Culture as a Catalyst: How Internal Culture Drives External Impact

Posted on by Tiffany Goddard

At the 2025 Customer Experience (CX) and Engagement Summit, thought-leaders and Government officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Air Force, GovExec and more discussed the many ways Government agencies can use company culture and technology to build trust and reach customers.

Carahsoft and our partners are committed to helping agencies find the right technology for their CX solutions.

People, not Products

Customers have come to expect seamless, digital-first experiences in service delivery. In the session “Creating a Customer-First Culture,” Dwight Chamberlain, the Area Vice President at Docusign, and Marcy Katz Jacobs, the Chief Digital Experience Officer for the State of Maryland, attest that Government can close current service gaps by reframing business models to prioritize people, not products. Traditionally, Government modernization efforts have prioritized systems and software over service design. By addressing communication barriers instead, teams can identify service gaps and engage more effectively with customers.

Fragmentation is another barrier to exemplary service. “It’s our job to connect the dots behind the scenes,” Jacobs states. “Showing teams that their silo is part of a bigger picture helps them align around a common mission.” Maryland’s new analytics platform, Analytics.Maryland.Gov, is one tool Jacobs’ team is using to better understand public demand and find a unified goal. It tracks critical data, such as where people are going on state websites, how long they are staying and where they drop off, which helps determine which services to focus improvement efforts on. “We have so many ways to listen — emails, phone calls, escalations, bad form data — but we haven’t been using that feedback to inform what we fix next,” Jacobs shares. “Now we are.” The combination of user data, internal feedback and data analysis enable Maryland to go beyond digitizing Government, humanizing services to be more intuitive, transparent and trusted.

Driving Transformation through Service Delivery

While new technology is vital to achieving maximized efficiency, technology alone cannot drive transformation. In the session “The Employee Experience: A Foundation for CX,” speakers Colt Whitall, the former Chief Experience Officer of the U.S. Air Force and founder of Bravo 17, and Karl Hermann, solutions engineering manager for State, Local and Education (SLED) and Federal Government at Zoom, discussed how meaningful change comes from connecting internal experience with mission outcomes. Hermann attests that technology should work for its users, not the other way around. In the rush to modernize, the day-to-day reality of user experience can be easily overlooked. Hermann watches employees juggle several different tools for business operations. By consolidating these tools into one platform, he found that agencies can reduce confusion, boost productivity and make services more accessible.

Whitall explained that when internal tools fail, service delivery comes to a halt as well. Whitall encouraged his team to shift their mindset to treat technology issues like product issues. They created a ‘Voice of the Customer’ program that monitors digital experience and collects data on performance and user perception. “That way, we can start to ascertain where service levels are impacting the mission and where they’re impacting productivity,” Whitall explains. By mapping technical pain points to real-world productivity loss, agencies can make the business case for faster technology replacements, better support and smarter investments.

Improving Workflows with Cross-Agency Communication

In the session “Overcoming Organizational Silos,” speakers Alana M. Burman, the Director of Policy, Intergovernmental Affairs & Mediation at the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and Jamison Bruan, the Vice President of the Global Public Sector at Salesforce, discussed overcoming silos to service delivery. Today’s infrastructure creates silos that lead to communication and service gaps. “Communication should have no hierarchy. Everyone in the organization needs information at the speed of relevance,” Braun says. Shifting policy to support cross-departmental communication is the key to encouraging staff to take a more collaborative role, ultimately improving agency efficiency. Technology can also aid in unifying Government agencies by enabling the quick and efficient sharing of information across departments. Juggling multiple systems can lead to confusion and slower workflows, while one technology platform with omnichannel capabilities allows employees to effectively communicate, collaborate and document. Burman concludes that such systems are “revolutionary to the way that Government works and the way we think about how our public interacts with Government.”

The Top 6 Leadership Qualities for Success

At the session “Harnessing Your Inner Leader: Empowering a CX Culture,” speakers Avery Muse, the Sr. Founder and CEO of the Muse Group, as well as the Former Executive Director of the Office of IT Operations at the HHS, Amanda Chavez, the Vice President of CX at Qualtrics, and Anna Pettyjohn, the EVP of Product and Strategy at GovExec, discussed the best leadership qualities.

Here are their top 6:

Leadership begins with initiative, not a title.

Leadership is not limited to executives or managers. Rather, a leader is one that acts to drive change when they see a need.

Curiosity and authenticity

Curiosity shapes the way leaders build relationships, solve problems and bring others into CX work. Rather than emulating others, leaders should build on their own authentic, unique strengths.

Small ideas scale faster with the right community

Change begins by working with passionate, knowledgeable people who can uplift teams. For some communities, agencies will need to use non-traditional methods to gather feedback, to ensure they are meeting the holistic needs of their customer base.

Measure the experience, not just the output

Meaningful metrics, such as employee productivity and complete resolution of support issues, help measure how well a service works.

The language of CX is evolving

As the Government invests in new CX initiatives, leaders must also rethink the terminology itself. Customers expand beyond the public, including employees and internal stakeholders. With a clear definition, agencies can target solutions towards an inclusive customer base.

The future is ‘total experience’

When agencies lose time on outdated systems, they lose opportunities to connect with and serve the public. Muse recommends agencies rebuild for what he calls a “total experience,” a strategy that aims to connect Government services, employee strategy and customer desires. With the combination of relevant technology and a strategy-based, unified plan, agencies can reach their maximum potential.

Ultimately, by unifying technology, CX-focused leadership and service delivery, agencies can enhance their services while fostering trust and inclusion with the customers they serve.

To learn more about the topics discussed at the 2025 CX & Engagement Summit, view the session recordings, on-demand. To learn more about the technologies that can help meet your agency’s mission statement, take our Carahsoft’s CX Buyer’s Guide Quiz, or visit our CX and engagement solutions portfolio.  

The Tech Behind Trust: Enabling Better CX Through Automation, Cloud and Cybersecurity

Posted on by Tiffany Goddard

Cybersecurity, automation, data analytics and the cloud can improve customer experience (CX) and increase trust in Public Sector institutions. At the 2025 CX and Engagement Summit, thought leaders and Government officials from the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Labor, the U.S. Coast Guard and more, discussed how technology and CX go hand in hand.

As Public institutions work to strengthen their CX, Carahsoft and our partners, such as Box, are here to help guide and support their journey.  

Automation and Analytics for CX

Data analytics can be critical to improving CX and overall agency and organization efficiency. In the session “Leveraging Automation and Analytics to Enhance Customer Experience,” speakers Manny Medrano, the Director of Cybersecurity Monitoring and Operations at the U.S. Department of State, Dan Bauer, Former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the U.S. Department of State and Angy Peterson, the Vice President for Experience Services at Granicus, discussed the many uses of automation and data analytics. Medrano recommends keeping in mind key questions, such as “how is this improving our operations?” and “are we delivering on our mission?” With these framework questions in mind, agencies can better connect data to everyday processes and fulfill day-to-day organizational goals.

Automation can be used to pull more data to improve accuracy and trust in Public systems. Bauer explains that with automation, agencies and organizations can eliminate manual touchpoints, enabling faster, more accurate service delivery. When paired with analytics, automation helps provide insight into system performance. For example, agencies tend to review feedback surveys for dissatisfied users only. With automated analytics, agencies can gather and review analytics that provide the full emotional and behavioral picture. Leadership can also use analytics to locate process steps that are taking an extraneous amount of time, revealing organizational bottlenecks or gaps. By utilizing data and asking the right questions, organizations can refine technology and processes to improve CX.

Utilizing the Cloud for CX-Focused Integration

Users want services that adapt to them, not the other way around. At the panel “Cloud-Powered Customer Experience,” speakers Sanjay Koyani, the Former Executive Director of IT Operation and Services at the Department of Labor, and Kaitlin Klaum, the Senior Team Manager at Box, discussed meeting customer expectations with cloud technology. User experience (UX) must be a top priority to meet customer expectations that services be quick, easy and relevant. Leveraging the cloud helps agencies deliver on these expectations by enabling integration, automation and smarter use of data.

Replacing legacy systems can be expensive, so Koyani recommends agencies prioritize incremental modernization, allowing old and new systems to coexist where appropriate. Klaum asserts that security must be the starting point for any implementation, especially when onboarding new technology. By adopting Zero Trust frameworks, agencies can ensure information remains protected throughout the modernization process. Vendors play a critical role in this journey, partnering with agencies to onboard technology, solve problems and implement solutions that enhance performance.

Understanding Data Analytics for Mission Success

In the session “Data Analytics: Turning Insights into Impact,” speaker Trang Tran, the Deputy Chief Data Officer for Customer and Border Protection, Dan Allen, the Global Head of Customer Success Digital and Security Solutions at Hewlett Packard, and Captain Daniel Rogers, the Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, discussed understanding data to ensure optimal employment.

Tran emphasized that tying data to a clear mission statement ensures reliability, efficiency and effectiveness across an organization.

There are a few ways to promote data literacy across an agency:

Educate employees on the purpose of data, so that they can interpret analytics with the agency’s mission statement in mind.

Create an agency data office to support integration and to help teams understand their data and how to use it effectively.

Build collaborative tools that improve decision-making and make data actionable items.

Share data across agencies, like the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

When equipped with data literacy, teams can drive more meaningful improvements to the customer experience.

Allen ties data analytics to mission fulfillment, positing that every team’s actions should be fulfilled through the lens of “how can I better accomplish my mission?” Success depends on every team member understanding the mission goal, regardless of their role. It is important to measure not just output, but the overall effectiveness of services and the CX delivered. Utilizing the right tools to analyze data, such as the latest in information technology, can extract meaningful insights and drive continuous improvement.

Rogers echoes this point, tying great CX to technology, as well as training, intuitive systems and a clearly defined process. By giving employees access to integrated tools and real-time data, businesses can streamline decisions and avoid silos. Accessibility tools, such as user-friendly interfaces and single-click actions, keep systems simple, while contextual help like built-in guides support user understanding. Using the same solution across an enterprise establishes a consistency that is recognizable to consumers. By utilizing data analytics to build on existing tools, agencies can reach customers and build trust.

Integrating Cybersecurity for Usability and Fortification

In the session “Balancing Customer Experience with Cybersecurity,” speakers Steven Boberski, the Public Sector Chief Technology Officer of Genesys, and Densmore Bartly, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the U.S. House of Representatives, discussed the integration of cybersecurity and CX. Boberski explains that security is not just technical; it impacts areas like hiring, operations and how people interact with systems. Modern technology- such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and cloud computing- offer new opportunities to strengthen defenses and enhance CX. Tools such as speech-to-text, call summaries, smart recommendations and autofill enhance customer satisfaction, as well as security, by reducing steps and encrypting data throughout its lifecycle. Prioritizing cybersecurity safeguards both company infrastructure and customer information.

Bartly examines cybersecurity through the lens of Federal policies. While agencies must consider regulations, they can still subscribe to smart, secure policies. Cybersecurity and CX reinforce each other, and the ideal experience is a trifecta of security, functionality and usability. While implementing every best practice and new technology can be expensive, by focusing on customer priorities, agencies can pick the practices best suited for their business model and consumer base.

When choosing new technologies, agencies should follow this four-step process:

Locate business gaps

Define customer needs

Apply new technology

Layer in risk mitigation

Each of these steps lays a stronger foundation for adoption, and when paired with features that communicate a secure, protected experience, they help agencies earn the trust of both employees and customers.

Through the integration of cybersecurity and CX, agencies can deliver on both customer safety and satisfaction, reinforcing confidence in Public institutions.