Do you find yourself asking, “Is it time to move my agency to an electronic plan review process?” You’re not alone. Thousands of agencies across the U.S. have outgrown paper and are contemplating an online approach. At MyGov, we have helped hundreds of agencies move from a paper to an electronic building plan review process. In this article, we review five of the top reasons we have seen agencies move from a paper-building plan review process to an online approach.
1. Save space and money
One problem agencies face with a paper-based plan review process is making space within the office to store documents waiting to be reviewed. With an electronic plan review process, you no longer need to keep physical copies of plans within the agency building because all plan files can be stored online. Additionally, your agency can cut costs on printing, re-printing, and shipping of plans during the review process.
2. Easier submission of building plans
Submitting building plans to a city that does not have an electronic plan review process results in wasted time and needless travel expenses. Agencies with a paper-based process require residents, designers, and developers to physically bring in building plans for review. During the review process, multiple revisions will often have to be made, causing the submitter to make multiple trips to and from the agency office, wasting valuable time and resources. With an electronic plan review process, all submissions, reviews, and revisions happen online, which can lead to improved customer service throughout the building plan review process.
3. Keep track of all building plans in one central location
Agency employees have to handle a multitude of simultaneous projects, and it can be challenging to keep track of all the moving parts. With a paper-based plan review process, there is an ongoing struggle to keep track of all the building plans in the review process. When you have an electronic system to manage the submission, review, and revisions of plan reviews, you can rest assured that all the building plans are stored online in an easy-to-retrieve location.
4. Streamline workflows and gain visibility
When an agency has a paper-based plan review process, it can difficult to track the status of reviews in the process. With an electronic plan review system, an agency has clarity during each step of the review process, allowing them to report on the status, edits, and comments made on each plan in review. Additionally, with an electronic plan review process, reviews can be performed in parallel and not sequentially by departments, decreasing the overall length of the review process and leading to a streamlined workflow for the agency.
5. Ensured security
Storing data in the cloud makes sense, particularly for areas prone to natural disasters. Entire agency databases and files have been lost when agency buildings are wiped out, including the paper documentation of plans. By implementing an electronic plan review system, agencies have peace of mind knowing that all documents are securely stored online and are safe.
Working with hundreds of cities to move them from a paper-based to an electronic review process has proven to the MyGov team that the five reasons to implement an online approach are true for small and large agencies. If you want to learn more about the best practices and benefits of an electronic plan review process, schedule a free 30-minute consultation today. Our MyGov Sales team would enjoy speaking with you and learning more about how we can help your agency succeed.
