A Strategic Vision for Digital Transformation

When the Department of Veterans Affairs launched its Digital Transformation Center (DTC), it faced the same challenges that plague most federal agencies: aging (and varied) legacy systems, mounting technical debt, and increasing pressure to modernize service delivery. What set them apart was their strategic approach to these challenges.

Rather than defaulting to custom development for every requirement, the VA DTC created a playbook for strategic deployment of Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions. This playbook has become a model for effective digital transformation across government.

The Eight Plays that Changed Everything

The VA DTC developed eight key “plays” that guide their approach to digital modernization:

1. Don’t take a “one size fits all” service delivery approach – They recognized that different user needs require different solutions, from simple SaaS tools to more complex custom development.
2. Understand your current portfolio and service delivery process – Before launching something new, they thoroughly assess existing systems and identify high-value improvement opportunities.
3. Build partnerships and coordinate SaaS and PaaS delivery across departments – The VA DTC created cross-functional teams that break down silos and enable collaborative decision-making.
4. Redesign the entire end-to-end process with a “one-team” approach – Every stakeholder, from IT to procurement to end users, has a voice in the process.
5. Start small, test, and learn – They pilot new approaches on a limited scale before implementing them broadly, allowing for refinement based on real-world feedback.
6. Don’t underestimate the level of effort required for security compliance – They’ve streamlined security processes without compromising standards.
7. Plan for set-up, procurement, deployment, and ongoing support – They consider the total lifecycle cost, not just implementation.
8. Scale, sustain, and improve – They continuously refine their approach based on metrics and stakeholder feedback.

Triaging Digital Needs

Perhaps most importantly, the VA DTC established a clear framework for determining when to build custom (avoided wherever possible), when to configure existing platforms, and when to adopt SaaS solutions. Their approach ensures that the right service delivery model is selected for each requirement, maximizing value while minimizing cost and time to implementation.

This triage process has proven transformative. Today, more than half of all digital requests from VA employees are for no-code and low-code digital solutions, a testament to the effectiveness of their approach.

Results that Speak Volumes

The impact of this strategic approach has been dramatic. Where traditional development projects might take years, the VA DTC routinely delivers solutions in under 100 days. We are proud that we have been a part of these solutions from the advent of the DTC. They’ve implemented over 40 successful projects across the VA ecosystem using our LC/NC applications that sit on top of Salesforce, serving millions of veterans and their families while saving taxpayers’ dollars.

In our next article, we’ll explore the technological foundation that makes this possible: low-code/no-code platforms and how they’re revolutionizing government digital services.