PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii –
The DLA Distribution Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Audit Readiness team has been awarded the DLA Distribution Mission Impact Award for fourth quarter fiscal year 2015.
The 10-member team, comprised of Inventory Action Team and Quality Assurance Evaluator personnel, includes Sandra Fujii, Joan Koyanagi, Betty Geronimo, Carlos Morales Figueroa, James Weber, Jesse Wilson, Ronel Catbagan, Teresa Ching-Sanchez, Celerina Godoy, and SMSgt Christopher Bailey.
According to the distribution center’s deputy commander, Thomas Dillon, individually the team performed critical staff functions, but together they formed a dynamic team that propelled DLA Distribution Pearl Harbor through the DoD IG audit.
Not satisfied with DLA Distribution Pearl Harbor’s 97 percent inventory accuracy rate and knowing that Department of Defense Inspector General auditors would arrive within 30 days, the team developed a partnership to identify and focus efforts on “high risk” areas. Combining efforts, they quickly identified indicators such as large counts, National Stock Numbers with reoccurring adjustments, multiple NSNs in the same location, and work centers with multiple failed audit tests.
Analyzing over 91,000 past inventories and 123,000 locations across nine warehouses, the team targeted 5 percent for validation. Within a two-week period, the team dedicated 160 hours to executing over 300 floor-to-book inventories, identifying and correcting over 3,400 loose issue labels, and re-warehousing over 170 bulk NSNs. These efforts led to a Chief Financial Officer Inventory rate of 100 percent for August 2015 and were critical to DLA Distribution Pearl Harbor’s superior performance during the July DoD IG audit.
Identifying a disparity between Quality Assurance Evaluator and Supervisor Quality Control checks, the team provided onsite Job Breakdown Sheet training to 16 warehouse personnel. Additionally, they increased the monthly sampling requirement from 45 to 200 samples resulting in a “Pass” in the Floor-to-Book and Book-to-Floor components of the DoD IG audit.
During the audit, the team took the lead for Evidential Matter, which is the paper and/or electronic trail auditors follow to verify the Agency’s numbers. “Their teamwork and knowledge of Electronic Document Management Software proved invaluable as the team extracted 45 Evidential Matter documents in five hours, an astonishing 43 hours ahead of the deadline,” said Dillon.
Future-focused, the team incorporated their trending and analysis research in the development of the FY 2016 inventory schedule. According to Dillon, extracting data from 34,000 line items worth over $202 million dollars, the team’s schedule is not only paramount to a successful Independent Public Accountant inspection but directly supports Pacific Command’s 1,600 aircraft, 200 ships, and 360,000 warfighters.
“The Audit Readiness Team’s performance is extraordinary. This multifunctional team, a combination of technical expertise and strategic thinkers, understands the commander’s intent and executes without fail,” said Dillon.