IT as a Product Group: Critical Change for Digital Transformation

If you’ve followed our Vision for Digital Transformation at VA, it may look familiar because I believe it reflects how the best IT companies out there run their own operations. They put the customer first, deliver high-quality products, focus relentlessly on operational excellence, and create user experiences that customers love. They gain more users, deliver on their needs, keep them loyal, and focus on their greatest asset: their team.

Since we adopted this vision, people ask if VA is embracing “the commercial model.” The answer is yes and no — we are following the principles that make commercial software developers successful, but these principles are also the fundamental principles that make any IT organization great. In short, I believe that all traditional IT organizations must change in the world of Digital Transformation to operate more like software product groups.

The phrase “Digital Transformation” is often overused in the tech industry. It’s hard to define because it seems to mean something different to everyone. At its heart, it recognizes that modern digital systems no longer play a mere support role in operating an organization — they are at the very heart of executing on the organization’s core mission. For organizations like VA, technology is not just about administrative systems and spreadsheets; it’s the engine that powers the agency’s most critical services. We depend on our IT systems to deliver on our mission of serving Veterans, their caregivers, and their survivors. Our electronic health record and associated systems are a critical part of delivering health care to over 9 million Veterans, and our benefits management systems are essential to providing the benefits we deliver to millions of Veterans each year. We are a true embodiment of Digital Transformation.