IT support may soon be a 'click' away

  • Published
  • By Mike Molina
  • Editor
DENVER --  When employees at the Air Reserve Personnel Center here need software, computer equipment or other information technology support and services, they have to fill out an Air Force Form 3215, get the necessary signatures, and hand-deliver the form to an acquisitions specialist in the directorate of communications and information. From there, the paper stack grows with copies of the form made for tracking, filing and distribution to various officials who will meet, discuss, validate and prioritize the request. 

The process can be a cumbersome one, all while the customer waits with no idea when the request may be filled. 

Thanks to an Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century initiative at ARPC, employees in need of IT support may soon be able to submit and follow requests online. 

"Hard copies can be difficult to track and more expensive," said Capt. Paul Hubenthal, AFSO 21 event facilitator. "Electronic requests provide a centralized location where they can be distributed, processed and tracked." 

The event team looked at the current way an employee requests IT support with hard copies and hand-deliveries, and sought to speed up the process by having requests made online using the Cyberspace Infrastructure Planning System, or CIPS, an Air Force program used for communications and infrastructure requirements. 

The ultimate goal is to fulfill the customer's request, said Mike McPherson, acquisitions officer at ARPC and team lead for the rapid improvement event held April 28 - May 1. 

"We're looking to reduce the time from when we receive the request to when the customers get the support they need," Mr. McPherson said. 

Another improvement is the development of a customer service survey.

"There should be a lot less back and forth," said Tech. Sgt. Jesse Fields, event team member. "Right now, if the form is not filled out properly it goes back to the customer and nothing is done until it's corrected. With (CIPS) users can only submit a request when all the information is complete." 

The customer service survey will give customers an opportunity to offer feedback and assist SC in improving their level of service, said Liz Richards, who was also part of the AFSO 21 event.

"The valuable information gathered from these surveys will be used to make further improvements to the process and create a win-win situation for the customer and their SC service provider," Ms. Richards said.