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How DOGE is Exposing Commercial Technology Providers Who Fail to Deliver Federal-Focused Software

has introduced a clear call to modernize federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity. Section 4 of the executive order focuses on modernizing technology, emphasizing interoperability, data integrity, and synchronization as key pillars. It’s an ambitious, achievable vision if agencies are supported by proven software companies that have long operated in the federal space.

However, there are new technology vendors entering the federal market that lack federal expertise and are quickly becoming the weak link in the modernization chain. Overpromises, missed deadlines, inflated budgets, and a lack of federal know-how have become all too common in federal modernization initiatives, leaving agencies stuck to deal with the fallout. They’re further dispirited by the opportunity cost of being responsible for injecting the most basic federal knowledge into these vendors.

Flashy Tech with No Government Understanding

For years, flashy, low-code (formerly known as Business Process Management) vendors have sold federal agencies big dreams—promising user-generated software, interoperable systems, and transformative efficiencies. But it’s become apparent these vendors fail to deliver under the weight of:

• Limited Understanding of Federal Requirements: Technology partners often underestimate the unique challenges of federal work, leading to solutions that cannot meet expectations.
• Poor Planning: Providers fail to account for the System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) complexities that underpin all enterprise software or the difficulties of integrating with legacy federal business and administrative systems.
• Unproven Solutions: Vendors push immature technology platforms that lack the reliability and security required for critical government functions. While low-code can potentially be built quickly, it crumbles under the enterprise-wide use of federal agencies.
• Compliance Pressures: Technology vendors must understand the strict compliance demands agencies face, including Section 508 accessibility, cybersecurity requirements, and audit readiness.

Take, for instance, the (ePS). Years into its modernization effort, the program has faced significant hurdles, including incomplete planning and using immature, low-code technology. An internal NAVWAR assessment painted a troubling picture of the program’s viability, underscoring the costs to the taxpayers and disruption to the user community. Here’s a timeline provided by that is a good depiction of what Section 4 of the DOGE mandates agencies to avoid:

Another example is the uniquely challenging process of federal planning, budgeting, and forecasting (PBF). In 2021, the for over $140 million to try to adapt a non-federal technology to their agency’s specific need—which is a steep price to pay to teach a vendor how to meet federal agencies’ needs. Using a modern, fit-for-purpose PBF solution would reduce the cost and time required to implement it while improving interoperability considerably.

These are not isolated incidents. Technology vendors entering the public sector have started to create a track record of modernization projects plagued by delays, ballooning budgets, and outright failures. These failures erode trust between agencies, vendors, government entities, and taxpayers.

Agencies Deserve Better

The responsibility for failed technology projects cannot be placed solely on agencies. Many operate under resource constraints and legacy systems, making modernization a monumental task. What they need are software providers with federal know-how and experience who deliver robust, tested solutions and come prepared to meet the demands of federal work.

Here’s what agencies should demand from software providers:

• A Federal Focus: Providers who understand the unique demands of federal work—not just how to win contracts with smoke and mirrors—will be the ones who succeed under the DOGE framework.
• Proven Federal Track Records: Buzzwords and marketing jargon will no longer cut it. Providers must show a history of success with similarly complex government projects.
• Proven Experience Within Specific Business Functions: For instance, if you are modernizing a budgeting or procurement infrastructure, you need a budget or procurement system steeped in federal sector comprehension.
• Transparent Timelines and Budgets: Overruns shouldn't be the norm. Agencies need partners who deliver a realistic plan, own their commitments, and compensate for the high and low workload swings accompanying federal processing cycles.
• Prioritize Real Interoperability: Providers must prove their solutions work across systems and agencies. Empty promises of interoperable platforms won’t cut it anymore.
• Compliance Ready: Providers must deeply understand the strict regulatory and compliance requirements federal agencies face, ensuring solutions meet standards for acquisition, cybersecurity, and audit readiness

The Path Forward

DOGE provides a roadmap for federal IT modernization: proven modern software, interoperable systems, reliable data, and streamlined processes. However, this vision will only be realized if agencies and software providers rise to the occasion. For agencies, that means demanding more. For software providers, it means stepping up—or stepping aside.