Maximus Logo
Country
United States Canada India Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates United Kingdom
  • Careers
  • Employees
  • Investor Relations
  • News and Events
  • Who We Serve
    Federal Government State and Local Government Specialized Markets

    As trusted partners, we elevate public service by empowering government agencies with advanced technology, infrastructure, and human-centric operational support.

  • What We Do
    Customer Experience
    • Contact center solutions and services
    • Digital Government
    • Maximus Innovation Center
    Technology Services
    • AI and Analytics Services
    • Cybersecurity
    • Cloud
    • Digital Modernization
    • Data Management
    Health Services
    • Clinical Services
    • Eligibility and Enrollment
    • Health IT Modernization
    Program Services
    • Case Management
    • Consulting and Advisory Services
    • Eligibility and Enrollment
  • Case Studies
  • Insights
  • About
    Our Approach
    Life at Maximus
    Leadership
    Locations
    Maximus Foundation
    Corporate Responsibility
    Contract Vehicles
    Awards and Recognition
    Alliance Partnerships
    Certifications
    Maximus Ventures
  1. Maximus
  2. Insights
  3. Service delivery is key to the Department of Defense’s IT modernization

Service delivery is key to the Department of Defense’s IT modernization

March 25, 2025

Share:

X LinkedIn Email

The Department of Defense (DoD) manages three million personnel, protects national interests worldwide, and oversees some of the most sophisticated missions on the planet. Key to DoD’s critical mission is integrating service delivery and customer experience (CX) into its IT modernization efforts, an approach known as total experience (TX). 

Donna Settle, Vice President for the Federal Defense Market at Maximus, helps defense agencies like the Air Force and Space Force implement secure, user-centered modernization strategies. In a recent Clickthrough Podcast episode, she and Chris Doty, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Senior Practice Manager for the Department of the Air Force, discussed how cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and CX principles are shaping the future of defense readiness.

Read on to learn the key insights from their discussion. 

Addressing the missing link in IT modernization

For years, IT modernization has focused on upgrading infrastructure and improving system capabilities. However, modernization must also improve accessibility, efficiency, and ease of use. CX addresses this missing link, making sure modernized systems function as the reliable workhorses that service members need.

As Chris Doty explains, modernization efforts must address two key areas:

  1. Improving direct customer experience by reducing administrative burdens and streamlining technology access.
  2. Improving service member impact by freeing up time and resources for mission-critical tasks.

The Air Force’s development operations (DevOps) transformation highlights these efforts. Teams previously struggled with hardware and software acquisition with slow adoption of new tools. Now, cloud-based solutions remove these obstacles, making it easier for personnel to access the technology they need when they need it.

To build on this momentum, the Air Force has adopted continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, increasing speed and deployment security while allowing teams to shift from IT maintenance to fulfilling strategic initiatives.

Improving workflows with cloud and artificial intelligence

There are countless more examples of cloud adoption and AI technology advancing defense operations, but their long-term success depends on how well they integrate into daily operations. The Air Force has successfully introduced user-centered design into new technology, but if solutions are hard to use or don’t align with needs, their full potential goes unrealized.

“Cloud adoption and AI implementation alone don’t necessarily solve day-to-day experience problems,” explains Settle. “It’s about empowering those customers and stakeholders to perform their mission more effectively.”

Prioritizing CX ensures that cloud-based programs and AI capabilities are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with operational demands. When CX is integrated with these emerging technologies, they have the potential to play an important role in:

  • Supporting real-time decision-making during multi-domain operations
  • Powering autonomous systems that reduce risks to personnel
  • Enabling predictive maintenance systems to prevent downtime
  • Facilitating cross-platform data integration to aid in strategic decision-making

Balancing innovation with security

While cloud and AI adoption offer exciting benefits, they also introduce new security challenges. Service members need frictionless access to mission data and systems without compromising security.

To address this, the DoD is implementing a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) approach to power continuous authentication and validation for all users and devices accessing sensitive systems. “Security is job zero,” emphasizes Doty. “Once we get the security piece resolved and make sure that’s in place, then we can move forward with innovation.”

This security-first approach is embedded in the Maximus Total Experience Management (TXM) solution, which integrates secure technologies with user-centered design. By mapping workflows and identifying automation opportunities, Maximus helps agencies like the Space Force and Air Force deploy efficient, mission-aligned technology that meets security and CX requirements. 

With Maximus TXM, agencies can:

  • Connect with users across multiple channels
  • Map workflows to identify automation opportunities
  • Integrate AI-powered technology for improved outcomes
  • Create consistent experiences across all touchpoints
  • Develop training programs for upskilling personnel 

“At Maximus, our goal is to look at customer experience and how we use cloud and AI to make sure we are meeting the mission of Airmen and support their day-to-day operational experience to make it more effective and efficient, and that’s what it’s all about,” explains Settle. 

What’s next for defense modernization?

The impact of the TX approach is only beginning to take shape in defense operations. As cloud and AI technology advance, expect to see:

  • Autonomous systems that support precision reconnaissance, combat missions, and reduced risk to human operators
  • Real-time data integration across multiple service branches for improved coordination and decision-making 
  • AI-powered training and reskilling programs that boost skill development and establish a mission-ready workforce 

Through efforts to embed CX into IT modernization, the DoD is creating more efficient operations, empowering its workforce, and strengthening national defense capabilities. 

Want to hear more from defense experts on the front lines of AI and cloud transformation? In this episode of the Clickthrough Podcast, Donna Settle and Chris Doty share insights on how CX-driven IT modernization is improving mission readiness. [Listen now to the podcast]

 

Related Topics

Customer Experience Cloud Service Delivery Federal Government Defense

Read more

Article

Decision Advantage at the Department of Defense with DataOps

Article

Why Supporting Caregivers is Mission-Critical

Video

The service delivery vision behind new CX mandates

Partnering with Maximus can help you stay one step ahead

Let us help you get there

Get started
Maximus Logo
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Contract Vehicles

Copyright © 2025 Maximus. All rights reserved.

Privacy Statement Privacy Statement California Residents Terms of use