Beyond IT Modernization: Efficiency as a Discipline
By: Anthony Monas and Shailesh Patel
In a time defined by urgency, reorganization and budget cuts, federal agencies are under pressure to prioritize and deliver tangible results – not someday, but now.
Despite the urge to do so, the answer isn’t always to rip and replace, which often can do more harm than good. The answer is to intentionally evaluate, understand, and reach for the right solution with the right information with the intent to minimize disruption and maximize investment.
Think about it this way – when a house stands and functions as normal, you don’t tear it down when your front door simply doesn’t close like it used to, or if the color is outdated. You identify what’s not working, what can be improved and what already delivers value.
This is the philosophy behind a smarter, more strategic approach to optimizing federal technology investments:
Maximize what exists
Eliminate inefficiencies
Innovate intentionally
Deliver meaningful outcomes with speed and precision
Less Renovation, More Optimization
“Modernization” has become a catch-all term – often code for costly, sweeping changes that take years to implement and even longer to demonstrate value. Modernization, despite the long-term value it brings, doesn’t always seemingly serve taxpayers or agencies.
What does serve them is efficiency. Efficiency moves fast. Efficiency cuts waste. Efficiency finds what is broken and fixes it, and it finds what works and makes it work even better.
At Cherokee Federal, we are seeing it in practice – supporting programs such as federal certification processes and streamlining multi-agency coordination for emergency services. In these environments, the goal isn’t to create something shiny and new. The goal is to optimize – use the best of what you have blended with innovative approaches to address the gaps with what federal agencies need, all with the intention of maximizing investments.
Focus on the Foundation
Federal agencies are under pressure to become efficient and optimize – but not just for the sake of buying and using new technology. True transformation means focusing on the areas that drive mission impact: streamlining case management, leveraging low- and no-code platforms, integrating AI thoughtfully, and replacing outdated delivery methods with agile, automated workflows.
These are not isolated solutions. They are interconnected strategies that, when combined, allow government to move faster, serve better and adapt smarter.
Case Management is the Workbench
Across the federal government, case management is where mission meets execution. Whether it’s processing child subsidy requests, coordinating FEMA assets across jurisdictions or ensuring air traffic controllers maintaincertifications, every case represents a citizen or a community waiting for action. But these cases do not exist in a vacuum – they often span multiple agencies, involve disconnected systems and rely on limited staffing. The result: a growing need for greater clarity, transparency and coordination.
That is why case management must serve as more than just a system – it must be the workbench that brings people, processes and platforms together.
Meet Business Needs Faster with Low-Code Platforms
To facilitate mission-critical work, agencies need the ability to move with speed. Low- and no-code platforms provide the flexibility to meet evolving requirements without long development cycles. By empowering users to configure tools that meet their business needs, these platforms accelerate time to value while reducing complexity behind the scenes.
Assist, Augment and Automate with AI
Case management and platform agility are powerful – but even more impactful when paired with artificial intelligence (AI). Used strategically, AI enables federal teams to work smarter: first by assisting with routine tasks, then augmenting human decision-making, and ultimately automating processes and empowering the workforce. AI is not a shortcut – it’s a force multiplier.
Break the Mold with Agile and CI/CD
To support this evolving ecosystem, outdated IT processes must be replaced with modern delivery. Agile methods and next-level Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) automation allow agencies to iterate quickly, adapt in real-time and deploy solutions that evolve with mission needs – rather than lag behind them.
This is where a strategic partner like Cherokee Federal comes in. Not with a “one-size-fits-all” solution, but with right-fit solutions – case tracking, intelligent workflows and predictive analytics that help the government make informed decisions faster.
This isn’t modernization. This is intentional, results-oriented, mission-focused engineering to generate greater efficiency.
Work Smarter. Spend Smarter.
At the core of this philosophical approach is a mindset shift: stop buying technology for technology’s sake and start demanding measurable ROI. With the federal government moving toward commercial buying patterns over custom development, this is the moment to buy smarter – investing in extendable, proven platforms that can meet mission needs faster.
At Cherokee Federal, our teams don’t just advise – we implement, integrate and deliver. From partnering with states to connect residents with employers, to enhancing transparency in complex certification systems, we bring the experience, insight and tools needed to get the job done right.
Federal systems don’t need to be rebuilt or reinvented. They need to be re-evaluated – along with the business processes and user engagement behind them. Often, the challenge is not the software itself, but how people are trained to use it and how change is managed across an organization.
The Right Partner Makes All the Difference
Efficiency isn’t just a goal. It’s a discipline. And when working with a partner like Cherokee Federal that knows how to spot inefficiencies, connect systems and align technology with mission needs, IT leaders at federal agencies aren’t just investing in technology. They are investing in outcomes, powered by the people, processes and change management strategies that ensure lasting impact.
In conclusion, don’t tear down the house. Partner with an expert team that knows how to keep technology investments running at their best – effectively, affordably and sustainably.
Cherokee Federal offers rapid acquisition contracting solutions, including Tribal 8(a) direct awards, governmentwide IDIQs and GSA Schedules, to help agencies accelerate their technology journeys. This approach allows agencies to start quickly, adapt seamlessly and achieve mission success – without the delays of traditional procurement processes.
Let’s stop chasing buzzwords and start building results.
Anthony Monas is a VP of Technology Practices at Cherokee Federal. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Anthony has deep experience in the intelligence community and helps government agencies transform data into a powerful asset that drives mission success and innovation.
Shailesh Patel is a VP of Technology Practices at Cherokee Federal, where he shares his broad experience developing, implementing and managing enterprise IT systems and infrastructure for federal agencies. He brings a deep understanding of what drives success for federal customers by delivering innovative, agile solutions that meet mission-critical needs.