  Issue 2.9, December 2022
The Transition Team congratulates Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Small Tribes Organization of Western Washington (STOWW) on their transition to the Integrated Food Management System (IFMS).
Several Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) have expressed interest in moving to IFMS in coming months; seven ITOs are currently participating in the transition program for February.
IFMS Activity At-a-Glance
There are 85 ITOs using IFMS to conduct food distribution transactions for their communities and manage inventory and household records for FDPIR. To date, nearly 22 million food items have been issued through IFMS.
 Fig 1 - IFMS was being used by 85 ITOs at 116 Sites in December 2022.
As of December 14, 2022, IFMS activity since launch included:
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85 ITOs deployed IFMS with 425 active users
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58,542 individuals in 30,160 households received food
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21,775,105 items issued through 280,517 order transactions
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38,243,604 items updated through 110,646 inventory transactions
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47,967 household certifications updated
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9,117 new households created
To ensure that IFMS meets the needs of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), ITOs are encouraged to provide input and review the latest developments in monthly meetings along with their FNS partners.
To participate as a member of the IFMS User Group, please email Katie Clifford.
Mobile App:
In November, Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Inc. (ENIPC, Inc.) and the Nevada Department of Agriculture participated in a soft launch of the mobile app. The Transition Team has received positive feedback from these early adopters.
The USDA IFMS mobile app is a streamlined version of IFMS intended to efficiently conduct food distribution at ITO tailgate sites where there is no internet connection. Users transfer IFMS inventory from the main warehouse to the mobile app inventory before tailgating and transfer remaining inventory back to the main warehouse upon return.
For more information on the mobile app, including a list of recommended equipment, or to schedule a demonstration, please contact the Transition Team.
Certification Module:
The Certification Module is scheduled to launch in February 2023. Multiple training sessions will be available, beginning the week of January 16, 2023, to provide flexibility for staff members to attend. The Transition Team will send out calendar invites and meeting reminders in early January.
With this tool, ITO users will be able to determine FDPIR participant eligibility by:
- Conducting income calculations by income type (earned and unearned)
- Calculating net income (income minus deductions)
- Generating certification notices
- Assigning certification statuses such as expedited/pending and categorically eligible
Sort Order of Material Categories/Subcategories
The ITO Organization Administrator can customize the sort order by site for material categories, subcategories, and materials to align with the warehouse layout.
The sort order applies to the order of the food categories/subcategories on the issuance receipt, food package selections, and the shopping list, as well as Guide Rate Limits with some limitations. ITO users must keep the Fruits and Vegetables (Fruits) category and the Fruits and Vegetables (Vegetables) category together in the sort order. Detailed information can be found in the FDPIR Issuance Training Materials in the IFMS Learning Academy (login required).
Using the Organizations tab on the navigation bar, the ITO Organization Administrator can customize the sort order by site for material categories, subcategories, and materials to align with the warehouse layout.
 Fig 2 - Organizations tab on the navigation bar
The Related tab displays the Warehouses section.
 Fig 3 - Related tab on the warehouse section
Locate the warehouse Name to view details.
 Fig 4 - Warehouse name
The Sort Material Categories tab on the warehouse details screen displays the categories and subcategories
 Fig 5 - Sort Material Categories tab
Transition Support
Learn more about IFMS in this overview video.
The IFMS Transition Team is available to provide assistance to ITOs who are preparing for IFMS and to answer questions about the transition process. 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 IFMS Transition Team is actively recruiting ITOs. Contact the Transition Manager to discuss IFMS opportunities and begin planning today.
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.
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.
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:
Training Requests
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, and advanced topics.
ITOs can request a range of topic-specific user trainings for their ITO staff using the IFMS Training Request Form. Training is available for existing as well as new users or those switching roles. Completed forms should be submitted to the IFMS Transition Team.
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