Army Business Initiative Council approves latest round of initiatives.

The Army Business Initiative Council in November approved its ninth round of initiatives for Army implementation or submission to the Department of Defense. The seven initiatives included the following--

* Assess the processes that affect the design of parts and components for integration into performance-based logistics. The goal is to improve the reliability and availability of systems and subsystems by improving the performance of components and parts.

* Conduct a pilot project for delivering electrical power at four to six installations using strategic partnerships with commercial vendors. The vendors would install, own, operate, and maintain power-generation facilities at the installations and provide power at rates significantly below the prevailing market rates most installations now pay.

* Create an interface for Army Knowledge Online (AKO) with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). This will make the DEERS database the single definitive source for authenticating AKO users and supplying them with basic entitlements and benefit information.

* Establish a single sign-on capability under AKO so users can access personal Defense Finance and Accounting Service and TRICARE information without using multiple passwords and identifications.

* Develop a prototype that links existing manpower, personnel, and budget databases and tools to better align personnel with authorized manpower end strength and work-year authorizations as adjusted by major Army commands or installations.

* Develop a means for neighboring installations, including non-Army installations, to collaborate in such areas as pooling resources and cooperating on regional issues.

* Combine all family support offices at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, into a single office to eliminate duplication, increase efficiency, and provide customers with a single point of entry. The installation currently has three family support offices serving its three main activities: the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard; the 927th Air Refueling Wing, Air Force Reserve; and the U.S. Garrison-Michigan Army Community Service.

Since its creation in 2001, the Army Business Initiative Council has approved 122 initiatives. The council's mission is "to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Army's business operations by identifying, evaluating, and implementing business initiatives that streamline Department of the Army business operations and create savings."