The inaugural CX Demo Day was a smashing success, thanks in no small part to our amazing presenters, the cast of about a hundred people behind the scenes for production, and of course, all you wonderful practitioners and champions in the field, making it happen! Our event kicked off with DHS Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen reminding us that “For the 2nd year in a row, CX is one of the Department’s top priorities. CX may be the buzzword of the year, but the work you’re doing enables DHS to deliver services that the American people and all of our customers depend on.”
"My personal commitment: To give this community the support it needs to become a critical long-standing part of how we do business in DHS.”
- CIO Eric Hysen
For almost three hours, Agencies and Offices spanning DHS presented works in progress, or successful projects that have recently launched. Each was an inspiring and (sometimes surprising!) view into work that we don’t necessarily get to see or know about, to improve mission delivery by improving the customer’s experience.
Deputy Secretary John Tien spoke later in the program, taking up CX in the Secretary’s 2023 Priorities and the Presidential Management Agenda (PMA). The Secretary’s Priorities direct us to “Innovate and transform our delivery of services to advance mission execution, improve the customer experience, and increase access to services.” Deputy Secretary Tien talked about how CX is not just its own priority, it’s woven through all of the other priorities; that DHS should consider everything from a customer’s experience first. “At the end of the day we want to make sure that we're equitable, accessible, and effective for everyone who uses our services.” He acknowledged that CX work didn’t start with an Executive Order, but rather that there are people who have been working to deliver good customer experiences since DHS came into existence twenty years ago, on March 1, 2003. Deputy Secretary Tien went on to call the CX community “Inspirers in charge” and encouraged us to continue our great work, saying “Sleeves up! Let's get this work done!”