DoD Request for Information on... Business Travel

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Ross Stapleton-Gray <ross.stapletongray () gmail com>
> Date: June 20, 2017 at 9:55:32 AM CDT
> To: DAVID FARBER <dave () farber net>
> Subject: DoD Request for Information on... Business Travel
>
> Normally my solicitation radar is set for cybersecurity & other tech areas (there's a new Intelligence Community 
> program on detecting genetically engineered organisms just out, fyi), but this RFI is both mundane and potentially 
> huge in impact: the Department of Defense wants to get a better handle on business travel:
>
> https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/WHS/REF/RFI_DOD_OSD_CIO_DDS/listing.html
>
> Their numbers seem overly low (4.2 million expense reports annually?), but I'd say (1) kudos on recognizing an area 
> of potential efficiency, and how much the DoD lags the modern world; and (2) I fear the potential for another 
> disaster like the FBI agent case tool that squandered several hundred million dollars and got the Bureau nothing.
>
>
> Solicitation Number:
> RFI_DOD_OSD_CIO_DDS
> Notice Type:
> Sources Sought
> Synopsis:
> Added: Jun 19, 2017 4:46 pm
> 1     Description
> 1.1   Objective
> The Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking information on how an interested contractor can provide business travel 
> and expense services that conform to a simplified set of travel regulations.
> Commercial organizations have proven that the use of efficient and scalable travel solutions can significantly reduce 
> organizational costs, improve productivity, increase travel policy compliance, decrease rework of travel reports, and 
> improve financial controls and auditability. These same solutions allow organizations to access all their travel and 
> accounting data, with powerful reporting and auditing tools to drive compliance.
>
> The Department is currently considering transitioning to a secure, efficient, and effective travel solution to book 
> travel, manage travel related expenses, and initiate travel-related financial transactions. The Department is 
> interested in reducing overhead costs for travel transactions and lowering overall travel cost per trip by empowering 
> travelers to make travel decisions that benefit their organizations. To address overhead costs, the Department seeks 
> to minimize customization and configuration of systems by aligning travel policies with standard industry practice, 
> but without negatively affecting usability, auditability, compliance or security.
>
>
> 1.2   Expectations
> The Department is considering pursuing prototype solutions that may lead to eventual transition to a travel solution 
> that provides efficient business travel and real-time access to data and analytics.
>
>
> 2     Background
>
>
> 2.1   Simplified Regulations
> The Department has drafted a simplified set of regulations for business travel. Where possible, DoD may simplify 
> other related regulations. The following travel types are currently excluded from business travel: extended 
> deployments, Reserve Component annual training, rest & recuperation, funeral travel, or travel for disciplinary 
> action for all DoD travelers, including cadets and midshipmen, dependents and other family members, witnesses, 
> consultants and experts, wounded warriors, escorts and attendants.
>
>
> 2.2   Travel Volume
> The estimated amount of travel reflects DoD goals for how much business travel can be governed by a simplified travel 
> policy.
>
>
> Annual Vouchers - Traveler Reimbursement
> Total Expense Reports 4.2 million
> Business Travel       3.0 million (est.)
> Non-business Travel   0.8 million (est.)
> Local Travel  0.4 million
> Annual Travel Transactions - Reservations / Tickets
> Hotel 4.6 million
> Air   3.3 million
> Car   1.1 million
> Rail  50,000
> Bus   13,000
> Other Information - Current System
> Users 3.5 million
> Travel Locations      worldwide
> Traveler Support      24/7 coverage
> Organizational Hierarchy      10 levels
> Accounting Interfaces 24 general ledger systems (standard data structure)
> System & Help Desk    24/7 availability and coverage
>
>
> Expense reports may include multiple types of transactions depending on complexity of travel. Local travel 
> reimbursement is usually for mileage. Most other situations will include mileage and other types such as airfare, car 
> rentals, and hotel reservations.
>
>
> 2.3   Business Processes
> The Department has described high-level business processes for a travel capability that would fulfill the simplified 
> policy. The Department intends to continue business process reengineering and ensure that process deviations from 
> standard industry practices for travel management support the best interests of the Government.
>
>
> 2.4   Travel Solution Requirements
> The Department has described high-level functional requirements, with accompanying technical and lifecycle 
> requirements, for any future travel solution to be able to support DoD travel business processes. The Government 
> anticipates that these requirements would be met through travel management services supported by a modern travel and 
> expense system.
>
>
> 2.5   Delivery 
> The Government is considering Other Transactions for a year-long prototyping effort that may include multiple travel 
> solutions and may lead to negotiated contracts for further deployment of the resulting travel solution(s) across the 
> DoD.
>
>
> 3     Interested Contractors
>
>
> 3.1   Industry Policies and Processes
> The Government is interested in receiving feedback on the draft DoD business travel policy document and how well it 
> aligns with general industry approaches for travel policies. In addition, the Government is interested in receiving 
> feedback on the DoD travel business processes and where they deviate from standard industry practices.
>
>
> 3.2   Company Information
> With any feedback on the draft DoD policy and travel business processes, the Government requests the following:
>
>
> Company Overview      •       A brief description of your company.
> •     Socio-economic status, business size, and size standard/applicable North American Industry Classification 
> System (NAICS) codes.
> •     Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) number.
> •     Web site address.
> •     Government and commercial clients. Please include the scale of these contracts by dollar value, full time 
> equivalent employees, or number of annual contacts.
>
>
> Company Capabilities  •       Capabilities to provide travel management services supported by travel and expense 
> management systems and related travel charge card services
> •     Demonstrated experience in deploying scalable and upgradable travel management technology that is easily 
> configurable and adaptive to future change management 
> •     Scale of implementations and support for large, hierarchical organizations
> •     Business rules engines and ability to respond to changing business rules
> •     Support for multiple funding lines and specialized business rules that are specific to travel entitlements 
> associated with a particular type of travel
> •     Support for preferred travel vendor arrangements and ability to extend preferred travel arrangements to 
> DoD-unique partners, such as DoD lodging
> •     Support for pre-trip obligations and accounting and disbursement transactions, through adapters to Enterprise 
> Resource Planning systems already in use in DoD (e.g., Oracle, SAP), direct connection to a government travel charge 
> card system, or a DoD standard transaction broker
> •     Support for cybersecurity and non-repudiation through digital signatures. Specific cybersecurity considerations 
> include (reference the Cloud Security Requirements Guide at http://iasecontent.disa.mil/cloud/SRG/):
> 1.    Call center and data management functions in the US or on DoD premises.
> 2.    Team of only US persons performing all super user roles.
> 3.    Security checks, including Single Scope Background Investigation, National Agency Check with Law and Credit, 
> and signed Non-Disclosure Agreement. 
> 4.    Two-factor implementation for all super user actions.
> 5.    Public Key Infrastructure compliant or two-factor authentication to enable the use of mobile devices.
> 6.    Segregation DoD data and encryption data at rest and in transit.
> 7.    Access for DoD to perform physical and cyber security assessments.
> 8.    Ability to receive notification about cyber vulnerabilities from DoD with response plans that identify 
> timelines for plan of action and milestones to complete remediation. 
> 9.    Cyber defense, including cyber incident monitoring and reporting, intrusion detection level at the application 
> level, and shared incident response forensic analysis. 
> 10.   Ability to provide and update malicious code protection mechanisms and sensors when new releases are available 
> through a means such as becoming a DoD-Defense Industrial Base partner.
> 11.   Ability to be approved by Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program v2 Moderate Level 2 and Controlled 
> Unclassified Information-Specific Tailored Set. 
> 12.   Shared cyber defense tools that ensure boundary protections are implemented.
>
>
> 4     Instructions
> Interested parties are requested to respond to this request for information.
> Responses shall be in Microsoft Word for Office compatible format and are due no later than June 30, 2017 at 3:00 PM 
> EST. Responses shall be limited to 5 pages of company information and 5 pages of feedback on DoD policies and 
> processes. Responses shall be submitted via email only to John Bergin (john.m.bergin2.civ.usr () osd mil) and 
> Jonathan Mostowski (jonathan () dds mil).
>
>
>
> Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please 
> segregate proprietary information. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.
>
>
> 5     Industry Discussions
> DoD representatives may or may not choose to meet with respondees. Such discussions would only be intended to get 
> further clarification of feedback, potential capability to meet the requirements, and especially usability, 
> auditability, compliance or security risks.
>
>
> 6     Questions
> Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Officer. Verbal 
> questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the Synopsis; accordingly, questions 
> shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information.
> The Government does not guarantee that questions received after June 27, 2017 at 3:00 PM EST will be answered.
>
>
> 7     Summary
> THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY to obtain feedback and identify sources that can provide business travel and 
> expense services. The information provided in the request is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. 
> The Government has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this request should 
> not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or 
> sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.
>
>
> This request for information is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a 
> solicitation or a promise to issue a formal solicitation in the future. This does not commit the Government to 
> contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will 
> not accept unsolicited proposals. The Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in 
> response to this request; all costs associated with responding to this request will be solely at the interested 
> party's expense. Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in any future request for proposal, 
> if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. 
> If it results in a General Schedule Administration buy, it will be announced on the E-Buy website. It is the 
> responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this 
> requirement.



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