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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

Electronic Document Management (EDM) is a comprehensive business process improvement initiative designed to facilitate the consolidation of DoD finance and accounting functions by improving accuracy and reducing costs of financial operations. EDM will reduce paper volume in the business centers and improve workflow management though automated gathering and routing systems. In addition, EDM will improve and expedite information accessibility by providing electronic foldering, distribution, cataloging, and maintenance of large paper volume. EDM will also deploy high capacity magnetic, optical, and video storage media and introduce automated indexing and retrieval of source documents. Finally, EDM will improve customer service through document sharing and online matching and viewing of documents and files. When combined with ongoing efforts to institute standard electronic forms, faxes, and e-mail, all documents will be converted to electronic form.

EDM is the aggregation of three technologies: (1) imaging; (2) electronic foldering; and (3) workflow. Imaging is converting paper documents and faxes to electronic form via high speed scanning devices. Electronic foldering is the logical grouping of electronic documents into an organized structure that is readily available for retrieval. For example, an electronic folder is a payment folder that includes the contract, invoice, and receiving report. In this example, the contract can be a scanned image, the invoice can be received as a standard EDI transaction, and the receiving report can be a standard electronic form from a base-level activity via e-mail. Workflow is the automation of existing business rules and procedures that define how information or work travels through an organization. EDM impacts Joint Vision 2010 indirectly through improved efficiency, accountability, and speed of financial transactions, which reduces costs and provides greater asset visibility for supporting focused logistics objectives.

The EDM program was instituted to support the DoD plan for consolidating more than 300 field offices into a small number of operating locations and centers. In addition, EDM intends to overcome the serious limitations of the existing paper-based system. Historically, the speed and accuracy of conducting financial operations in support of DoD goals has been inadequate. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service received funding in 1994 and awarded a contract in September of that year. EDM was placed on OSD oversight in January 1996.

The EDM acquisition strategy comprises three increments, each of which will be justified, designed, developed, tested and accepted individually. Each increment stands alone in terms of the business improvements and economics associated with the solution. The three increments are: (1) DFAS EDM core system and Vendor Pay applications; (2) Contract Pay for centrally managed contracts located at the DFAS Columbus Center; and (3) PAYROLL Services processing at the DFAS Cleveland Center. The core increment will form the technical architecture for future development of EDM solutions and allow deployment to operating locations. Contract Pay will expand the hardware/software specifications, the user base, and add workflows to address unique requirements of contract pay. Payroll Services will modify the system to address unique workflow requirements in the legal review of garnishment actions and other payroll services.

Increment 1 IOT&E was conducted at the Omaha operating location from May 28-June 5, 1997, in compliance with the TEMP approved by DOT&E on May 23, 1997. IOT&E was extremely successful. All five COIs (capability, compatibility, dependability, usability, and vulnerability) were met and all testable measures of performance were met. Increment 2 will be developed in two releases. Systems integration testing and user acceptance test for Release 1 of Increment 2 was completed in April 1997 with very favorable results.

Stress testing and Y2K compliance testing were conducted on Release 1 of Increment 2 at the test site in Columbus. System integration testing was completed on Release 2 of Increment 2 in December 1997, and a user acceptance test was completed in August 1998. FOT&E of EDM Increment 2 will take place in 1QFY99.

For Release 1 of Increment 2, stress testing passed for 322 users, while the requirement is for 400 users. Y2K testing passed with only a few exceptions in the areas of forms receipt, balance spreadsheet, and workflow report. The deficiencies are being corrected and retested. For Release 2 of Increment 2, the OTA, Joint Interoperability Test Command, completed an OA in August, based on witnessing portions of the user acceptance testing. An FOT&E for Increment 2, including both Releases 1 and 2, is scheduled for 1QFY99.