AFPC officials digitize selection board process with eBOSS Published June 25, 2012 By Erin Tindell Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - RANDOLPH, Texas -- The Air Force selection board process enters a new digital era when board members begin using an electronic record scoring system for line for the Air Force captains and major and lieutenant colonel medical service corps boards that convene July 16. The electronic Board Operations Support System, or eBOSS, allows board members to use 135 human system interfaces with ergonomic touch-screen workstations to view and score digital personnel records. "By utilizing digital records, eBOSS allows the elimination of more than 235,000 duplicate paper records across the total force," said Capt. Terrell Tillery, Air Force Personnel Center selection board secretariat board recorder. "The system is the first of its kind in the Department of Defense and will save the Air Force approximately $2.8 million in annual records maintenance costs once it's fully implemented in the active duty and reserve component selection board secretariats." The boardrooms feature workstations with high-definition, touch-screen monitors with a user interface similar to a smartphone or tablet computer. The workstations are height adjustable to allow board members to sit or stand while scoring records. "This cutting edge technology can reduce a typical three-week board by two to three days," said Tillery. "Using eBOSS enables board members to navigate, view and score records with a simple touch of their fingertips to the screen when accessing board-related documents. The largest benefits come from pre-board efficiencies for the staff and the elimination of more than 107,000 paper records and the associated records management costs." Multiple board members will also be able to access the same records at the same time to make the board process more efficient. "Conducting a selection board requires long hours on behalf of the board members," he said. "Our goal was to create a common board experience that allows members to effectively review and score records in a comfortable setting. Board members are charged with making decisions that directly impact the careers of our total force Airmen." AFPC officials also worked closely with representatives from the Air Force Personnel Operations Agency to ensure eBOSS syncs with necessary personnel data systems. "AFPOA ensures the information technology capabilities delivered meet customer needs," said Master Sgt. Christine Ward, AFPOA requirements management analyst. "We captured the promotion board's needs and produced system requirements from an IT perspective. Additionally, we tested an automatic save function that will retain the data input to the system. The eBOSS software supports a maximum recovery time of one day for recovery from an event causing system application or failure." Officials said eBOSS will continue to provide the Air Force's decision makers with the highest-fidelity records in a secure environment designed to protect the measure of fairness employed in the selection board process. "The focus is to maintain a fair and equitable system for all Airmen across the total force," said Col. Ramona Dolson, Air Force selection board secretariat chief. "We will continue to maintain the highest standards while developing and employing the right technology at the right time." Officials will implement eBOSS incrementally as interfaces are developed for existing promotion and vectoring systems. Starting with the July 16 boards, eBOSS will be used for total force officer promotion boards to the grades of colonel and below. In early 2013, eBOSS is slated to be used for active duty, senior non-commissioned officer evaluation boards with complete implementation by mid-2013. For more information about the selection board process and other personnel programs, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil.