'The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, un-learn and re-learn.'
Alvin Toffler, Writer
Introduction
What can we do as an organisation to both simplify our work processes and allow more time for training? The basic answer is to cut the administrative fluff. Luckily for the modern Australian soldier, technology has made that easier than ever. So why are we still wasting hours on administrative tasks that should be taking minutes?
It would seem that some parts of the Army are forgetting to un-learn before re-learning. Imagine a new highway built to make travel from A to B to C to D a straightforward journey. No tolls, no holdups, just time saving. Now imagine the old winding road required multiple stops, u- turns and deviations. If the aim is a fast, easy journey, logic would say stick to the highway. Yet in the Australian Army of 2020, units are still requiring personnel to not only drive that old road but the new highway as well.
The evolving digitisation of administrative processes to online should have drastically reduced the time spent completing administration; however, individual units within Army are complicating the system by holding on to outdated procedures.
Background
Let’s use the example of applying for own means travel to self-drive to an interstate course at Unit A, a unit I was previously posted to. Unit A’s requirement is an admin coversheet, a minute requesting to drive to course, an annexed route card detailing the proposed journey and a completed AE505 Travel Request Form. This paperwork is then combined into one document in Adobe Pro before commencing the approval process through the chain of command.
However, the existing webform has rendered this convoluted process redundant as all the information covered in the supplementary documents can be found in the webform.
According to the travel request form guide [1], the AE505 Travel Request Form was created to replace a number of now obsolete webforms. The form enables the Applicant or Authorised Representative and Approving Authority (Manager/Supervisor/Delegate) to be responsible for the information supplied in the form and all approvals given.
Case Study
PTE J Doe is posted to Unit A and is submitting a travel request to drive to an interstate course. PTE Doe edits a previously saved minute to request the self-drive, submits leave for the extra days it will take to drive, completes a travel request form and, finally, Google searches a directions route card. This process took PTE Doe two hours to complete.
PTE Doe emails the documents to their section commander, CPL S Brown, who looks over the paperwork and identifies errors in both the minute and the travel request form. The admin coversheet PTE Doe submitted was from the previous year and also requires updating. PTE Doe fixes the identified errors and resubmits. CPL Brown rechecks the paperwork and then forwards it onto the Admin SGT. This process took a total of one and a half working hours to complete.
The Admin SGT reviews the paperwork and identifies the digital signature does not match the dated signature on the minute. The SGT sends the paperwork back to PTE Doe to fix the error and resubmit. The SGT then portfolios the paperwork and sends it to the Platoon Commander. The Platoon Commander checks the paperwork and forwards it on. This process took one working hour to complete.
Therefore, for a PTE soldier to submit a travel request form, it has cost the platoon a total of four and a half working hours. The paperwork still needs to be processed through HQ and external units, eating up additional man hours.
The Problem
In this case study, unnecessary paperwork caused excess work for all levels of the chain of command. The information supplied in the minute and the distances and locations provided on the route card were all listed in sections on the travel request form. The paperwork was completed simply because that was the way things were done in the past.
Recommendations
To simplify our work processes, it is recommended Army units use the digital forms that are available and remove the requirement to attach unneeded documents. The time saved can be better spent training. It is time to get off that old road and use the highway for what it is designed for.
I will be the first to agree that many systems within Army, Defence and our supporting agencies need a refresh. There are many advocates for these changes to occur however, not everyone is receptive to change. There are those amongst our ranks who decry the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" at every opportunity. In my time as a clerk (and yes, I am one of the advocates for simplifying and updating our procedures) I have even heard responses from some who are in the administrative chain, and have been shown a better way, that they just won't change the way they do things.
It is hard to proliferate change and understanding in the face of sheer stubbornness.
And while I am an advocate for digitisation, I also remain concerned for the future of the administrators who provide advice to individuals in their entitlements, and counsel so a member does not "inadvertently" commit a fraudulent act. As more and more processes become digitised and the workflow moves directly from the requesting member to the delegate and then the processing agency, how does the member confirm they are completing the process correctly? Is the delegate aware of any other policies that may assist that member?
As we digitise these processes, there is less "need" for clerks. Over time there are less clerks in units.
Who is going to give that advice on administrative procedures when there are no clerks in units?
Think of how that clerk could have assisted you through the process (or completed on your behalf) if you were unable to get to a computer. Good luck getting your AE505 drafted and sent when you are notified that you will be going on a course the week after you get home from your current bush trip…
The final issue here, and I admit that this contravenes my above support of digitisation, is the complementary reasons for completing all of those additional things when submitting that form.
The covering minute completed by the member servers a couple of purposes. The member gets exposed to administrative processes and Defence writing where they may not actually get exposed to that prior to going on Subject course or being promoted at which time they are expected to be able to produce minutes, briefs etc. How could they get experience without completing these documents over their career?
Complementary to this, the SGT has an opportunity to (hopefully) provide guidance and enhance the CPL on the elements of the document that require enhancement in order to be a better document.
The digitisation of our processes, forms, requests etc. can also have positive outcomes. The relatively quick turn around to have an allowance commenced or ceased through Employee Self Service is one example. Once approved by a delegate, automated systems do the rest and the change is effected in the next pay cycle. Not a bad outcome if everything was filled in correctly. Not so good if a minor error such as a date is overlooked during the request/approval process and suddenly a significant debt is automated and processed for that member.
Although this response may be viewed as a negative critique, I do agree with elements of the author's submission.
Simplification - yes.
The direct route - sometimes.
What we all have to understand is that while some processes are antiquated, we are making progress as an organisation to continually make updates and (hopefully) improve the process for all concerned.
Sometimes we make changes for changes sake, and not always with a positive outcome....
The ADF’s admin processes need to be streamlined and integrated. Intelligent data driven automation should be used. Making a word form an adobe form with a digital signature only embeds the inefficient process. It is frustrating for soldiers. Everybody despises completing forms that contain previously provided data; it is expensive and leads to errors. Digital transformation should improve the end user experience. Every time we duplicate data, we should ask why and find a better way. Data from a unified source of truth should be re-usable between systems and processes; not locked into a silo or manual form. Non-value adding admin steps should be eliminated. Dashboards should be available to enable visibility of the status of requests through the workflow. Service levels should set standards on how long it takes admin request to be approved and actioned.