Case study: State and local government
Business process improvement roadmap for a next-gen education data platform
Table of contents
A state education agency publishes performance data for a wide range of stakeholders, from policymakers and educators to parents and community members. But the system used to access this information had become outdated, difficult to navigate, and challenging to maintain. Users struggled to find the data they needed, creating a growing gap between the agency’s commitment to transparency and the usability of its reporting tools.
The agency engaged Eagle Hill to assess the challenges and chart a path forward through a structured business process improvement initiative. Our team went directly to users to understand their experiences and identify opportunities for improvement. We combined this outreach with a benchmarking review of state data portals, backend process mapping, and technical and design recommendations. The result was a clear, actionable foundation for modernizing the reporting platform – based on the agency’s most comprehensive and demographically diverse set of user data insights the agency had ever collected about how the information is used.
Goal
Develop a user-centered roadmap to improve system design and create a more scalable, unified data platform that meets evolving stakeholder needs.
Business process improvement results in technology modernization
potential reduction in implementation complexity
of identified pain points addressed with targeted recommendations designed for resolution
improvement opportunities synthesized into seven high-impact recommendations
The challenge: Delivering a complex technology modernization effort on an accelerated timeline
The agency was committed to modernization and set an ambitious scope that included stakeholder engagement, business process improvement, front-end design, and a unified data strategy. But we faced a tight timeline. Workstreams that would ideally run sequentially had to move forward in parallel instead.
To keep the technology modernization effort on track, we closely coordinated these workstreams and prioritized shared visibility, collaboration, and communication. This approach ensured that insights and progress in one area continuously informed the others, maintaining momentum across the project.
The roadmap to success: A process mapping approach and a user-centered technology modernization strategy
This effort went beyond a typical technology assessment. The agency needed recommendations that reflected not only operational requirements, but also the real experiences of the users who rely on the data.
Understanding what was at stake, our team expanded the scope of each workstream: engaging casual users the agency had not previously reached, benchmarking public data portals beyond the education sector, and identifying the root causes of process bottlenecks. Key activities included:
Extending outreach beyond power users.
The agency had historically relied on feedback from a small group of sophisticated “power” users. We broadened engagement to include casual users, including segments of parents who had never been consulted. Our team deployed bilingual surveys, conducted focus groups, and leveraged social media to reach communities across the state. These insights informed four modernization pillars and expanded how the agency engages its users. By incorporating perspectives from casual users who had not previously been part of the feedback process, the agency can continue strengthening transparency and accessibility as it modernizes its data tools.
Assessing end-to-end data reporting processes.
We expanded on existing reporting workflows to map how data moves through key internal processes using a high-level process map and detailed process flow analysis. Through documentation reviews and process validation sessions, we surfaced pain points, task handoffs, and process variations, capturing these insights in current-state process maps. Our analysis produced 75 targeted process improvements and seven actionable recommendations, each with implementation guidance.
Designing user-centered data tools.
We evaluated the agency’s public-facing data tools for accessibility, data visualization, navigation, and overall usability, benchmarking them against all 50 states’ data portals to identify gaps and best practices. We translated these insights into design recommendations, and Figma mockups for the new system’s front end, featuring responsive layouts, standardized navigation, and user support features.
Defining a data strategy and supporting technology stack.
We developed a technology strategy to realign front- and back-end systems and workflows, reducing fragmentation across the agency’s reporting tools. Our team identified opportunities to consolidate platforms and mapped the features that should migrate to a redesigned system. We also proposed a unified technology stack and governance improvements to maximize the agency’s technology investments over time.
The path forward: Implementing technology strategy and business process improvement initiatives
Drawing on our in-depth analysis of the agency’s data reporting platform, we developed a comprehensive report to guide modernization. The report provided a clear path for simplifying access to education data, streamlining reporting tools, and creating a more cohesive experience for users.
The final report also defined strategic priorities for building a modern reporting platform, supported by visualizations that illustrate how key features could evolve over time. We translated these priorities into actionable design concepts aligned with modern web standards and identified the underlying technical capabilities needed to support data reporting.
To help the agency move forward with confidence, the report included an 18-month phased implementation plan, giving the agency a clear roadmap for next steps. Because the work would inform planning, budgeting, and procurement, our deliverables were designed to enable a seamless transition to implementation—providing the recommendations and design assets needed to move forward with clarity.
