Standard Finance System Stanfins

The United States Army accounting systems are the backbone of the Army's formal financial management system. They have evolved from manual systems to current automated processes increasing in scope and complexity along the way. The current Standard Finance System (STANFINS) is the Army's most widely used installation accounting system. This thesis briefly traces its evolution and examines its current processes in order to determine how well STANFINS is supporting resource management with respect to both a fiduciary and managerial role. Additionally, this study determines STANFINS's future involvement in the Army's efforts to improve financial management.

GAO discussed the Army's project to redesign its 60 accounting systems into a small set of standard systems. GAO noted that the project's objectives are to: (1) strengthen accounting system internal controls; (2) correct such problems as time-consuming manual processing; and (3) implement a single, integrated financial management system. GAO found that the Army: (1) needs to revise its 5-year accounting system plan to reflect recent decisions regarding the Standard Finance System Redesign (STANFINS-R), Army Materiel Command Accounting System (AMAS), and Corps of Engineers Management Information System (COEMIS); (2) plans to use STANFINS-R, AMAS, and COEMIS for field-level accounting, rather than STANFINS-R only; and (3) needs to ensure that all three systems have common data elements, input, and output. GAO also noted that the Army: (1) is developing STANFINS-R and AMAS; (2) plans to modernize COEMIS, which is operational; and (3) is scheduled to fully implement the Program Budget Accounting System (PBAS) in fiscal year 1989.

Includes subject, agency, and budget indexes.