Transforming Mission Attendance Tracking With a Customized SharePoint Portal

Case Study

Transforming Mission Attendance
Tracking for Wisconsin
National Guard

The Customer

And Their Challenge

The Wisconsin National Guard is a component of the United States National Guard, which serves both the state of Wisconsin and the United States as a whole. This reserve component of the United States Armed Forces plays a vital role in responding to emergencies, supporting local communities, and assisting in national defense efforts when called upon.

Their existing method for monitoring soldier attendance relied on manual processes utilizing Excel spreadsheets uploaded into SharePoint. This laborious system logged daily attendance, consolidating information into a master sheet spanning the entirety of the mission.

Any discrepancies necessitated managements creation of entirely new spreadsheets, thereby increasing the likelihood of errors. This method also required manual entry of soldiers’ daily whereabouts, active-duty statuses, as well as personal details including rank and duty station.

Recognizing the need for a more efficient and accurate attendance tracking system, the Wisconsin National Guard turned to i3solutions for assistance. The challenge was to develop a solution capable of handling missions of varying scales, spanning multiple states, and accommodating diverse team sizes ranging from 50 to 10,000 soldiers.

The Solution

JPERSTAT Mission Attendance

The primary goal was to enhance mission attendance tracking, ensuring reliable documentation for payroll purposes. i3solutions was tasked not only with improving attendance tracking but also with extracting specific subject matter data to facilitate accurate payment based on factors like rank, duty, and marital status.

In response to the Wisconsin National Guard’s requirements, i3solutions implemented the “JPERSTAT Mission Attendance” tool. Leveraging SharePoint 2019, C#, and Javascript, i3solutions designed a comprehensive solution tailored to their unique mission attendance tracking needs. SharePoint was used to create dedicated spaces for each mission, facilitating organized storage of attendance records. It also provides a user-friendly interface for data entry and retrieval which not only improves collaboration but also enhances the accuracy of data entry.

i3solutions also implemented an automated workflow process that allows users to enter in mission attendance data, request corrections either from the roster manager or reviewer and ultimately roll daily reports into a master record that tracks attendance over the length of the entire mission. Users can leverage advanced reporting capabilities to access data from the previous day, eliminating the need to begin each day from scratch. In addition, the solution allows for mission managers to see an overall picture of mission data that is submitted, needs correction, and archived within the system allowing them to make better decisions on where to send soldiers and how to pay them.

Our data-driven approach, coupled with advanced reporting capabilities, empowers mission managers to make informed decisions, while an automated workflow process ensures streamlined attendance tracking and reporting.

Technologies

Used in the Solution

SharePoint 2019, designed for collaboration, document management, and information sharing within organizations, serves as the foundational platform for the JPERSTAT Mission Attendance solution. It serves as a centralized hub for mission attendance records, fostering an environment that encourages smooth communication and coordination among team members.

C# is a versatile programming language developed by Microsoft. In this solution, C# played a crucial role in developing workflows and ensuring seamless integration between the SharePoint system and other functionalities.

JavaScript is a scripting language commonly used for web development. It was employed to enhance the user interface and facilitate dynamic interactions within the mission attendance tool, enabling features such as real-time updates, interactive elements, and a responsive design.

Measurable Benefits
and Business Impact

Streamlined Processes

The JPERSTAT Mission Attendance solution substantially reduces the time required for attendance recording, resulting in streamlined processes and increased productivity for mission organizers. The ability to add task forces instead of individual soldiers has reduced the number of errors associated with manual data entry, leading to increased efficiency and data accuracy.

Optimized Operational Efficiency

The implemented workflow simplifies entering and managing mission attendance, allowing users to input data, request corrections, and compile daily reports for thorough mission tracking.

Increased
Data
Integrity

Eliminating manual input using Excel spreadsheets has revolutionized the National Guard’s data management practices, significantly reducing errors, improving data integrity, and streamlining workflow processes. The system’s ability to pull data directly from the system of record, coupled with more frequent data refreshes, has enhanced trust in the accuracy of mission attendance data.

Improved
Payroll
Accuracy

By extracting specific subject matter data related to rank, duty, and marital status, the JPERSTAT Mission Attendance tool facilitates more accurate payroll processing. This improvement had a direct impact on ensuring soldiers receive the correct compensation.

Informed
Decision-
Making

The system’s capability to centralize mission data tracking provides mission managers with an overarching view, facilitating informed decision-making on resource allocation, payment processes, and system improvements.