DOINews: Indian Affairs Goes Live with FBMS

This collage features some of those in Indian Affairs who have shown their commitment toward FBMS throughout the deployment. (From top, left to right: Michael Sciortino (FBMS lead) at IA's Albuquerque FBMS Road Show; Rocky Mountain planning session; Albuquerque Road Show audience; Stanley Speaks kicking off the Road Show; Northwest Regional Office celebrating the end of FFS; and FBMS logo.)

On Nov. 5, 2012, after 18 months of deployment preparations, the Financial and Business Management System went live at Indian Affairs (Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education). FBMS is one of the largest information technology system deployment projects currently underway in the federal government and the largest ever to be undertaken by the Department of the Interior and IA. IA's FBMS deployment is the seventh of eight DOI FBMS deployments.

Many of us may look at FBMS as a large IT system that simply manages the inner workings of the department. But FBMS is much more than that. At IA, FBMS will help us serve our 566 tribes and native communities better than ever before, a community of more than 1.9 million American Indian and Alaska Natives. Whether is it ensuring 42,000 children receive their school books and supplies on time or that the roads and bridges across 55 million acres of land are safe and regularly maintained, FBMS is a “people focused initiative” that will help IA more efficiently and effectively meet mission requirements.

IA's successful on-time launch of FBMS was made possible by IA employees who recognized the importance of change and came together to overcome complex — sometimes daunting — business challenges. More than 300 IA employees, including supervisors and managers, subject-matter experts and representatives of IA programs, offices, and regions, from across the country worked tirelessly, including many nights and weekends, to ensure IA business requirements were incorporated into the new system. This article contains a collage of just some of those in IA who have shown their commitment toward FBMS throughout the deployment.

There is still a lot to be done over the weeks and months ahead, but the significance of this milestone should not be understated. On behalf of the department, we send a big thank you to everyone at IA for helping make FBMS a success.

By: FBMS Team, Indian Affairs
Jan. 25, 2013

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