The Power of Platforms

At the heart of the VA’s digital transformation success is a fundamental shift in thinking: from building custom applications and highly localized solutions to leveraging platforms. Low-code/no-code (LC/NC) platforms, such as Salesforce, have become the foundation upon which the VA and other forward-thinking agencies are building their digital futures.

These platforms provide a secure and compliant foundation that can be rapidly configured to meet specific business needs without extensive custom coding. The results are transformative: faster implementation, lower costs, reduced security risks, and greater ability to adapt as requirements evolve.

The Economics of Reuse vs. Rebuild

The financial implications of this approach are compelling. Consider these examples from VA implementations:

• Implementation timelines averaging under 100 days, compared to 12-18 months for traditional custom development
• Total cost reductions of 60-70% compared to equivalent custom-built solutions
• Significant reductions in ongoing maintenance costs
• Rapid return on investment through immediate operational efficiencies

As a VA Tech Lead noted about MB&A’s ExAM solution built on Salesforce: “They are quick to help with whatever our needs are and continually make the app better. They have provided support to help us leverage the app to its fullest for all of our use cases.”

Beyond the Platform: The Application Ecosystem

While platforms like Salesforce provide a powerful foundation, agencies often need specialized functionality to address specific mission requirements. This is where pre-approved applications like MB&A’s Extensible Assessment Manager (ExAM) play a crucial role.

ExAM extends Salesforce’s capabilities with specialized tools for data collection, inspections, assessment scoring, and field mapping, all without custom code. Because it’s built natively on Salesforce, it inherits the platform’s security controls and compliance certifications, dramatically simplifying the Authority to Operate (ATO) process.

The VA has leveraged ExAM for everything from enterprise-wide employee surveys to hospital facility inspections to construction safety monitoring. Each implementation delivers mission value in weeks rather than months, all while maintaining the highest security and compliance standards.

Further, LC/NC applications like ExAM make it easy for VA admins to configure the application for additional use cases without relying on MB&A technical staff. MB&A staff regularly see new additional business process automations being handled by ExAM that were 100% handled by VA staff.

Security Without Sacrifice

Security remains paramount for federal agencies, and a common misconception is that LC/NC platforms compromise security for the sake of speed. In reality, the opposite is often true.

Platforms like Salesforce maintain FedRAMP High authorization and undergo continuous security assessment. Applications built natively on these platforms inherit these security controls, thereby reducing the assessment burden on both agencies and contractors.As one VA Innovators Network Lead noted, working with MB&A and our ExAM solution:

“We were very lucky to work with the MB&A team to develop a personalized, tailored application for our program. The team was fantastic to work with, they truly listened to our needs, co-designed with us and our users, and were very attentive to completing tasks quickly and ahead of schedule.”

In our next article, we’ll examine a specific case study that demonstrates how this approach has transformed operations across VA Medical Centers, delivering tangible benefits for both veterans and employees.