Why Customer Experience Matters at DHS

DHS is determined to support this mission critical statement by providing government services that work for the people we serve. Through customer-focused service delivery at DHS, we will:

Improve National Security Mission Outcomes

Through improved experiences, key information and data can be shared more easily and securely across the Department and with our partners across government, law enforcement, and the private sector. Better designed experiences will also increase trust and reduce misunderstanding, improving informed compliance across our security missions. Finally, by reducing administrative burdens, our law enforcement and security staff will be freed up from administrative paperwork to focus on their security mission.

Increase Equity, Accessibility, and Transparency in DHS Services

A customer-focused approach will help to ensure clear communication, guidance and expectations are set at the start and throughout the customer’s journey, as well as timely and accurate status updates. This will create a better experience for the public, increasing their trust and confidence in DHS while reducing the burden for staff to provide additional guidance, direction, and status updates.

Deliver Timely Benefits and Services

By focusing on burden reduction strategies, such as, simplification, automatic renewals, accepting electronic or digital signatures, reusing existing known data and information, and eliminating redundant or unnecessary collections, we can reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiency to deliver benefits and services in a more efficient and timely manner.

Heighten Credibility and Trust

Better designed products and services lead to better experiences with government processes, which will lead to increased user satisfaction and overall trust in DHS (and government overall) to deliver vital services and greater job satisfaction among those carrying out the mission.

Reduce Training Requirements, Requests for More Information, and Submission Errors

Through research, data-driven insights, deep understanding of users and of the current state of the service, DHS can deliver consistent, easy to use services. That consistency and ease of use will reduce or eliminate the need for training for our customers and our staff, increase the number of submissions that are done correctly the first time, which reduces the need for slow and time intensive requests for information and other time spent fixing submission errors.

Achieve Cost Savings and Avoidance, and Increase Revenue from Paid Services

By applying a human-centered service delivery approach, particularly with digital transformation, DHS will see both cost savings and avoidance in multiple ways including:

• Lower software development costs and faster time to market, reductions in maintenance, support and training by designing the right products and services the first time.
• Reduced call center support costs through better content design and intuitive business processes.
• Elimination of redundant processes and unnecessary features and products.
• Better integration between new and legacy systems reducing data entry needs.

Additionally, better services will lower the barrier for users to apply for fee-based offerings, leading to an increase in revenue for those fee based services.

Improve Employee Engagement

DHS employees are passionate about fulfilling the mission of the agency. By improving the services, employees will spend more time doing their core job instead of administrative overhead. Improved experiences will also create more positive interactions between DHS staff and the public, creating a more positive experience for the front line staff. The front line staff can then provide a better experience for the public to continue to improve the overall experience.

The Government’s primary mission is to serve. By placing people at the center of everything we do, the Government will be able to deliver timely, modern, and secure services to you – the people. We will rebuild trust in our Government, ensure no one is left behind, and inspire others to join us in serving future generations of Americans.

Have Questions? Contact Us.

Email the DHS CX Team