Streamline Operations for Permitting and Licensing with Custom Digital Solutions

Technology has changed the expectations of people in every aspect of their daily lives. Whether it be the convenience of clicking a button versus visiting a store for the latest fashions, using a phone to order groceries for same-day delivery, or just voicing opinions on current topics without leaving home, the digital lifestyle has made things more efficient while increasing demand for personalized ease of use.

That same need for human-centered, digital-first customer experiences also extends to the government sector, where studies show 87% of constituents expect a better experience from government than the private sector. Digital access to information and services is now required to better serve and engage communities, even (and possibly especially) with permits, licenses, registrations, and code enforcement, where the most frequent requests and pressing problems of the community need digital service.

As governments balance their efforts to meet these digital needs while maintaining essential government continuity, the promise of creating digital experiences may seem a burden for some organizations. The reduction in service times and streamlined operations that come with digitized services, however, offer time savings of days and even weeks on previously arduous Permitting, Licensing, and Code enforcement (PCL) processes.

The Limitations of Current Solutions

While some may think that moving from paper-based processes to any type of digital process solution will create positive government experiences, the reality shows that current PCL solutions still face significant challenges.

Paper/Manual or Hybrid Processes

Integrating some form of digital process but staying connected to in-person or paper-based experiences does nothing more than keep the status quo for organizations reluctant to change. While this may solve some short-term challenges — and might even create some efficiencies for staff — these processes don’t evolve with the community over time and are likely to result in either a return to the problems they were created to address or more inefficiencies as time moves on.

Point Solutions and Legacy Systems

Technology moves fast. Tools that were developed even five years ago may have been created for specific needs in one part of a process. Today’s user expectations for Amazon-like self-service digital experiences often outstretch the capabilities of point solutions and older legacy systems that lack the integrated services that current desired outcomes demand.

Commercial/Off-the-Shelf Solutions

In a similar way, off-the-shelf solutions don’t always have the flexibility to meet the specific needs that come with departments that handle permits, licenses, registrations, and code enforcement. It may be that one portion of a solution can integrate services and improve digital experiences for users. But often these benefits come buried in other irrelevant features that make the cost-benefit of an off-the-shelf solution burdensome, requiring large dev teams to maintain and update the tool, as well as specific staff dedicated to implementing best practices. More likely than not, these services come as an add-on cost to the original product, increasing tech debt and discouraging increased investment in creating better digital experiences.

Organizations that find themselves in one of these three areas can often feel frustrated with the challenges that come with meeting the need for better experiences, frequently leading to either reducing the organization’s digital efforts or abandoning them all together. Research shows that only 48% of government employees are using emerging digital tools, leading to 60% of residents, business owners, and community planners stating they’ve experienced problems accessing online government services.

 

Building Efficient Experiences for the Community and Staff

The key to building a successful digital solution for PCL comes in working closely with a partner that can offer flexible tools, implemented to meet each organization’s unique needs. Creating digital services that work for residents, developers, and business owners while offering benefits for staff requires building a strategy around three core pillars.

Service

Customer experience should be focused primarily on service. Users are looking to meet their permitting and licensing needs with the least amount of effort and time required, and with digital services, the least amount of human interaction. By creating online forms and workflows in a thoughtful way, permitting and licensing needs can be met with reduced call center and in-person interactions while also improving outcomes over time.

Automation

Achieving that goal requires a dedication to the second strategic pillar: automation. Creating workflows that streamline many of the processes linked to PCL can create time savings, reduce staff effort, and improve accuracy in processing. Effective automation eliminates hard-to-track manual requests by reducing the amount of paper, emails, faxes, phone calls, and in-person interactions that can otherwise be incorrectly noted, misinterpreted, or, worse, lost.

Getting it Right the First Time

Attention to detail and getting it right the first time stands as the third pillar to a successful digital experience strategy. With effective online forms and automated workflows, both applicant and staff reduce the risk of time-consuming errors that require correction later, slowing the permitting and licensing process. Integrating checkpoints and reviews in the first stages of the digital process will both provide a way to prevent ineligible requests while also making sure that applicants are aware of the requirements for their applications.

Together, these three key components create a digital PCL experience that drives operational efficiencies and boost satisfaction that previous solutions — and even many current solutions — are incapable of providing.

 

The Benefits of Efficient Digital Services for Permitting and Licensing Departments

A flexible digital service system built from a human-centered approach will not only provide an easier way for applicants to fulfill their permit and license applications more quickly and correctly, but it also provides benefits to government offices. While the time savings and reduced in-person interaction will relieve many of the pressures on staff, as well as budget and resource allocation, effective digital services provide a variety of other positive outcomes for organizations.

• Regulatory Compliance: Governments have complex regulatory frameworks that businesses and individuals must navigate. A PCL solution that ensures all regulations are followed correctly reduces the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties. 
• Revenue Attainment: Many permits and licenses come with associated fees, which contribute to revenues. The right PCL solution can enable online payment options, making it easier for applicants to pay fees and organizations to collect revenue. 
• Government Transparency: The right solution can help agencies improve trust in government and make it easier for people to track the status of applications, payments, and approvals in real-time, making them feel more a part of the process. 
• System Flexibility: Regulatory requirements and processes can change over time. An enterprise-level permitting, licensing, and compliance solution can easily be updated to reflect new laws, regulations, and best practices. 
• Risk Mitigation: Enterprise-level, comprehensive permitting, licensing, and compliance solutions can help identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in regulatory processes, so organizations can proactively address issues. 
• Public Safety and Environmental Protection: Many permitting and licensing applications relate to activities that impact public safety and/or the environment. With a digital PCL solution, governments can ensure the appropriate actions are taken throughout the application and approval process, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, and protecting citizens and natural resources.  
• Data Management: PCL solutions can help centralize data related to permits, licenses, inspections, and enforcement actions, making it easier to report on activities, do research and analysis, and gain insights for better decision making.  
• Technology Consolidation: With the right solution, departments can map and enhance workflows both across internal teams and inter-agency while enabling disparate systems to converge or be replaced.  

 

Putting a Digital PCL Plan into Action

Finding a solution provider that combines technology, data insights, and experience services can unlock digital experiences that improve outcomes for citizens and staff alike. Taking a holistic approach to the platform — connecting people, process, and technology — provides a common ally toward the goal of creating efficient permitting and licensing processes. More importantly, a dedicated understanding of unique PCL needs will create a partnership that creates digital experiences precisely targeted to the needs of both users and staff.

Learn more about how Granicus’ Operations Cloud can streamline operations for building officials and other permitting and licensing departments.