Defense Technology International - April 2008 - (Page 43) THE NET PETER A. BUXBAUM pense and leave policies that grew up among the armed services over Militaries constantly seek cost ects ever. But a close look reveals 20 years. “A Royal Marine gunner savings. Reducing paperwork is a that the implementation could have could be manning a trench alongprime target. But sometimes the been done better and many prob- side a Royal Artillery soldier and they may be on completely differsystems that achieve this create lems could have been avoided. “By last August, 99.9% of the mil- ent pay and allowance structures,” more problems than they solve, due to the sheer size and complexity of itary were receiving accurate pay,” he explains. says Georgina O’Toole, an analyst at The pay policies were being haroperations. The U.K. Defense Ministry learned Ovum. “The benefits of self-service, monized during the JPA implementhis the hard way when it rolled out particularly in relation to arranging tation. “When we first rolled it out, we the Joint Personnel Administration leave and claiming expenses, have (JPA) system, an Intranet-based, been clear. The financial savings felt it was important to stick to the timelines,” Crozier says. “We probself-service payroll and personnel speak for themselves.” records program, which was beset But don’t tell that to service per- ably would have run a greater risk with problems from the start. sonnel who waited months to get if we had overrun the time and JPA was developed by the De- their finances straight. “It took stopped the momentum within the project. It is fair to say fense Ministry and EDS of that some of the business Plano Tex., for £269 milprocesses supporting the lion ($534 million). The JPA system were not maprojected savings with the system are estimated ture at that stage.” at £100 million per year. That’s no small matter, JPA was rolled out on considering that JPA consists of as many as 50 aptime and on budget in plications, two of which April 2006 to the Royal are regarded as “big” Air Force, in November and 20 as “significant,” 2006 to the Royal Navy according to O’Toole. and in June 2007 to the The system was cumBritish Army. Based on bersome to use at first. “It Oracle’s Human Resource uses different language Management System, it from what we were used eliminates over 40 paperto,” says Crozier. “It is not based functions and procomplex but neither is it cesses more than 1.6 milintuitive.” lion pay, personnel and Ovum’s explanation pension records. for some problems points So far, so good. But then to possible technolthe problems began. Underpayments, over- Members of the British 3rd Bn. Parachute Regt. on ogy issues. “The Oracle payments and other ir- patrol in Afghanistan. Snafus in a new automated package met most of the services’ needs,” O’Toole regularities were reported, payroll system created delays in hazardous-duty says, but “configuration along with the failure of pay and other allotments. and extensions to the the defense bureaucracy to resolve them. On Jan. 21, an me six months to get my February core package were necessary to RAF officer won a court judgment [2007] pay and that was despite di- meet specific requirements such as against the Defense Ministry for rect-phoning the JPA help line and rank recognition, promotion, boardback pay totaling £3,315 that was being told a supervisor would phone ing, special allowances and regular incorrectly withheld by JPA. Tax-free me back in 10 days with an answer,” changes to place of work.” duty bonuses of £2,300 have been one service member complained in A significant amount of software delayed to veterans of Iraq and Af- an online message board last De- customization was likely necessary. cember. “Never did get a phone call. Large system implementations that ghanistan. The Defense Ministry acknowl- Got the money when I told them my require major custom software proedges that JPA experienced “teeth- [member of Parliament] was taking grams are known to be quirky. The JPA system now appears to be ing pain,” but maintains the issues the matter up.” The Defense Ministry adopted on track, or nearly so. The problems are resolved—a claim backed up by Ovum, an independent London- JPA to replace aging and obsoles- with its implementation underline cent human resources systems run that, when phasing in a system of based tech analyst. If so, the Defense Ministry has separately by the armed services, this magnitude, testing, training and planning for errors are as vital pulled off one of the largest and spokesman David Crozier says. Crozier blames discrepancies on as meeting delivery schedules and most complex outsourcing and technology transformation proj- the complexity of pay and on ex- budget targets. I U.K. DEFENSE MINISTRY PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH AviationWeek.com/dti APRIL 2008 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 43 http://AviationWeek.com/dti
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