Document Management Expedites Processing for Engineering Offices

County and city government departments of building and planning are tasked with managing documents and information that are constantly changing. Plans and blueprints have to be approved, building permits must be issued, inspection reports have to be filed, certificates of occupancy must be issued for public buildings, and fire laws and environmental concerns have to be addressed. Paperwork is constantly updated, making accurate information challenging to track. Indexing documents for easy retrieval and review—and managing them efficiently with limited staff resources—can be challenging. The good news is that there are tools that make document and information management easier than ever before.

An electronic document management system allows you to capture all of your files and store them in a centrally searchable database. These include:

• scanned paper documents (blueprints, permits, etc.);
• electronic forms completed via your Web portal (such as applications for permits);
• emails and faxes indexed for easy retrieval;
• photos and other image types;

and more.

Optical Image Technology’s DocFinity software integrates with your existing software applications using Web services. Desktop scanning facilitates quick processing of routine documents from your office. Preauthorized persons are able to share data between governmental agencies according to your security requirements, ensuring that progress and decisions can be made quickly. Files can be indexed using multiple criteria (such as county, property number, contractor names, and document type), making information access easy for the diverse parties that require it. Security settings enable you to decide who is permitted to access, annotate, and approve specific files in accordance with your policies and regulations. Viewing options enable you to examine plans in layers or access isolated information such as building entrances or water supplies to ensure they meet code requirements.

DocFinity’s digital workflow software lets you streamline routine business processes for consistency and automate them according to your standard business rules. Documents requiring action, such as a building permit application’s approval, can be sent electronically to the appropriate parties for review. Permit details can be compared automatically behind the scenes with data on property setbacks, land use specifications, and other pertinent criteria for quick, informed decisions. The resulting approval can generate an automatic request for electronic signatures, which can be collected digitally into the property’s portfolio. Appropriate documents, letters, or calls can be issued automatically depending on the approval or denial of a request. The software leaves a detailed transaction trail of all activities, facilitating audits and compliance. The possibilities are limited only by your vision.

If your office is ready to eliminate the headaches of manual filing and paper chasing, you may be ready for automation. Visit our website's government case studies page to see some of the ways we have helped government agencies reach their goals. Contact us or send us an email at info@docfinity.com to learn more.