From Point Solutions to a Unified Experience
Schmitzer says most organizations don’t begin their modernization journeys by asking for ESM. Instead, they often approach CDW looking to replace an aging IT service management tool — only to discover that similar pain points exist across the enterprise.
“Customers usually come to us saying, ‘We need to replace our IT service management solution,’” he says. “But what we uncover is a larger enterprise service management opportunity, because that same disjointed experience exists across all their departments.”
For federal agencies, that fragmentation can be especially costly. Separate systems for HR, procurement, facilities and IT often lead to siloed data, inconsistent processes and frustrated employees. ESM consolidates those experiences into a single digital front door.
Schmitzer described it as creating a “Grand Central Station of services,” where employees can request support, search for information and interact with automated agents through one platform. The result, he says, is faster fulfillment, higher satisfaction and less friction.
“This is about automation improvements, faster time to fulfillment and better experiences,” he says. “Instead of going to 18 different systems, you’re going to one place — and you’re getting answers faster.”
AI Raises the Bar for Government Services
AI is becoming a central part of those conversations, Schmitzer says, but not necessarily the starting point.
“AI comes up in almost every conversation now,” he says. “The demand is already there. The real question is whether it can be done practically — something agencies can actually get up and running and prove value from.”
However, he cautions that AI cannot succeed without clear processes and strong data governance.
“You can’t solve with AI if you don’t know the destination you’re trying to get to,” he says.
That message resonates with government leaders navigating both the promise and the demands of AI. Without well-defined workflows and reliable data, agencies risk automating inefficiencies rather than fixing them.
READ MORE: Artificial intelligence is a top federal priority in 2026.
Change Management Comes First
While platforms such as ServiceNow enable automation and integration, Schmitzer emphasized that technology is often the easiest part of the transformation.
“The hard part is the people and the process,” he says. “Technology follows what you want to get out of those two things.”
That perspective is especially relevant for public sector organizations, where change often requires alignment across multiple departments, unions and leadership structures. Schmitzer says CDW begins most engagements by assessing not just technical readiness but cultural readiness as well.
“It really depends on the organization,” he says. “Their culture, their appetite for change and what they’re actually ready to consume successfully.”
Rather than pushing a predefined solution, CDW focuses on understanding agency goals, key performance indicators and past challenges before recommending a path forward.
“We start away from the technology,” Schmitzer says. “We ask about outcomes, priorities and what success actually looks like for that organization.”
DIVE DEEPER: Agencies should test platforms, not projects.
Quick Wins Build Momentum
For many agencies, Schmitzer says, early success is critical. That’s why CDW often targets employee-facing use cases first — where improvements are visible and immediately useful.
“Quick wins typically come with employee-facing use cases,” he says. “If you can show your workforce there’s one place to go for help, that builds momentum.”
Those early wins also create political capital inside organizations, helping IT leaders secure buy-in for larger, multiphase transformations.
“I don’t take a step unless I know what at least three steps down the road look like,” Schmitzer says. “You have to plan for the future.”
He says CDW strives to assist its partners with these challenges with a focus on long-term outcomes over short-term deployments.
“We want to be a doctor, not a waiter,” he says. “We don’t just take orders — we want to be prescriptive.”
