Case Study: Wisconsin Department of Corrections escapes year-long backlog and achieves 6x faster development with OutSystems

Wisconsin Department of Corrections Escapes Year-long Development Queue with OutSystems

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections, which manages custody and community supervision for about 90,000 offenders and supports 11,000 employees, faced long development delays because four rigid core systems and limited developer capacity left smaller projects stuck in a year‑long backlog. Departments resorted to Excel, Access and paper processes—creating inconsistency and risks such as a three‑month annual stock‑take for inventory that threatened security and efficiency.

Using OutSystems low‑code, the DOC rapidly delivered mobile‑first, integrated web and tablet apps—two developers built a centralized inventory solution in three months with offline capability, photo evidence and real‑time syncing—cutting stock‑taking from three months to three weeks. The platform reduced shadow IT, enabled a data integration layer, sped development up to sixfold (for example, an Earned Release app went from an estimated 18 months to three), and produced a growing suite of 12+ apps with faster feedback, better user involvement and improved operational efficiency.

Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Linda Rawson

Business Architect