CMSConnect Builds Employee-Centric Experience
Simplicity. Ease of access. Integration. These were the foundational concepts behind CMSConnect, the newly redesigned, central site for CMS employees to quickly find various tech support resources.
Malinda Kennedy, eHCD Team Lead and Knowledge Management for CMSConnect; Marie Jones, Management Analyst for IUSG; and Rachelle Harrison, IT Systems Analyst, spoke to the OIT Comms Team about the human-centered design (HCD) research that went into forming the look and feel of the site, how the team is constantly evolving the site based on customer feedback, and CMSConnect's upcoming initiatives.
An optimized user experience
The CMSConnect Team used a number of HCD-related strategies when redesigning the site to learn more about the needs of the user. A “badgeless” team of OIT staff and contractors developed Mural boards with peer review and CMS leadership review for concept testing. They also conducted usability testing and card sorting activities to optimize the site’s design.
Once live, the team surveyed users to discover what they thought about CMSConnect. “Customers found the site to be a more intuitive and user-friendly system,” says Kennedy.
A one-stop shop
One of the primary goals for CMSConnect was to create a place where people could obtain all the tech resources they need in a single place. The CMSConnect Team was challenged with ensuring that everyone had a space for awareness, knowledge, and support for all their job functions.
“It’s no longer just for IT requests, as we are expanding the connections across departments to streamline and unify employee experiences,” said Tanisha Williams, Deputy Director for the Division of End User Support, in a recent Tech Topics presentation.
CMSConnect gives users several options for getting IT assistance–they can visit The Tech Lounge and speak with a live agent, access the digital assistant Codi, browse self-help content, or open a ticket to report an issue.
If the request is simple, CMSConnect’s resources empower users to fix it themselves without a wait. This frees up the service desk to address more serious issues. “Allowing people to help themselves provides some relief to the CMS IT Service Desk, which receives an average of about 700 calls a day,” says Jones.
Another goal of the CMSConnect team was to make it easier to find the appropriate knowledge articles (KAs), which provide step-by-step procedures and other information about a topic.
The team also gathers feedback on the helpfulness of each KA. Users have the option of giving the article a star rating, as well as commenting on the reason for that rating. “We listen to our employees and customers,” says Jones, whose team is always gathering feedback to update the site and ensure it stays user-friendly and intuitive.
A staff-friendly interface
The portal has come a long way in terms of style. “The transformation has been really interesting,” says Jones. The team vastly improved the design of the site by adding more white space to give it a cleaner look.
White space is essential in design because it allows the eye to find and focus on the important objects. Users are noticing the streamlined appearance; one employee praised CMSConnect, saying that the site “makes it easier to complete tasks and stay up-to-date on interesting IT efforts.”
It’s not just the design aesthetics that are improving the interface. CMSConnect makes content more visible and actionable with features like mobile notifications, targeted campaigns, and automated workflows. Additionally, the site provides Jira and ServiceNow integration and the ability to track work status between both environments. This integration is in place to support several teams.
CMSConnect also works from your mobile device via ConnectNow, a “condensed version of the desktop client that allows you to get work done on the go,” says Harrison.
What’s next for CMSConnect?
In a June Tech Topics presentation, the CMSConnect team highlighted some of the site’s exciting initiatives. One provides support for employees who are returning to the office after working remotely. Employees can pre-arrange to get technical assistance with their laptop or phone on the day that they’re arriving in the office.
CMSConnect also added several locations to their reservation system for dedicated spaces. The agency’s new reservation system is available at CMS Headquarters in Baltimore for employees who need to reserve a flexible workspace when they come into the office. Finding office space at 7500 Security Boulevard is now a breeze thanks to the filter options and a visual map that makes available spaces appear green.
For more information about CMSConnect, contact the Enterprise ServiceNow Team: ServiceNowModernizationTeam@cms.hhs.gov.