Stabilizing and Streamlining Our Core Processes and Platforms

IT core processes and platforms form the backbone of VA.

The work we do behind the scenes supports critical functions across the Department and ensures smooth interactions between systems for a better Veteran experience. In 2017, we took a hard look at improving our core processes. From our help desk support to financial management, from providing laptops to employees to consolidating data centers, and from decreasing our physical building footprint to expanding our cloud footprint, we’ve made tremendous progress.

Data Center Consolidation

In addition to maintaining hundreds of legacy systems, VA maintains hundreds of large data centers all over the country. Many of these data centers are inefficient, costly, and non-compliant with the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) memorandum or the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA).

At the start of 2017, we developed a plan to reduce inefficient data center infrastructure, optimize existing facilities, improve security posture, achieve cost savings, and transition to more efficient infrastructure.

In less than a year, we evaluated 376 nationwide data centers for potential consolidation and closed 24 of them, while laying the foundation to close 68 more in 2018. Weare on track to close a total of 92 data centers by the end of fiscal year 2018. Not only do our consolidation efforts result in cost savings, but they also allow VA employees to spend less time managing the infrastructure and more time on customer-focused activities that better serve Veterans. We organized our data centers into four categories:

Core Data Centers: The highest-tiered data center
Campus Support Centers: Data centers located at VA medical centers.
Mission Support Centers: Specialized mission centers, such as the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacies Center
Network Support Centers: Centers primarily located at regional Veteran Benefits Administration and Office of Information and Technology offices