Case Study - Change Readiness and Management - CX/EX/UX/UI - Data and Analytics - Experience - Generative AI - Human Centered Design - Human Experience - Research and Evaluation

Improving IT Service Quality and Workforce Experience at VA

Posted on 04.01.25

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Using data-driven strategies and human-centered tools to elevate employee experience and operational performance

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Information Technology (OIT) aimed to improve the employee experience (EX) across its workforce and enhance IT services for VA employees. Aptive partnered with OIT’s Office of People Science (OPS) to implement data-informed, human-centered approaches to elevate organizational performance and optimize service delivery.

The Aptive Advantage

Human-centered design for mission-focused service improvements
Data analysis that drives measurable performance outcomes
Scalable, AI-enabled tools to streamline federal operations

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

Improved IT service responsiveness through near real-time feedback
Unified employee experience framework aligned with survey data
Automated text analysis tools for sustained insights and action
Increased internal capacity for managing IT and workforce experience initiatives

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Challenge

Disconnected feedback systems and workforce insights limited operational improvements.

OPS faced challenges that affected both internal OIT operations and the broader VA workforce. These included:

Lack of real-time visibility into employee and customer feedback on IT services
Expiring contractor support for feedback analysis, leaving a gap in reporting and response
Limited data integration to guide workforce planning and address skill gaps

To address these issues, OPS needed new tools and frameworks to collect, analyze and act on feedback with greater efficiency and insight.

Solutions

Operationalizing employee and customer feedback to drive improvements

Aptive used a dual-track approach, supporting both the People Analytics (PA) and Organization Development and Engagement (ODE) directorates.

Enabling automated analysis and IT feedback distribution Aptive helped PA improve its customer feedback process by:

Conducting monthly surveys and site visits to gather qualitative and quantitative IT service feedback
Developing a Python-based tool to categorize and tag open-ended feedback, identify customer support requests and send real-time insights to responsible managers
Training PA staff to use and maintain these tools independently, ensuring long-term sustainability

These tools gave OIT regional managers actionable insights and allowed for quicker responses to IT issues across VA.

Streamlining employee experience analysis and governance Aptive collaborated with ODE to create strategic frameworks and tools for long-term EX management. Key initiatives included:

Creating an employee lifecycle map (see below) by analyzing key survey data
Facilitating workshops to define EX priorities and develop a visual dashboard (information radiator) to track progress

These efforts helped ODE identify and prioritize key pain points, align improvement strategies and promote a proactive culture of operational alignment and workforce efficiency.

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Results

New feedback tools and frameworks improved IT services and internal operations

IT service responsiveness improved through real-time customer feedback analysis
Leadership gained greater visibility into workforce needs and EX priorities
OPS sustained long-term value by managing automation tools and processes in-house
Staff engagement increased through workshop participation and use of feedback in operational planning

Aptive’s work helped VA OIT increase its internal capacity to optimize workforce management, improve IT service delivery and drive data-informed decision-making across the organization.

CONCLUSION

The impact of PA’s customer service improvement work

Featured in a VA digital transformation blog, PA’s Customer Service Improvement program positioned OIT as a leader in IT service excellence. Key outcomes included:

Localized service enhancements: By distributing region-specific feedback to local managers, PA enabled faster, targeted interventions that improved employee satisfaction with IT services across facilities.
Enterprise-wide leadership: OIT emerged as a federal leader in employee experience and service quality by leveraging real-time feedback and data analysis to address workforce and customer needs.
Measurable service delivery gains: Feedback informed improvements in equipment provisioning, Enterprise Service Desk responsiveness and support quality — enhancing operational performance and trust in OIT services.

Aptive’s collaboration with OIT demonstrated how human-centered design and data-driven strategies could strengthen mission-critical service delivery while enabling scalable innovation.

Key takeaways

Data drove meaningful impact: Combining qualitative and quantitative insights uncovered hidden pain points and guided more effective solutions.
Technology enabled efficiency: AI tools streamlined real-time feedback analysis and improved operational decision-making.
Customized frameworks worked: Tailored approaches aligned to agency-specific challenges led to measurable improvements.
Collaboration spurred innovation: Engaging staff in solution design built trust and fostered proactive problem-solving.
Long-term value sustained: Training and scalable tools ensured continued success and a lasting culture of improvement.

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