Using a product approach to build and modernize APIs

Ad Hoc’s Gabrielle Soliz, Senior Project Manager, and Dana Ward, Program Manager, presented insights they’ve learned from Ad Hoc’s support of the Blue Button 2.0 and Medicare Payment System Modernization (MPSM) programs at CMS. Watch their talk below to see how Ad Hoc has brought product management methods to our work developing APIs to improve the user experience, connectivity, and resilience of CMS systems.

As Gabrielle and Dana discussed in their talk, Ad Hoc uses a product approach across all of our work, including when developing APIs. Product is a discipline for building the right things for the right people, given the goals, needs, and constraints of organizations. In our API work, this product approach helps us focus on outcomes over outputs by taking a thoughtful, iterative, cross-functional approach to determining how our technology solutions can best serve API users.

Ad Hoc has had success developing APIs by focusing on the user while also maintaining a cross-functional environment from start to finish. Our 3-phased approach of Learn, Build, Measure ensures improvement and quality throughout product lifecycles:

• Learn: Understand who is using your technology and how they’re using it. With targeted research, you can further refine your customer base and design solutions specifically for their needs.
• Build: Experiment with ideas and test hypotheses. Frequent iterations allow for more active feedback loops and allow you to deliver smaller, more targeted value faster.
• Measure: Evaluate performance against the outcomes and previously defined objectives and key results (OKRs). Maintain active and consistent collaboration with customers to ensure we’re delivering value.

Using this approach and working closely with our customers in more human-centered ways helps us find and build the right solutions based on their goals. Watch our short presentation from CMS Convergence 2022 to learn about how we use this approach to develop APIs and support the customers who use them.

To learn more about Ad Hoc and how we can help you in delivering effective digital services, email us at hello@adhoc.team.