Squadron will change how they do business in an effort to better accommodate Team Moody's needs. The Air Force Financial Services Center opened its doors Sept. 14 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., in an effort to consolidate routine transactions currently handled by 93 base finance offices worldwide into a single location. During the first phase of the transformation, AAFSC will take over "back shop" processes; these are typically travel vouchers, pay request and allotments. The physical transfer of processes to the AAFSC will begin late Nov. 2007, said Master Sgt. Dyrell Reeves, 23rd CPTS, chief of financial services. During phase one, the 23rd CPTS will reduce their manning from 39 to 22 positions. However, the transformation will have a larger impact in Oct. 2008, when the office will begin to cut deeper into manning, said Maj. Michael Bennett, 23rd CPTS commander. The final result will leave the squadron with only five positions by 2010. "There will be changes in our career field, which will impact the local base population," said Major Bennett. "We are completely changing the way we do business; going from a customer oriented base-level service to primarily an online service." The second phase of the transformation to AAFSC is when Airmen will notice changes. Beginning in Oct. 2008 the AAFSC will have a 24-hour contact center where Airmen with financial needs can contact a representative by telephone, e-mail or the internet. In late 2008, the 23rd CPTS will all but cease performing face-to-face interaction, said Major Bennett. At this time call centers will be available for inquiries concerning customer support, problem solving and troubleshooting. The call centers will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing round the clock capabilities. "When people come to the counter for customer service and we advise them to go online, we aren't trying to push them away," said the major. "It is an effort to posture them for the environment that is going to exist shortly. There will still be issues they need to come and see us for, but the vast majority of complications can be taken care of online. "Through all of the transformation process, our goal is to continue to provide outstanding customer service to Airmen assigned to Moody AFB," added the major. The CPTS will continue to educate customers of the automated tools available to them for their use which will take care of their financial needs and prevent an unnecessary trip to the office, said Sergeant Reeves. The transformation might seem like a drastic change in a short period of time, however the modifications are a necessary upgrade from an outdated system, said Major Bennett. "If you think about it, we are just catching up to where the private sector has been for years," he said. "A good analogy is that most of us have credit cards, but when is the last time one of us walked into a credit card office to check a bill, ask a question or request an inquiry." "I believe this is a major benefit; the fact that we are only open during duty hours can cause a hassle to our customers," said Maj. Bennett. "There may be some bumps in the road, but that comes with any transformation on this level." Overall, the change will allow for the squadron to more effectively accomplish their mission, said Sergeant Reeves. Bottom line is the transformation will increase efficiencies and productivity while saving millions of dollars. (Staff Sgt. Monique Randolph, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, assisted with this story)