New Check-In Process In Yokosuka Set To Save Sailors Time
Story and photos by Dan Bowen, CFAY Public Affairs


Check-in/check-out desk Customer Service Clerk FC2 Lindy Catalina helps a customer, EMC (SW) Edward Beams, on the fourth deck of the Community Readiness Center June 10. A new check-in process was implemented June 7 for service members and their families checking aboard CFAY.

Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) has implemented a new check-in process that affects everyone checking on board including all of its tenant commands.
 
The new process streamlines the check-in process and will facilitate the smooth and timely transition of service members and their families into the community and their commands.

The new process is the result of a five-month-long lean six sigma project headed up by CFAY Commanding Officer Capt. Daniel Weed, who served as the black belt for the project, and Family Assistance Support Team Division Officer Lt. Jaclyn Fischer, who served as the project champion.

“We mapped out the process in its entirety for anyone who was coming aboard Fleet Activities Yokosuka,” said Morale, Welfare and Recreation Administration Officer Jason Symak, who served as one of the team members on the project. “One of the areas we found was that, initially, the check-in processes that existed were not unified or standardized. So, we had service members and families who were possibly going to other areas that they maybe didn’t even need to go check into. They were spending a lot of transportation time just going to other places where they really had no reason or purpose going to because it was an area that was not applicable to them.”

The new check-in procedure standardizes the process; it provides a chronological order to check in based on the needs of each individual. Once they arrive, newly reporting personnel must now go to the fourth deck of the Community Readiness Center and consult with one of the customer service clerks at the check-in, check-out desk. The clerks will note each individual’s particular circumstances and map out the correct path service and family members need to take in order to complete the process efficiently and effectively. The only parts of the process that are now mandated for everyone, whether single or married, are going to the Community Readiness Center, where check-in sheets are issued and individuals are signed up for AOB/ICR, and getting registered in DBIDS (Defense Biometrics Identification System).
 
“The other benefit to this project is that it is not just identifying where people need to check in, but it’s trying to do it systematically in a way that will allow that member and family to check in the most ‘concise’ way possible while covering all areas and allowing that service member to report to duty as soon as possible,” said Symak.

The extra time spent trying to get situated on the base proved to be not only stressful and counter-productive for incoming Sailors and their families, it also proved to be an inefficient use of command resources. The lean six sigma team looked at a number of areas to improve the efficiency of the process, especially the financial impact of having Sailors and families living in temporary quarters. “ As far as data, we looked at money specifically regarding temporary living allowance (TLA) and found that there was a cost of $1.3 million that was spent on TLA expenditures last year, the majority of that being from TLA extensions,” said Fischer.

However, even more important than the financial impact of the new process, the ability to integrate new families and service members into the community will help establish a more positive, effective and enjoyable experience for everyone checking on board the base.

“We measured time spent checking in and number of locations,” said Fischer. “We also looked at customer satisfaction, and found that on a scale from one to five, one being the worst and five the best, the average customer satisfaction score was 3.7, which left us with a lot of room for improvement.”

As with all new programs, there may be some angst towards doing something differently among Sailors who have never seen a standardized, base-wide check in process. But according to Fire Controlman 2nd Class Lindy Catalina, the new process will soon prove its worth to customers.

“A lot of people, honestly, say, ‘why do I have to do this,’ you know, ‘why I am I coming here,’” said Catalina. “I think in the end though, people will find the process really helpful and useful.”