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The Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) is a joint undertaking of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, General Accounting Office (GAO), Office of Management and Budget (0MB), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM), working in cooperation with one another, with other agencies, and with the private sector, to improve financial management in the Federal government. The program was given statutory authorization in the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 65). The program promotes strategies and sponsors projects to improve financial management across the Federal government, participates in the financial management activities of central policy organizations, and facilitates the sharing of information about good financial management practices. Information sharing is accomplished through conferences and other educational events, newsletters, meetings with interagency groups and agency personnel, and the Internet.

This document is intended to be used as a reference tool and guide for financial system analysts at all levels (as reflected in the matrix identifying the core competencies) and in any organizational component performing financial management functions. This document may also be used as a reference tool and guide for systems accountants. In that case, the accountant core competencies included in the Framework for Core Competencies for Financial Management Personnel in the Federal Government would be applied along with the financial system analyst core competencies. As new financial management systems are being developed to meet the informational needs of agency management, central agencies requirements, Congress and other outside parties, this document will help foster better communication among the financial management and information technology communities, who must work together to develop and implement a system that will provide the financial information needed., Prepared in cooperation with the Chief Financial Officers Council

In the early 1960's, supermarkets and their suppliers began to utilize bar codes for item identification and bar code readers for in-store automatic check-out and inventory control. Since that time, bar codes and other machine readable symbols have been appearing on material components, finished goods, shipping containers, warehouse bins, bills of lading and other distribution documentation. Optical scanners are being used at an ever-increasing rate to track the movement of goods in factories and warehouses. This technology can and is being applied by Government agencies in a variety of operations. However, there does not appear to be, at the moment, any Governmentwide policy, standards or focal point for expertise on the use of electronic markings by Federal agencies. Consequently, except in the Department of Defense, our impression was that systems are being developed independently within agencies with some guidance from outside contractors, but with very little awareness of substantial and related efforts going on in other agencies. Our study covered ten different agencies with bar code systems in place, either in a test status or fully operational.