Case Study
Department of Veterans Affairs | Center for Innovation
The Challenge
The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center for Innovation (VACI), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Innovation Program is to identify, test, and evaluate innovative solutions to help VA better serve Veterans. VACI develops programs that nurture innovation and create an environment where informed risk taking and progressive thinking are rewarded.
The mission is rooted in a belief that a large organization benefits from maintaining a disciplined process for tapping the talent and expertise of those on its front lines and outside its walls. VACI needed a way to look to a variety of groups and sectors across the country for innovative ideas, including start-ups, industry leaders, academic and research facilities, and VA employees.
Because VACI targets solutions that can be developed, piloted, and evaluated for broader deployment within a span of 12-24 months. VACI needed a solution that would help them manage risk and deliver solutions.
The VA needed an Innovation Portfolio Management Platform to provide the collaborative environment needed to manage innovation from idea through contract execution and scale up across a diverse stakeholder population.
The Solution
The VACI Innovation Management Platform was developed in order to manage the entire innovation lifecycle. Built on the Salesforce1 platform includes two distinct apps:
- VACI Portfolio Manager: Enables the real time management of VACI Innovation projects by Innovation Specialists and in coordination with VA executives, Vendors and other concerned stakeholders in the VA innovation community.
- VACI Innovation Exchange: Enables the outreach to innovators, those in need of innovative solutions, veterans as well as VA employees and stakeholders.
These apps work together to support the entire innovation lifecycle including:
- Uses of funds
- Project execution
- Innovation outreach
- Case management
- Portfolio management
Mobile
Busy executives need answers where they are right now, not just back at their desk. Our solution enables innovation stakeholders to have the right answers no matter where they are.Mobile
Real Time Insight
Reports, Dashboards and other critical analytics are available in real time.
Workflow and Approvals
Workflows and approvals help support routing critical information about innovation projects between stakeholders and ensures that appropriate approvals are documented and take place in order to support compliance.