Before you buy another system

Do you need new software, or a smaller fix?

Test whether a public technology problem calls for process repair, better use of an existing system, a smaller scope, or a bounded pilot.

Time

About 4 minutes

You leave with

technology next-step brief

Privacy

No account. No submission.

Use operational facts, not confidential records.

Do not enter confidential procurement, student, personnel, resident, vendor, security, or incident information. Answers are saved only in this browser and are not sent to JS Technology Solutions.

Question 1: Can the team name the operational decision or handoff that must improve?

Can the team name the operational decision or handoff that must improve?

A product name, feature list, or broad modernization goal is not yet an operational outcome.

Question 2: Is one operational owner accountable for the result after launch?

Is one operational owner accountable for the result after launch?

The project sponsor and the person who owns the daily workflow may be different.

Question 3: Has the team demonstrated the exact gap in the current system or process?

Has the team demonstrated the exact gap in the current system or process?

Test configuration, training, data quality, permissions, and ownership before concluding that the tool is the problem.

Question 4: Are the affected users and their highest-friction step known?

Are the affected users and their highest-friction step known?

Name the people doing the work, reviewing it, approving it, and depending on the result.

Question 5: Can the team identify the minimum data needed for a safe test?

Can the team identify the minimum data needed for a safe test?

Include the source, owner, sensitivity, retention, access, and approved sample boundary.

Question 6: Can one useful workflow stand alone without recreating an enterprise system?

Can one useful workflow stand alone without recreating an enterprise system?

A responsible first scope has one outcome, a bounded user group, and known dependencies.

Question 7: Is there a measurable result that would justify continuing?

Is there a measurable result that would justify continuing?

The measure should change a real decision, not only show that activity occurred.

Question 8: Can the first test stop or roll back without trapping the organization?

Can the first test stop or roll back without trapping the organization?

Check data export, transition effort, contract terms, operational continuity, and who can make the stop decision.

Source record

Primary sources behind this pressure test

Last verified August 26, 2026

  • Digital Services Playbook

    U.S. DOGE Service. Current public edition. Supports: User needs, iterative delivery, accountable ownership, security and privacy, and decision-linked measurement.

  • Capital Programming Guide, Version 3.1

    Office of Management and Budget. Supplement to OMB Circular A-11, 2025. Supports: Disciplined portfolio planning, prioritization, life-cycle cost, risk, acquisition, and performance management.

  • Cybersecurity Guidance for K-12 Technology Acquisitions

    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. August 2023. Supports: Security questions and secure-by-design considerations for K-12 technology purchasing.

These sources provide useful disciplines and risk frames. They do not make every cited rule applicable to every state, local, or K-12 organization.