GSA issues RFI for e-travel data collection, analysis

The General Services Administration and the Defense Department are looking for vendors to manage the data from all agency electronic travel systems, and provide reporting and analysis of that information.GSA released a this week to gauge private sector expertise in preparation for a possible request for proposals later this year.Vendors need to answer 45 questions in eight topical areas including strategic sourcing, travel policy compliance, security and systems architecture.GSA will hold an informational meeting Feb. 28, and RFI responses are due March 14.So far, 26 agencies have chosen one of three e-travel providers and GSA has until September 2006 to get all agencies on one of the three systems. DOD, with contractor Northrop Grumman Corp., launched its travel system in June 2003 after nearly five years of fits and starts.GSA said the three e-travel vendors—Carlson Wagonlit Government Travel Inc. of San Antonio, EDS Corp. of Plano, Texas, and the Mission Systems unit of Northrop Grumman Corp.,—have processed only a few thousand transactions, while DOD’s e-travel system has processed 360,000 as of January.GSA expects the numbers to rise sharply over the next year.