Department of Navy foreign military sales Case Execution Performance Tool (CEPT) update: a tool to mine data and apply business rules to improve Case Execution. (Feature Articles).

The Case Execution Performance Tool (CEPT) is a new tool for Department of the Navy (DoN) foreign military sales (FMS) case, managers (CM) to assist them in the management of financial, logistics and closure data. It acts as a "warning system" when things go off track during the case lifecycle.

Data associated with FMS cases resides in a multitude of "official" accounting and financial systems, e.g., Management Information System for International Logistics (MISIL), Standard Accounting and Reporting System (STARS), Defense Integrated Financial System (DIFS), as well as in local databases, commonly referred to as "shoebox" records. All of the financial and logistics data in these systems must agree for the case to be placed in a closed status. This creates the need for multiple reconciliations to determine the true status of a case. While delivering the goods and services is of paramount importance, maintaining the data associated with these transactions is of equal importance if the case is to be closed out in a timely manner. Because of the effort involved with bringing the data into agreement, reconciliation is often put off until the FMS case materials and services are fully delivered. This delay causes an inefficient and cumbersome closure process. Also, case closure is one of the top prioritie s for the international customer. Failure to close cases in a timely manner ties up residual balances that could potentially be used for future sales.

To assist the case managers in effectively managing case data throughout the case lifecycle, the Navy International Programs Office (Navy IPO), with the assistance of the Navy Inventory Control Point (NAVICP), has continued development and implementation of the Case Execution Performance Tool (CEPT). The CEPT combines the data from these disparate systems and provides a view of the case all in one place thereby enabling the CM to ascertain the status of his/her case at any given point in time.

The CEPT is built on the financial, logistics and closure data resident in the information warehouse maintained by the NAVICP. Information warehouse is a repository for MISIL and STARS data. In the near future, DIFS data will also be available. CEPT takes this data and processes it against various business rules that indicate if the FMS case is on track from a logistics, financial and closure perspective. Violation of any one or a combination of rules will cause a case to be colored "red", indicating serious problems that need immediate action, "yellow", indicating less serious problems that require attention and possible action or "green", representing no business rule violations. The tool facilitates the generation of a multitude of reports providing insight into trends and the analysis of business processes and case management effectiveness. At the click of a mouse, Case Managers can view all of their cases and see where their limited resources would be best applied. Quick identification and problem resol ution improves FMS case management and provides better service to our customers.

The CEPT is fully web-enabled and accessible via the NAVICP-OF website. Its functionality as an effective tool has already been recognized as worthy of consideration for the Case Execution Management Information System (CEMIS), a tri-service case management system being developed under the direction of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

Navy IPO and NAVICP are currently in the process of training the Navy security assistance community along with our Defense Finance and Accounting System counterparts in preparation for formal implementation by Navy IPO in July 2002 with reporting starting in October 2002. By then, through effective use of its built-in warning system, CEPT will be a primary source for viewing, resolving and preventing data related problems. Implementation of CEPT and the enhanced focus on the integrity of case data, responds to one of our international customers' top priorities. Additionally we will gain the additional benefit of a more efficient use of our resources by converting the long closure process into an event.

Bibliography

The Navy Supply Corps Newsletter. November/December 2001.

About the Author

Geralyn Pero currently works on the Operations Staff of the Naval Inventory Control Point, International Programs Directorate. She has been with the directorate since October 1996. Prior to that, she spent thirteen years in Washington, D.C. with Strategic Systems Programs headquarters for the joint U.S. and U.K. Trident Weapon System program. She began her career with the Aviation Supply Office in Philadelphia. Geralyn has a B.S. from Penn State University and an M.B.A. from Virginia Tech.