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Return to Article: Senators take aim at Defense Travel System's reservation tool

• 74203
  

  How about some more involved training. Travelers and ODTA's are given some very superficial(in a perfect world) training and then are expected to be able to navigate the system. The training I had covered only one scenario. What-if questions are no good because they only come up after the fact. More in-depth training is what's needed.

  Mona Lewis Posted April 8, 2009 1:26 AM
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  I personally think the biggest downfall with the system is not the system but the user. We are all stuck in our own ways for traveling in the past. I have only had one issue with DTS since I started using it almost three years ago. I have had almost 100 authorizations and vouchers since then with no problems. If your reservations are getting dumped in 24 hours it's because your not giving DTS the required time to process prior to travel. I think people need to stop whining about this sytem and just learn it. The only waste of money I see in this is the senator who is trying to block the reservation portion. Either keep it all, or scrap it all. Don't make it difficult just to accomodate your personal preferences.

  Timothy Duvall Posted January 19, 2008 9:52 AM
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  DTS is just as bad as NMCI. It took 2 admin folks and myself to navigate throuogh mulitple pop up screens just to enter a profile and voucher SIX separate windows! Then, the system only hold your travel itineary for 24 hrs unless an "approver" signs off, then it dumps it and must be re-entered. What kind of nonsense is that! I challenge ANYONE to find logic in the user interface BAD BAD design. HELP US poor Gov't folks! We're just trying to do our jobs!

  ROBO Posted January 4, 2008 6:57 PM
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  Well you might be able to buy a ticket for cheaper than the government rate, but it will not be refundable. That is the key with government tickets -- they are refundable. If your travel changes it does not cost the government a $75 or more change fee. I'm very glad this is the case because it means I can come home sooner if the mission is complete.

  nullrout Posted November 22, 2006 1:52 PM
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  The DTS is not user friendly. Just yesterday an officer told me in frustration that one of his staff members took 20 hours to complete a travel claim. In August I went TDY and it took me three very frustrating days to complete the travel claim. Initiating the travel orders was another marathon! My supervisor went TDY in July and it took her three days to complete the travel orders and more than three days to complete the claim. Everyone I've talked to has nothing positive to say about the system. This is just another way the government wastes taxpayer dollars. This is a great project for a Lean Six Sigma project.

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 17, 2006 10:37 AM
• 19695
  

  DTS is not being used here in the Navy. We had training but are not allowed to use it but must use the contract "SATO." We are still using the SATO contractor, where costs are double what they would be if you were making your own reservations.

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 17, 2006 9:23 AM
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  The problem is not with the system. First, almost anyone can buy an airline ticket for lower than the government rate. Second, I was specifically told not to book my air travel via DTS, but when I did, it worked fairly well. Third, it would help if, when the DTS record goes through Carlson Wagonlit, they knew what to do with it. I've had one or two stuck sideways in CW for a day or longer. If DTS worked, it would render Carlson Wagonlit fairly obsolete. I'm not sure the powers that be are ready for that. A planned failure, perhaps?

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 17, 2006 9:11 AM