Talk:Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System

Comment on DIMHRS

Although this is appears to be a positive thing for most of the services, DIMHRS in fact represents a huge step backword for the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps currently uses MCTFS (Marine Corps Total Force System) that is far superior in function that the DIMHRS product. It has been said that the Marine Corps switching from MCTFS to DIMHRS is like telling the school track star that they have to follow the fat kid in PE. Here are some of the negatives: 1) If implemented, DIMHRS will cause all reserve service members to only be paid twice a month vice the current 72 hours (for the Marine Corps, about 7 days for the Army) which will cause a hardship to many and severely affect morale. This is because peoplesoft is not designed to be used by the military, it was designed for civilian pay which functions quite different from the military. 2) There is no deployed capability so if the intenet is down, the application cannot be used. Which may not seem like a big deal but if your in a deployed environment such as Iraq where internet connections are slow information cannot be input. The Marine Corps has deployed reporting capability. 3) Because peoplesoft was developed for civilian pay and because the DOD doesn't want to make any more custom changes to the software the software is driving the requirements, rather than the requirements driving the software. 4) There is no review of certification of the data being input by a 2nd or 3rd party. This means garbage in garbage out. If the clerk inputs the data and its wrong, knowone knows. 5) The list goes on and on —Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.162.128.53 (talk) 21:48, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Jarhead, you are not speaking as a subject matter expert. You're just whining. And besides, it looks like DIMHRS is a failure to launch anyhow. Oh and for Christ sake learn proper punctuation and the difference between your/you're. You might be a Marine but I'd still expect better writing skills. -deployed and not logging on

Some additional comments

Good things about peoplesoft:

• Software is web based allowing access from any where in the world by anyone. (this can also be a minus for security reasons and the accessibility for hackers). This could also be a minus if the internet is down, slow or not available.
• Has the ability of .XML generic import export ability
• Can be datalinked to other programs like access, word, and excel if this functionality is enabled for use
• Has the ability to let members self certify their own transactions. Some transactions are allowed to be edited by the individual that could negatively affect the members record.
• All branches will be on one system allowing for overall visibity of all personnel.
• Can streamline the paperwork process for all aspects of administration from recruiting to retirement and all aspects in between such as promotions, retention, career progression, and training if additional Peoplesoft modules are purchased (no current plans to do so due to the limited scope of DIHMRS).
• Security can be limited to the field level for a given profile * Many entitlements and entries can be automated to start with the join (i.e. BAH, BAS, Base housing, pay, etc).

Some Negatives:

• System allows entries to be future dated
• System will not accept a date before 1900 (this may cause a problem with birthdays for retired servicemembers or DEERS data)
• System will be slow with 4,000,000+ records on it.
• System will be slow with thousands of individuals logged in at one time
• Needs to be customized to not allow incomplete data processing, this will cost extra to implement
• User roles/profiles need to be carefully thought out and defined.
• Works on the garbage in garbage out principle. Has limited checks and balances in the input process.
• The Current/ History/ future entry concept is confusing and difficult to understand. Will cause a lot of problems if not clearly defined. Foresee many service members adding a new row vice changing the history simply because its easier.
• With the add delete rows concept this software has after a couple years the entries are going to get messy. Also, if you delete a ROW their is no way to bring it back.
• Does not offer a standalone version. If the internet is down you cannot input anything.
• Need to change the way it assigns multiple jobs. With the additional duty assignment process currently used in the military the way the software assigns multiple jobs will not work and will be administratively cumbersome.
• This software will be administratively cumbersome and will require more manpower to do the same job.
• Contains a lot of information that the military doesn't currently track or need
• Does not contain a lot of the information that is mission critical to the Marine Corps to function. (pers tempo, combat leave, deployable version). There are many things that are congressional requirements that are not in it also.
• Will require a lot of time and work setting up. Again, appears manpower intensive.
• Each service will still be on their own program as far as policy and functionality. Not enough policy to standardize the way the military does business.
• Military records and pay are transaction based.
• DIMHRS not currently planning on using a lot of the modules available due to the limited scope of DIMHRS. This means that a lot of the automation and integration the Marine corps currently has will no longer be. We will in essence have to devolve in order to come on line with the program. Currently not planning to use the recruiting module or the financial module.
• Uses a lot of big words like accumulators, iterative, incumbent, tenure, concurrent) Make the words make sense to the users.
• Probably the most important issue is that this software is so drastically different than anything the military uses know their is going to be a huge training curve and a lot of growing pains to come online.--Kumioko (talk) 21:12, 10 October 2008 (UTC)