Bixal, in partnership with Contrast & Co., is proud to announce a new contract award from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Through our 8(a) joint venture, CRUX, we’ll lead service design and product strategy efforts to support the continued development of myTTB—TTB’s modern, secure, and user-centered digital ecosystem.

This work focuses on redesigning and replacing TTB’s legacy formulas and labeling systems with tools that better meet the needs of agency staff, industry partners, and the public.

“We’re helping TTB transform how it serves the public,” said Russell Flench, Director of Design Operations at Bixal. “This work brings together customer experience, product strategy, and agile delivery to ensure every new service is truly built around the people who use it.”

The Vision: Modern Services Built for People

TTB plays a critical role in protecting the consumer, supporting economic activity, and ensuring fair, transparent regulation. But outdated technology can slow things down, causing delays, confusion, and frustration across the system.

The CRUX team will help TTB:

• Establish a modern product management function rooted in agile, user-focused principles.
• Develop a scalable framework for customer experience (CX) research, testing, and iteration.
• Design and prototype new digital services to replace aging legacy systems.
• Prioritize the features that matter most to users, reducing complexity and saving time.
• Build internal capacity so these efforts continue to grow, long after delivery.
• Integrate smart, time-saving tools like AI to support service design and delivery.

When services are easier to use, compliance improves. When systems are better connected, decision-making gets faster. And when government teams have tools that work, they can focus on what matters most: serving the public.

 This modernization effort will help:

• Make compliance simpler for alcohol and tobacco businesses.
• Improve efficiency for TTB staff and operations.
• Enable faster, smarter oversight through better data.
• Deliver scalable tools that evolve with agency and user needs.

About CRUX: A Joint Venture Built for Better Federal Services

CRUX is a joint venture between Bixal and Contrast & Co., certified under the SBA 8(a) program. Together, we bring human-centered, agile, and impactful solutions to federal agencies working to modernize public service delivery.

Our team blends strategy, design, and delivery, ensuring that every product we support is rooted in real user needs and built to succeed.

Want to learn more about how Bixal partners with agencies to modernize services? Fill out the form below!