Evaluate and Improve

A product is never done! Once the users have accepted the product and it is officially launched, there should be a plan to continuously evaluate and improve. The evaluation should be held against the metrics identified in the strategy (defined in Play 2) and should be done systematically to measure customer experience.

It is important to evaluate multiple Behavioral and Attitudinal metrics to holistically understand your users experience; don’t rely on just one metric to determine future improvements. For example, if your strategy includes measuring behavioral analytics as well as receiving user feedback from surveys, immediately after your product is launched gather data to create a baseline metric. Be sure to set up a regular cadence for gathering this data and revise your targets to match your goals over time.

 For products that are being modernized or enhanced, keep in mind that people generally have a hard time adjusting to change; this needs to be carefully managed for users to successfully adopt a product. Ideally, any major software development modernization project should have a corresponding change management plan to help users get to a point of acceptance. The data gathered during periodic evaluation should be used to determine the ongoing improvement plan. The process for continuous improvement is not linear: If you notice your goals aren’t being met based on the data, revisit previous plays to help determine where improvements can be made.

Increase Trust in Government

Striving to improve products that better meet user needs can help increase trust in government. Customer experience is an ever-evolving topic, especially as technological innovations continue to push the possibilities and shape how we live, interact with each other, and make transactions. The federal government recognizes the need to get up to speed with the private sector, but there is a long way to go. Federal government contractors, such as REI Systems, are in a position to help bridge this gap through the effective design of technology centered around the humans who use them. Together, we can help increase trust in government by enhancing the public’s experiences.