Opportunities To Improve the DOD Personal Property Shipping Program

Gao ID: NSIAD-85-10 November 9, 1984

GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) Personal Property Shipping Program to identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of the program.

GAO found that DOD has been consolidating its personal property shipping offices and planning to automate them. However, due to a lack of coordination, the full potential for consolidation cannot be achieved and money may be spent to automate offices that should be merged with others. In addition, GAO found that, due to the delay in the development of a standardized automated system for use in managing its shipping program, many offices became frustrated and developed their own systems, which were not compatible and could not be merged with a standardized system. On November 8, 1983, DOD issued a memorandum restricting the development of additional new systems. GAO also found that the DOD cost of storing household goods awaiting delivery has increased substantially since 1978. These costs could be reduced significantly if DOD leased storage space and provided the service in-house or used government-owned space where available, rather than having moving companies arrange space.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Richard Davis Team: General Accounting Office: National Security and International Affairs Division Phone: (202) 275-4141


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