TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Being able to not only gather and consolidate data from multiple sources into one presentation but construct it and visualize all of it in such a way that it is understandable to your organization’s executive leadership is a vital and highly sought-after skillset in virtually every industry across the globe – this is especially true when your organization is responsible for managing nearly $32 billion in assets every year.
Dawnn Wilson, a systems accountant for the Accounting Oversight and Data Analysis Branch of Air Force Sustainment Center’s Financial Management Directorate recently received Department of War-level accolades for her ability to do just that. She was recently named as one of the Department of War’s Power Business Intelligence Showcase winners, after a panel of Microsoft experts and senior DOW leaders chose her presentation as one of the 10 winners out of a field of 100 competitors with nearly 200 total entered presentations.
Power BI, developed by Microsoft, is data visualization software that allows users to use multiple software applications to transform multiple sources of data into easily understandable visualizations. When senior executives are making decisions with potentially billions of dollars at stake, the information that they are looking at to make the right decisions cannot afford to be messy, convoluted, or vague. It needs to be clear, concise, and accurate.
Wilson created the AFSC/FM Financial Dashboard, a real-world, operational tool that her office uses daily to monitor the center’s performance, resolve anomalies in accounting, providing real-time insights to the center’s leadership.
“Historically, siloed Air Logistics Complex data and legacy systems limited our ability to perform critical analyses like abnormal balance reviews, flux, and substantive analytics,” Wilson said as she explained what motivated her to create the Financial Dashboard. “Consolidating over 8 million rows into a real-time Power BI dashboard – and automating reviews via Teams and Power Apps solved this. We now generate reports 10 days early, providing the lead time needed to resolve issues before the books close.”
Wilson, who has been working in FM for six years, had no shortage of competition when she presented her dashboard for the award. All of the DOW component services were represented, having 100 total nominees submitting nearly 200 dashboards for consideration in an online event that had over 11,000 attendees logged in.
The DOW Power BI Showcase went to winners whose presentations excelled across four key pillars; technical skill demonstrated in their construction, clarity and effectiveness, measurable mission impact, as well as the presenter’s ability to tell a compelling, data driven story.
“Subject matter experts– whether in accounting, logistics, or personnel – often assume others intuitively understand the impact of their data. Lacking an IT background can be intimidating, causing us to lean heavily on overstretched data science teams. However, it’s unrealistic to expect IT professionals to know the deep nuances of our specific data,” Wilson said, explaining why she felt like she needed to take on this challenge. “To truly act as change agents, SMEs must learn these tools themselves.”
Power BI is just one example of the latest information technology being used by the DOW to provide data-driven analysis to aid in decision making, and Wilson acknowledged the critical importance of mastering these tools.
“As a systems accountant, analyzing massive datasets is my primary responsibility. The Air Force is actively modernizing to emphasize proactive, audit-level analysis. The skills I used here – building a data model, transforming legacy data via Power Query, and designing interactive visuals – directly drive this modernization,” Wilson explained. “They provide the exact capabilities critical to the Air Force achieving an unmodified audit opinion.”
Wilson credited the support from her AFSC/FM leadership team in helping her achieve this professional accomplishment.
“I have been with the Air Force for six years, working exclusively for FM since transitioning from a public accounting firm. That outside background shaped my approach to audit-ready reporting. Because I have spent my entire tenure in FM, leadership has been incredibly supportive of the time required to build this tool. They actively champion efforts to bring industry-standard analysis to our mission,” she said.
Wilson’s efforts were noted by her FM teammates, who expressed how much this accomplishment reflected on her dedication to the project.
“Dawnn’s relentless hard work and innovative approach in developing the new dashboard has been truly inspiring to watch. We were cheering her on and proud to support her every step of the way during the competition,” said Jeremy Flowers, the directorate’s Systems Integration Branch chief. “Seeing Dawnn’s dedication pay off with this well-deserved win means a great deal to the entire AFSC/FM team.”
The mission of AFSC/FM is to provide business intelligence, integrated financial analysis, decision support, and customer service to optimize sustainment and logistics readiness.