Kadena Finance Office transforming to better serve customers Published Feb. 2, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Angelique Perez 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- By harnessing the power of web-based applications, the 18th Comptroller Squadron is beginning a transformation that will provide Airmen with better customer service and save the Air Force more than $200 million. This financial transformation has already been implemented in many Air Force commands, and the 18th Comptroller Squadron is projecting the transition here to take place soon. In the future, instead of being input locally, travel voucher processing will be done at the Central Processing Center at the Air Force Financial Services Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. "This will allow customer service technicians the additional time to ensure a perfect voucher is being sent, the first time, to the CPC for processing," said 1st Lt. Joshua Iachini, deputy financial services officer for the 18th Comptroller Squadron. The transformation will begin Feb. 27, when the first travel vouchers are sent to the CPC. The Kadena Finance Office will also send military pay documents for centralized processing in the future. "As professional comptrollers, we understand how critical it is to get this right," said Lt. Col. Trevor Matsuo, 18th Comptroller Squadron commander. "Paying Air Force personnel accurately and promptly will keep them focused on the job and reduce life stressors. We can no longer afford to operate the way we have in the past. So this transformation is vital." After the switch-over, most hand-written finance documents will no longer be accepted. Customers will be required to use Comptroller Assisted Self-Help Forms Lite to ensure the documents are legible when they are electronically sent to the AFFSC. The CASH program utilizes a "Turbo Tax"-like wizard to walk customers through the process of filling out forms. Customers can expect their travel vouchers to be paid in a timely fashion, said finance officials. Currently, the CPC is computing and paying travel vouchers in about 10 to 15 days. Since the travel vouchers will be processed in one central location, Airmen will be able to access pay and travel information at any base around the globe. In the future, there will also be a 24-hour contact center where Airmen can contact a representative by phone, email, or internet anytime to check on their vouchers. "I believe that the transformation is not only going to be revolutionary for the finance career field, but will have a positive impact on Airmen Air Force-wide," said Lieutenant Iachini. The goal of the AFFSC is to serve as a one-stop shop for Airmen's financial needs. There will still be a local customer service function at Kadena, but travel and military pay documents will not be processed here. The transformation will allow finance Airmen to specialize in customer service and auditing vouchers at the base level before they are sent to the CPC. "The Kadena Financial Services' focus will shift from a processing center with a customer service function to a customer service center with some processing functions," said Colonel Matsuo. "Shogun Comptrollers continue to strive for high standards of financial excellence and this will help us get there." The transformation will also increase the mission readiness of the Air Force's largest combat wing by enabling customers to spend less time waiting in the lobby and more time on the job.