This month, Vala became more connected.
We launched the Vala Network, introduced secure client-scoped access for specialists, and brought QuickSubmit to Chrome. Together, these releases make it easier to discover trusted advocates and organizations, collaborate securely with specialists, and move between Vala and the browser-based VA workflows your team already uses.
We also continued improving navigation, dashboards, document management, forms, signing, AI-assisted review, onboarding, and platform reliability.
We’re looking forward to connecting with state veterans agencies at NASDVA this month and seeing the attorney and agent community at NOVA next month in Indianapolis.
Thank you, as always, for the feedback that continues to shape what we build.
Kyle, James, Justin, Lenaire, and JD
What Shipped
Introducing the Vala Network
The Vala Network is a public ecosystem discovery layer that helps veterans find advocates and organizations while enabling professionals across the veterans benefits ecosystem to discover one another and build trusted referral relationships.
You can now:
Create and update a public personal or organization profile
Highlight your organization, published team members, and experience
Help veterans discover advocates and organizations that fit their needs
Search organizations and people by name, location, and representative or organization type
Connect your organization profile with published member profiles
Secure Client-Scoped Specialist Access
Organizations can now invite specialists to collaborate in Vala and limit access to only the clients who need their expertise.
You can now:
Invite a Specialist teammate and choose one or more specific clients at invite time
Automatically apply the selected client access when the invitation is accepted
Keep the primary client lead unchanged
Give specialists read-only access to only their assigned clients, enforced by the platform
Resend a pending Specialist invitation without losing the selected clients
This creates a more secure and organized way to give specialists the context they need without exposing unrelated client records.
QuickSubmit Is Now Available in Chrome
The new Vala Chrome Extension makes it easier to move completed forms from Vala into the VA QuickSubmit workflow without unnecessary manual steps.
You can now:
Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store
Start the QuickSubmit handoff from Vala’s Forms workflow
Hand prepared PDF documents to the browser extension
Use your existing authenticated VA QuickSubmit session
Review and confirm the handoff before continuing
QuickSubmit helps reduce the friction of working across separate systems while keeping your team in control of the submission workflow.
A Faster, More Flexible Workspace
We redesigned key parts of the Vala workspace so teams can find information faster and configure the platform around how they work.
You can now:
Move more easily between Clients, Claims, Templates, Workflows, and other primary workspaces
Search across Vala through one global search experience
Favorite frequently used destinations
Personalize dashboard widgets and layouts
Rename, filter, and scope widgets around the information that matters to you
Open actionable appeal deadlines directly from the dashboard
Add and edit client tags directly from the client list
These improvements reduce navigation time and make Vala more useful across different roles, caseloads, and operating models.
Document Management Built for Scale
We made it easier to manage large C-Files, e-folders, and document libraries.
You can now:
Bulk upload files into the Library
Search more effectively across folders and large libraries
Better handle VBMS and e-folder ZIP files
See clearer document processing states
Download and delete large groups of documents more reliably
Use improved document metadata and duplicate detection
These improvements help teams keep large records organized as caseloads grow.
More Dependable Forms and Signing
We continued strengthening the path from client data to completed, signed documents.
You can now:
Configure signing order for VA and custom forms
Identify signers more clearly and place smart signature fields more accurately
Save changes without leaving the form editor
Receive a warning before sending an empty form
Use expanded autofill and field mapping
Rely on more dependable signature links
These updates make forms easier to prepare, review, and send.
Greater Confidence in AI-Assisted Review
We improved how Vala retrieves, separates, and presents information from client records.
Updates include:
Better source isolation across large records
More reliable citations and client context
Cleaner review of extracted client information
Better preservation of existing profile values
More accurate treatment of proposed reductions, deferred ratings, and final decisions
Improved consistency in reports and structured outputs
These improvements help teams review AI-assisted work with greater clarity and confidence.
Easier Team Setup and Client Communication
We made it easier to bring new users into Vala and keep client communication consistent.
You can now:
Use a guided onboarding checklist
Invite expanded team roles and assign clients appropriately
Resend pending invitations more easily
See clearer permission guidance
Preview and edit portal invitation messages with better formatting
These updates reduce setup friction and help new team members become productive faster.
Security and Reliability
Behind the scenes, we continued strengthening Vala’s security and operational controls as we prepare to support larger firms, county VSOs, state organizations, and other enterprise environments. This work included improved application protection, endpoint management, access reviews, monitoring, incident response, and safeguards around sensitive data. We’re also progressing through our SOC 2 audit, with completion targeted for October 2026.
These investments help keep Vala secure, reliable, and ready for more demanding organizational environments.
What We’re Building Next
More Configurable Client Workspaces
We’re expanding personalization beyond the main dashboard.
Expect:
Configurable client-level dashboards
More flexible layouts for different roles
Faster access to important client information
Better visibility across claims, tasks, documents, and deadlines
Reusable Tasks and Workflows
We’re continuing to reduce repetitive setup across common claim processes.
We’re working on:
Reusable task templates
Clearer checklist and template creation
Workflows that can be applied consistently across clients
Better support for standardized processes by claim type
Smarter Claim and Case Management
We’re improving how teams organize the people, deadlines, conditions, and documents connected to a veteran’s case.
We’re working on:
Richer related-contact records
More complete appeal deadline workflows
Better condition search using abbreviations, synonyms, and residual conditions
Continued support for specialized workflows, including SMC
Better control over instructional pages and form readability
Clearer customer-facing product guidance
Ask
Many of Vala’s best improvements begin with customer feedback.
If you’ve already joined the Vala Network, start by updating your profile so veterans and trusted ecosystem partners can discover your organization.
You can also reply directly to this email and tell us what is working, what still feels cumbersome, or what would save your team the most time.
We’ll be at NASDVA this month and NOVA next month. If you’re attending either conference, we’d love to connect.
If you’ll be in Indianapolis for NOVA, join us for our Friends of Vala Dinner on Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m.
We’re always looking for ways to help you serve more veterans while spending less time on administrative work.