The Defense Travel System

The Defense Travel System is a software application used by the US Department of Defense to help employees manage business travel. The system makes it easy to plan and purchase travel for personnel across the department. It also includes features to keep employees informed of changes, such as a customer feedback survey. This article explores some of the current challenges, modernization efforts, and customer satisfaction. If you’re interested in learning more, keep reading. This article also discusses the future of the Defense Travel System.
DoD’s official travel system
The Defense Travel System (DTS) is a fully automated, integrated travel management system that enables DoD travelers to create authorizations, prepare reservations, receive approvals, generate travel vouchers, and split reimbursements. There are over nine thousand sites worldwide, and the DTS averages 25,000 transactions per day. The system is operated by the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO).
To ensure compliance with the DTS, users should follow certain guidelines. Travelers must submit an APACS request for foreign and NATO clearances. APACS identification numbers must be included in travel authorizations and pre-audit remark. To make sure you meet all foreign and NATO travel requirements, consult the DoD Foreign Clearance Guide for more information. This guide outlines the requirements and process for obtaining clearances for travel within the Department of Defense.
Challenges
A new departmentwide travel management system is underway for the Department of Defense. The Defense Travel System is expected to provide end-to-end travel functionality, while also providing limited reporting capabilities. Since the introduction of the Defense Travel System, however, the system has been a source of frustration for travelers, and it has come under the scrutiny of Congress and audits. Its shortcomings include prohibiting travelers from making changes to their reservations, adding fees, and not keeping track of the cost of travel.
Although the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) presented a number of improvements in the DTS, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made 14 recommendations in 2006, including those related to management oversight, implementation, and travel policies. Of these recommendations, seven were deemed unmet. Three of them deal with inadequacies in management, while three are centered on underutilization of the system. The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) has since addressed many of these issues and implemented improvements that make DTS easier to use.
Modernization efforts
The Defense Department has announced plans to modernize its travel system, a dated IT platform that allows DoD personnel to make official travel arrangements. The modernization effort is in multiple stages. It is anticipated that the new system will have enhanced features and more streamlined processes. The project’s scope is so large that it dwarfs the private sector’s efforts. But is it really worth it? Here are the reasons why modernization is necessary.
First, DoD travel management officials have long been aware of the shortcomings of the current system, which costs $110 million per year to run. They’ve identified a number of problems with the legacy system, including user inconsistency and complexity of travel regulations. Despite these problems, the modernization team sought a commercial solution that would meet their requirements. This was not possible, however, because of the many regulations governing the system, which made it difficult for the government to find a commercial solution that could adhere to all the standards.
Customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction with the Defense Travel System (DTS) is increasing. The travel management system allows travelers to submit orders, book flights and make reservations online, generate travel vouchers and pay using government credit cards or bank accounts. The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) monitors costs, usage and customer satisfaction. More than 9500 sites worldwide are using the DTS. Currently, about 75,000 people use the system each day. The DTS has been used by military and civilian travelers for more than two decades and has received positive customer satisfaction results.
In 2018, the Pentagon spent $9 billion on travel, 70 percent of which was for temporary duty assignments. While the Pentagon spent $9 billion on travel, only a small portion was permanent, the use of the prototype led to per-trip savings. In fact, the government’s per-trip savings was so impressive that the contracting documents did not include dollar amounts. While the contracting documents did not provide the exact savings, overall satisfaction has steadily increased since July 2015.