Implementation of the Online Booking Engine

UNCLAS STATE 077578 SIPDIS A/LM, TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION DIVISION E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ATRN AFIN APER AMGT KSEP SUBJECT: Implementation of the Online Booking Engine ¶1. Summary: The E-Travel Services (ETS) initiative is part of the President's Management Agenda to automate the overall travel process through the preparation of the travel order, the travel agency function and travel voucher completion. The purpose of this cable is to obtain post specific information necessary to setup the Online Booking Engine (OBE) that comes with the ETS E2 module for those posts who accepted CWT fulfillment under our ETS task order to facilitate self service travel reservations and ticketing under the Global E-Gov Travel initiative. End summary. ¶2. Questionnaires have been developed in regard to post travel policy and they must be completed by each post or by their TMC so the appropriate policy requirements can be programmed in the OBE to support each post local travel policy. It also helps to identify unique airlines and ticketing requirements that must be supported in each country. The questionnaire can be found on the A/LM/OPS/TTM website at http://almopsttm.a.state.gov/tmc. The questionnaire and the applicable GDS (Global Distribution System) form identified below must be completed and forwarded to us before the OBE can be implemented at Post. ¶3. The OBE interfaces with the TMC's Computer Reservation System (CRS),otherwise known as a Global Distribution System (GDS). In addition to the questionnaire, the A/LM web site above hosts three separate configuration documents that vary dependent on the GDS system used by the TMC. Post would need to download the appropriate GDS form for the GDS system used by their TMC and the TMC would need to complete the required information. The information requested is specific to the post TMC and the GDS they use, so it's important the proper form is downloaded for completion. The information requested is necessary to allow the automated interface, to remotely harness the Online Booking Engine to the TMC's GDS system to support online reservations and ticketing actions, and to setup queues necessary for the TMC to send and receive reservation and ticketing data generated by the OBE. ¶4. Once the questionnaires are completed they should be forwarded along with the applicable GDS form to Transportationquery@state.gov. Once we receive this information from post, we will provide the information to the Carlson Wagonlit program manager to facilitate the remote configuration processes necessary to implement the Online Booking Engine at each Post where E2 is implemented. ¶5. For those posts where E2 is not being implemented and Carlson Wagonlit was selected as the ETS TMC under the Global ETS contract, post only need complete the Post policy questionnaire to obtain the Stand Alone OBE, as CWT already has the GDS information. If post has a locally procured TMC contract and E2 is not installed at post, CWT is not required to install the OBE. ¶6. If you have any questions please contact Larry Pickerign at pickerignlm@state.gov or transportationquery@state.gov. ¶7. Minimize Considered. CLINTON