  Issue 2.6, September 2022
To ensure that the Integrated Food Management System (IFMS) meets the needs of Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) in supporting operations for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the IFMS User Group was formed in early 2022.
At the request of the User Group, the Transition Team has developed and presented a demo on the most recent IFMS release enhancements, the Mobile Tailgate App, and the upcoming Certification Module. The team is happy to provide additional demo sessions to interested ITOs.
The following Change Requests (CRs) have recently been completed and/or are in progress:
-
Mobile Tailgate App (planned for November 2022)
-
Certification Module (planned for early calendar year 2023)
This IFMS User Group typically meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 1:00pm to 2:30pm ET to discuss proposed solutions related to CRs and provide feedback on how these changes will be implemented. IFMS User Group members also have the opportunity to share new issues and requests for the group to discuss.
To participate as a member of the IFMS User Group, please send an email to Katie Clifford at katie.clifford@usda.gov.
Need IFMS Training? The ITO IFMS Support Program offers training opportunities for the IFMS user community in the form of new staff member training, refresher training, release enhancement updates, as well as advanced topics. These sessions are intended to build user skills and improve efficiency with IFMS functionality.
ITOs can request a range of topic-specific user training for their ITO staff, use the IFMS Training Request Form, located in the IFMS Learning Academy (login required). Training is available for existing as well as new users or those switching roles. Completed forms should be submitted to the IFMS Transition Team. Upon receipt, the IFMS Training Manager will follow up to discuss scheduling and tailoring the session(s) topics to the needs of the ITO.
Release 1.11.0 went live on August 26, 2022. The following enhancements were included:
General
- ITO users will be able to send mass emails to selected participating households.
- ITO households receiving mass emails can opt-out so that IFMS abides by CAN-SPAM rules.
Household Management
- ITO users can enter an email address on the Household Member contact record.
- ITO users will be able to send emails to a selected participating household member from the contact screen.
Issuance Management
- IFMS users will now see standard and custom comments on the Food Package Selection form.
- IFMS users will be able to define the sort sequence for the materials within the category/subcategory at each site.
- IFMS users will see the materials on the Food Package Selections form and the Shopping List displayed in the order defined on the Sort Material screen for the site.
Reporting
- The FNS Operations Analyst will see the FNS-101 Report grouped by ITO.
Release Notes can be found in the IFMS Learning Academy (login required).
Shopping List Comments Tab
Users can add custom comments for material categories and subcategories to display on the Monthly Shopping List for the site selected.
- Click the Shopping List Comments tab from the warehouse details screen to display all categories and subcategories.
- Click the Edit icon to the right of a category to add a new comment, edit, or delete existing comment(s).
- Users can reset comments to the default order and remove any new comments made when the Reset All button is clicked.
 Fig 1 - Screenshot of the IFMS Shopping List showing the Edit button to add, remove, or update comments
Detailed information can be found in the FDPIR Issuance Manual and Shopping List Quick Reference Guide in the IFMS Learning Academy (login required).
IFMS Activity At-a-Glance
As of August 2022, there are 78 ITOs using IFMS to conduct food distribution issuance for their communities and manage inventory and household records for FDPIR. To date, over 17 million food items have been issued to over 26 thousand households through IFMS.
 Fig 2 - As of August 2022, IFMS is being used by 78 ITOs at 103 sites.
As of August 31, 2022, IFMS activity since launch included:
-
78 ITOs deployed IFMS with 387 active users
-
51,345 individuals in 26,357 households received food
-
17,493,863 items issued through 225,518 order transactions
-
30,401,170 items updated through 90,588 inventory transactions
-
39,099 household certifications updated
-
7,258 new households created
The Transition Team is pleased to announce the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe has transitioned to IFMS!
Update to Internet Speed Requirements
Required internet speeds for IFMS have been reduced from 10 mb/s to 0.5 mb/s. For reference, a YouTube video plays at a speed of about 4 mb/s.
ITOs who currently use the tailgate feature in the Automated Inventory System (AIS) may be able to transition IFMS when they are ready to do so. In some areas, ITOs may be able to operate IFMS at a tailgate site if internet and/or cellphone reception is available.
The purchase of a hot spot and/or cellular plan would be an allowable use of FDPIR administrative funds. Please reach out to the FNS Regional Office to discuss internet or cell phone data plan options.
Transition Support
The IFMS Transition Team is available to provide assistance to ITOs who are preparing for IFMS and to answer questions about the transition process. Contact the Transition Manager to learn more. The transition program is designed to support ITOs, considering their unique needs, from initial planning through the Go Live event at a pace that minimizes disruption to daily operations.
The transition program includes:
- Support Specialists assigned to each ITO for the duration of the transition process
- Self-Paced e-Learning Introductory Course
- Flexible virtual training sessions
- Manuals, quick reference guides, and exercises for each functional area
- Access to the IFMS training environment to reinforce and build upon training sessions
- Discussion of ITO data needs and guidance on using IFMS reporting tools
- Post-transition support with timely response to questions or issues
- Feedback sessions for continuous improvement of transition program and system features
The Post-launch Support Program offers training opportunities for the IFMS user community in the form of refreshers, updates, and advanced topics. These sessions are intended to build user skills and help improve efficiency with IFMS. Upcoming events will be announced.
IFMS Public Webpage
The IFMS webpage provides announcements, general information about IFMS, and a variety of other resources for the user community and other interested parties. These include:
IFMS Learning Academy
The IFMS Learning Academy (login required) contains a variety of self-service resources for IFMS. User manuals and quick reference guides (QRGs) provide helpful instructions for a variety of common business tasks and functions as well as tips for using additional system features when needed. Other resources include release notes and guide rate information.
After selecting a topic, refer to the Details tab for a description of available materials and links to external resources, as applicable. The Related tab provides all files available to view or download.
|
