RAF MILDENHALL, UNITED KINGDOM -- RAF MILDENHALL, UNITED KINGDOM -- The 927th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Section presented an innovative way to streamline customer requests to members of the 100th Force Support Squadron stationed at Mildenhall May 8.
Citizen Airmen from the MPS were afforded the unique opportunity to teach members of the 100th FSS about a Sharepoint program that ensures members will be able to assist customers more efficiently.
“One of the goals we have whenever we travel anywhere for annual tour is to get better and train, however this time our Airmen were able to teach,” said Senior Master Sgt. Kathy McNeil, 927th FSS superintendent. “When they’re able to teach someone about processes they use, that shows us that they are developing and learning what we teach them.”
The Sharepoint program, which empowers wing members with the tools to efficiently initiate personnel actions, was introduced to knowledge managers almost two years ago at the 512th Force Support Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
“The program was introduced to us by the Airmen at Dover Air Force Base,” said Master Sgt. Bemelis Bonano-Branch, 927th FSS knowledge manager. “They explained to us how it saved them a lot of time by using an automated process rather than having large numbers of people calling frequently and walking into the office.”
“The process really intrigued us and when we implemented this new process it gave our Airmen a chance to help large numbers of people in a more efficient manner,” she added.
With the introduction of the Sharepoint page, the men and women of the 100th FSS personnel section were elated to find a new process existed that could help streamline customer service.
“With the amount of customers we have to support not only on this base, but with other geographically separated units around the England peninsula, this program will really benefit us going forward,” said Master Sgt. Prentice McAfee, 100th FSS MPS superintendent. “We will be able to cut down on all the foot traffic we have here and commanders will be able to get more information regarding their members much faster, but one of the biggest things it will provide is the Airmen will get more time to dedicate to learning their craft.”
Since implementing the new process, Airmen assigned to the 927th FSS MPS have noticed a reduction in the amount of time it takes to process customer requests.
“Before we made the change, our inboxes used to be completely maxed out with questions about re-enlistments or something to that effect,” said Senior Airman Brianna Sands, 927th FSS customer service technician. “Now that we’ve made the change, we have seen dramatic decreases in emails, calls, and people coming into the office with questions. This program has allowed for the members to have more information at the tip of their fingers and allows for us to organize information easier and conduct more time to training and focusing on other aspects of our job.”