Striving to improve customer service and outreach, DLA Energy Europe and Africa hosted an Order Requestors Workshop at the Sembach U.S. Army Installation Conference Center in Germany earlier this year.
The workshop was the first of its kind for the region and included representatives from military bases and installations from all across Europe and Africa.
“We saw a need for the forum and seized the opportunity to bring all customer service agents together in an effort to review basic day-to-day fuel-ordering practices using the Enterprise External Business Portal for both capitalized and non-capitalized locations,” said Sammy Sobah II, DLA Energy Europe and Africa lead customer account specialist.
DLA Energy Europe & Africa Commander Army Lt. Col. Dennis Williams opened with an overview of the mission and its impact on the Warfighters’ global footprint. Next, Sobah presented an in-depth presentation covering the step-by-step “Order-To-Cash” processes from establishment of a requirement to the closing of purchase orders.
The workshop also informed the customers about changes surrounding Post, Camps and Stations Contracts Order Lead Times and the roles and responsibilities of the Contracting Officer’s Representatives as well as provided them with current points of contact for auditability management, customer accounts specialists, inventory management specialists, contracting officers and contracting officers representatives for DLA Energy region. DLA Energy Europe and Africa Auditability Chief Keith Embree, Contracting Officer Mark Palombo, Contracting Specialist Samuel Bekele and Contracting Officer Representative Jacquette Kaye Carter also provided educational briefs.
During the workshop, customers were reminded of the role of the Independent Public Audit Team, the Site Assisted Visit annual schedule and what to expect in the event their sites are chosen for an IPA visit.
“Everyone across the Department of Defense spectrum plays a role in audit readiness,” Embree said. “Maintaining proper documentation and evidentiary material ensures that every dollar spent is tracked and accounted for from cradle to grave.”
DLA Energy Europe and Africa conducts recurring “Staff Assistance Visits” annually throughout the region, and plans to host such workshops every year to keep customers abreast of policy changes, share best practices and address customers’ concerns, Sobah said.
In closing, Williams thanked the customers for attending and praised the presenters and staff for making the event possible.