The complex web of systems that manage Veterans’ address data
Consolidating the Address Data System at VA
SERVICE DESIGN, UX STRATEGY, WORKSHOP FACILITATION, USER INTERVIEWS
Managing addresses is difficult at the Veterans Administration (VA). People move around and their addresses change—sometimes as often as between seasons—and it can be difficult for them to remember to update this information or know where to do so. But it’s essential for Veterans to stay in touch with VA so they can receive important things by mail, like medication refills and benefit letters.
Framing the problem
In addition to the challenge of keeping address data updated, communications between VA departments and their data systems forms a complex web. To maintain data, many departments depend on multiple legacy systems that often don’t communicate with each other. This leads to problems with data hygiene, creating bad data.
Our team set out to fully understand this data-clarity problem: what are the pain points, what are the moments that matter most, and how might we improve this service for both overburdened VA employees and Veterans?
Why this project?
Every year, thousands of Veterans move house. In the case of “snowbirds,” a Veteran’s address can change twice a year. With each move, a complex web of systems must be updated. VA stores Veteran data in a fractured system of databases, some legacy and some newer, like VA Profile (an often utilized database for VA.gov’s data). Some systems unintentionally override updates, which can revert changes, leading to frustration for VA employees and Veterans alike.
Incorrect address data leads to a score of problems. Many Veterans rely on mail-order prescriptions, and when prescriptions are mailed to the wrong address, the Veterans do not receive their medication in a timely manner and the VA loses substantial amounts of money on returned mail. These prescriptions sometimes include controlled substances that could end up in the wrong hands—a costly and dangerous phenomenon.
It’s clear that Veterans deserve a simple, consistent service that’s easy to update so they can receive timely communications from Veterans Affairs. And VA employees deserve a useful, connected web of systems to help them communicate and share clean data. Fixing the data issue would benefit both Veterans and VA. The Veterans Experience Office (VEO) decided to dedicate a task force of UX researchers, designers, and strategists to uncover the why behind this issue—and to brainstorm how VA might solve it.
Research-derived personas for both Veterans and VA employees affected by address data issues. Research and draft personas were a team effort. As the team designer, I created this deliverable and presentation.
The address systems map we delivered, overlayed with the Veteran journey through VA services
The conclusion
At the conclusion of the contract, we handed over all our research deliverables and held several presentations where we explained our findings to VA stakeholders. Then took a deep breath, hoping that our research would prove to motivate lasting change.
We didn’t have to wait long–several months later, we discovered that VA had embraced our team’s research findings and further fleshed out VA Profile so that it talked to the most critical VA data systems, including those that manage prescription refills.
💌 Press: VA Profile allows Veterans to update contact information on VA systems