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Show 10 HILLTOP TIMES June 17,2010 New systems make military moves much more efficient BY DONNA MILES American Forces Press Service W ASHINGTON — With the busiest season for permanent-change-of-station moves under way, officials at the U.S. Transportation Command are encouraging service members to take advantage of new systems designed to make the process more convenient and efficient. TVanscom launched the new Personally Procured Move, or PPM, system to better compensate service members who personally move their household goods on military orders, said Dolly Davidson, a change management outreach specialist at Transcom. PPM replaced the old "Do-ItYourself," or DITY, move system. Under PPM, service members can receive up to 95 percent of what it would cost the government to move their goods using a commercial carrier. They can hire a commercial mover if they choose, move some or all of their goods themselves, and pocket any savings they receive. While converting to PPM, TYanscom also introduced the Defense Personal Property System, a new system to process and manage household moves. DPS is a computerized management system for moving the household goods of military members and Department of Defense civilians, Davidson said. It automates many steps involved in military moves: pre-move counseling, scheduling, tracking, invoicing and claims-filing for household goods shipments. This eliminates the need for service members to schedule appointments at their base to arrange their household goods moves faceto-face, she said, allowing them to make arrangements anywhere, any "In DTS, you can go in 24/7. You can counsel yourself, you can put in your shipment and move arrangements, and everything else is done automatically," she said. "You can do it from your laptop, from your work station, even your living room couch. And, you can also track your shipments online, too." And unlike the legacy paperbased system it replaces, DPS is equipped to process moves service members make themselves — which constitute the vast majority of moves. Aside from convenience, DPS is a big money-saver for the government, not only reducing PCS processing costs, but also generating lower cost estimates from many moving companies, said Roland Amos, the chief of the DPS functional and requirements branch at Transcom. That's a big factor for the military, which spends about $2 billion a year for more than 550,000 household moves, Transcom officials said. With all these factors in DPS' favor, Transcom officials are encouraged by the dramatic increase in its use since the PPM rollout. "The services and the servicemembers have definitely embraced it," Davidson said. "(Usage) went up to about 50 percent right from the get-go." Now, Davidson said, with the legacy system expected to remain operational until December along with DPS, her mission is to encourage service members to choose DPS to process their moves. With more than half of annual moves occurring between May and August, Davidson is particularly interested in getting that word outnow. "We really want them to understand the advantages, and why it's best for them," she said. Transcom officials also encourage service members to register their household-move experiences through a new online customer service survey found at http://www. move.mil. The results will be used to help the command select the best-performing moving companies for future military moves, Davidson said. S'E'EE. •'""" ••""*'•' TECH. SGT. BRIAN E. CHRISTIANSEN/US. Air Force With the busiest season for permanent-change-of-station moves under way, officials'at U.S. Transportation Command are encouraging service members to take advantage of new systems designed to make the process more convenient and efficient. Call Quality Consignments For Details 801-625-4383 Open Mon-Fri Noon-6pm Sat 10am-2pm REFURB FRIDGES $179 REFURB STOVES $159 REFURB GAS RANGE $239 LEATHER RECLINERS r 'i*v* \ *9 - $80 ITEMS SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE i(!-*T~ 2nd Street 3 INSIDE THE 1 STANDARDEXAMINER BUILDING Second Street at 530 West $250 FOLLOW US ON TWIHER: www.twitter.com/qconslgn New Arrivals - Spedd Offers 5 Blocks West of Wall Ave. Inside Standcftd-Examiner Building Delivery Availabla From Ogden (Business Depot Ogden) • 801-625-4383 TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. "Movers Who Core." 801-444-9213 Hours Mon-Fri Noon-6pm Sat 10am-2pm REFURB WASHER/DRYER $139 TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF OUR STORE WWW.QUALITYCONSIGNMiNT5.rET |