AMC Insights Forum 1: Transforming Finance and Personnel Data for the Defense Health Program
The Defense Health Program (DHP) has long faced the daunting task of managing health care delivery across hundreds of military treatment facilities (MTFs) around the world. Historically, this process has been bogged down by inefficient, manual data management systems, most notably the over-reliance on Excel spreadsheets. In Episode 1 of the AMC Insights Forum, Mike Emerson and Megan Maxwell from the DHP join Andrew Morgan Consulting’s President Mike Sheedy to discuss how the agency is transforming its approach to data management through automation.
The Challenge: Lack of Central Data System
For decades, the DHP relied on disconnected Excel spreadsheets to manage financial and operational data. Key challenges included:
- Inefficiency: Over 150 to 200 Excel documents were used, with staff spending more time managing spreadsheets than analyzing data.
- Error Prone: Broken links in spreadsheets could result in hours or weeks of troubleshooting.
- Limited Data Visibility: Aggregated data made it difficult to provide precise information on budget allocations or manpower distribution.
- Resource Intensive: Responding to basic questions regarding budget or manpower required sifting through multiple spreadsheets, often with incomplete results.
- Accurate Manpower documentation: Difficulty blending Army, Navy, and Air Force manpower data into a unified joint table of distribution.
- Efficiency: The persistent struggle to blend these documents has had a notable impact on the overall efficiency of manpower management.
- Resource Allocation: Properly aligning resources to meet the diverse needs of health care delivery and military readiness remains a complex and ongoing challenge.
The Solution: Automation through OneStream
Recognizing the need for a more efficient system, the DHP began exploring enterprise performance management (EPM) tools that could automate and centralize its data management processes. The agency eventually adopted OneStream, a platform that integrates financial, operational, and manpower data into a single system. Here are some key benefits observed:
- Streamlined Integration: OneStream blends Army, Navy, and Air Force manpower documents into a unified system.
- Enhanced Visibility: The agency can now view manpower needs across the entire organization.
- Resource Alignment: Ensures resources are aligned with both healthcare delivery and military readiness.
- Comprehensive Visibility: The agency has gained comprehensive visibility over manpower needs across the entire organization.
- Effective Resource Alignment: Resources are now effectively aligned with both health care delivery and military readiness.
The Impact: Increased Efficiency and Job Satisfaction
The automation of manpower and financial management processes at the DHP has resulted in several significant benefits:
- Improved Efficiency: One of the most immediate benefits has been the improvement in efficiency. Emerson notes that what once took weeks to accomplish can now be done in minutes.
- Enhanced Job Satisfaction: This increased efficiency has not only freed up time for analysts to focus on higher-level tasks but has also improved job satisfaction. “Our analysts are now able to do real analysis rather than just managing Excel workbooks,” Emerson says.
- Proactive Staffing Management: According to Maxwell, automation has also enabled the DHP to better manage staffing shortages. By integrating HR, financial and operational data, the agency can forecast and address potential gaps before they affect health care delivery.
These points highlight the transformative impact of automation on the DHP’s operations and its positive effects on both efficiency and employee morale.
