The Department of Veterans Affairs manages a substantial workload: 1,800+ configuration change requests currently in their Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) system queue as of February 2025. This significant volume represents tremendous potential for VA configuration management enhancement through strategic IT Asset Management (ITAM) implementation.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports the VA has successfully implemented over 1,500 configuration changes during its strategic pause. However, opportunities remain to optimize the processing of additional requests.

Each of those 1,800 requests represents opportunities for:

• Clinical workflow optimization to better serve veteran care
• System efficiency improvements to enhance staff productivity
• Enhanced safety measures that could strengthen patient outcomes
• Process refinement to eliminate workarounds and standardize operations

Federal ITAM strategy recognizes configuration management as a core discipline offering significant optimization potential. The VA's experience highlights areas where strategic approaches can provide substantial value:

Strategic ITAM enables transformation from reactive to proactive configuration management through:

• Streamlined change request processing via optimized workflows
• Planned modifications with comprehensive testing and approval
• Configuration consistency aligned with approved baselines
• Reduced technical complexity through systematic change management

Healthcare IT environments benefit from enhanced coordination between:

• Clinical applications supporting direct patient care
• Administrative systems managing scheduling and billing
• Infrastructure components ensuring system availability
• Security controls protecting sensitive health information

• Configuration Management Database (CMDB) serving as authoritative source
• Automated discovery capabilities for real-time system visibility
• Change impact analysis predicting effects before implementation
• Dependency mapping showing system interconnections and relationships

• Clinical workflow integration connecting IT assets to patient care processes
• Patient safety monitoring ensuring changes enhance care quality
• Regulatory compliance automation meeting healthcare requirements
• Multi-site coordination supporting distributed healthcare networks

• Predictive analytics identifying optimization opportunities before issues develop
• Performance correlation linking asset health to service delivery
• Workflow automation streamlining routine configuration tasks
• Risk scoring prioritizing changes based on impact assessment

The VA continues to demonstrate strategic asset management value. The VA has achieved $65 million in software licensing savings through improved ITAM practices, illustrating the potential for configuration management enhancements.

Strategic configuration management implementations have shown:

• Streamlined change processing through automated workflows
• Accelerated implementation timelines via efficient approval processes
• Enhanced success rates through comprehensive impact assessment
• Optimized operational costs through systematic change management

VA configuration management presents unique enhancement opportunities. With over 9.1 million veterans receiving VA healthcare, configuration optimization can address:

• Patient safety enhancements ensuring changes improve care quality
• Clinical decision support optimization refining medical algorithms
• Interoperability improvements strengthening data exchange capabilities
• Regulatory alignment meeting healthcare-specific standards

• Service availability optimization maximizing system uptime across 170+ medical centers
• User experience enhancement supporting diverse technical skill levels
• Emergency response capabilities enabling rapid configuration updates

Federal agencies can optimize configuration management through systematic approaches:

1. Complete configuration inventory of all system components
2. Process analysis identifying enhancement opportunities
3. Baseline establishment for consistency across environments
4. Stakeholder engagement involving clinical and technical teams

1. CMDB implementation providing centralized configuration control
2. Governance establishment ensuring proper change oversight
3. Workflow standardization for common configuration types
4. Staff development building internal configuration management expertise

1. Automation deployment for routine configuration tasks
2. Performance monitoring tracking configuration management effectiveness
3. Analytics implementation identifying optimization opportunities
4. Process refinement based on operational feedback

Our federal ITAM expertise helps agencies optimize configuration management through:

• Comprehensive assessment identifying configuration management enhancement opportunities
• Process optimization implementing industry best practices for federal environments
• Technology implementation deploying systematic configuration control solutions
• Capability building ensuring successful adoption of optimized processes

Federal client engagements demonstrate how strategic configuration management can streamline operations within 6-12 months while establishing sustainable optimization practices.

The VA's 1,800 configuration requests represent substantial opportunities to demonstrate how IT configuration control enables mission success. For agencies serving veterans, configuration optimization enhances care quality and operational efficiency.

Strategic ITAM provides frameworks, processes, and technologies needed to transform configuration management into a strategic advantage. With $6.3 billion allocated for VA IT systems in FY25, optimized configuration management maximizes investment value.

Ready to transform configuration management into a strategic advantage? Schedule a no-cost assessment with The SIE Group to learn how our strategic ITAM approach can optimize configuration management and enhance your IT operations