iLAB has partnered with a Health and Human Services Agency to assess and provide insight into a recent system implementation that revealed critical lessons about the importance of user experience, adaptability, and strategic procurement. While the system was intended to streamline client data management and meet compliance requirements, challenges soon emerged—offering a cautionary tale for future technology investments in the public sector.
Despite good intentions, the system’s rollout faced significant usability issues that led to inefficiencies, low stakeholder satisfaction, and increased administrative costs. Users reported outdated infrastructure, time-consuming navigation, and a lack of essential features such as auto-save, alerts, and modern integrations. These limitations reduced productivity, forced agencies to hire additional staff to handle inefficiencies, and placed an unnecessary burden on service providers and administrative personnel.
More importantly, the initial requirements were written at a high level with little input from end users, resulting in a system that failed to align with real-world operational needs.
“Too often, compliance drives procurement decisions while usability gets overlooked,” said Jethro Loyd, CEO of iLAB. “We believe that systems should serve the people using them—not the other way around. When user experience is not prioritized, agencies end up with systems that cost more and do less.”
iLAB’s team worked alongside the agency to identify these gaps, highlighting the urgent need for user-centric design and iterative implementation. To ensure these insights reached decision-makers, iLAB presented findings and recommendations to both the subcommittee and IT budget committee, emphasizing the importance of investing in upfront planning and validation. By demonstrating the real costs of poor usability—including staff burnout, delayed services, and increased support needs—iLAB underscored how early-stage quality assurance can prevent long-term failures.
“This wasn’t about assigning blame,” Loyd added. “It was about helping leaders understand that a well-intentioned system can still fall short without proper planning. Speaking directly to committees allowed us to champion smarter, more strategic technology investments from the outset.”
iLAB continues to advise agencies on best practices for system evaluation, including real-world usability testing, agile rollouts, and contract structures that avoid vendor lock-in. ILAB’s work reinforces the belief that technology must evolve with user needs and that agencies must involve frontline stakeholders from day one.
As states continue to modernize services and digital infrastructure, this case stands as a compelling reminder: technology solutions must be built not just for compliance—but for the people they serve.