Hannah Stambaugh, Deputy County Administrator of Saline County, remembers what her workday was like before implementing GovBuilt.
“[Building permits] were operating from completely antiquated forms – a clipboard and a #2 pencil, and forms from the 1980s. It was all paper and it just wasn’t efficient.”
She and one of the department’s sanitarians once spent hours looking for documentation and researching the history of a septic system to answer a single question from a citizen.
That wasn’t an unusual occurrence. The paper system that the department was using made it difficult and time-consuming to respond to such questions and complaints.
And it also created a huge backlog of unbilled and uncollected accounts receivables.
Making the Switch
Hannah brought in the IT team to help decide what permitting and licensing solution would be right for the county.
So why did GovBuilt stand out to them?
Configurability
A determining factor for Hannah and the IT reps was that GovBuilt was more adaptable than the others seemed to be. Where the other competitors’ demos presented their product “as is,” GovBuilt demonstrated a great product and a willingness to adapt the platform to Saline County’s specific needs.
“The other software companies seemed like a one-size-fits-all solution, with no flexibility. We had to mold ourselves to their platform,” Hannah stated. “GovBuilt molded their platform to us and how we operate.”
Communication
Hannah shared that she particularly appreciated GovBuilt’s style of open communication between them and her department.
“They really listened to us, to our pain points, and worked with us to alleviate those pain points,” she stated. “Even today, months after the implementation, GovBuilt is still checking in with us to gather feedback and offer support, and they’re always open to making whatever adjustments we need.”
GovBuilt continues to make sure that things are running smoothly and that the system is helping Saline County to operate at optimal efficiency.
Implementation
Transitioning their work systems from paper to electronic was no small feat for Saline County. It required everyone involved – management, administrative staff, and field employees – to learn new ways of working.
Throughout the implementation phase, GovBuilt showed tremendous interest in ensuring that everyone is delighted with the system.
The people at GovBuilt have gone the extra mile to help the entire department with the transition. In Hannah’s words, “GovBuilt helped us to think differently about how we work.”
Now: GovBuilt Benefits
When she saw GovBuilt’s demonstration, Hannah’s initial thought was, “There’s no way it can be this easy.”
But she now acknowledges that GovBuilt did not disappoint, and was in fact, “mind-blowing” in delivering on its promises.
Benefits they’ve seen include:
90% Fewer Delinquent Payments
That backlog of accounts receivable soon became a thing of the past, with the delinquency rate for inspection payments down almost 90%. How? Largely because GovBuilt bills through an automated workflow that makes the process painless for both staff and contractors. “It’s all but eliminated getting our county counselor involved to send them letters,” Hannah said.
Reduced Data Entry and Manual Tasks
But Hannah isn’t the only one who’s seen benefits from GovBuilt. Environmental Health Specialist Seth Odette shared that the new system is saving him up to an hour of work per day.
“There can be 4-5 different forms that need to be completed for a single job out in the field. Our old paperwork process required us to write and rewrite the same data — name, address, etc. — on each form separately. With GovBuilt, the information is typed in once and auto-populated into all necessary forms,” Seth told us.
Where other electronic systems he’s worked with required downloading forms, saving them, and attaching them before sending, Seth appreciates how he can instantly provide the customer with a finished product with a few clicks using GovBuilt’s email functionality.
Transparency and Internal Communication
Hannah has a dashboard where she can instantaneously get an overview of what’s going on – outstanding permits, pending jobs, and activities that have been completed. The helpful Notes feature allows for shared documentation that all concerned parties can access.
Administrative Assistant Kathleen Malone-Crouch adds that this level of transparency allows them to see what everyone else has on their plate. “It has encouraged an appreciation for each other that perhaps wasn’t as prevalent before. I think we value each other more because of GovBuilt,” she said.
Time for Other Projects
We spoke with Kathleen in a large, organized room with several workspaces, a long counter with coffee service and a sink for employee breaks, and a few filing cabinets lining the walls.
“This entire room used to be filled with boxes and boxes of paperwork,” Kathleen told us. “The GovBuilt software has saved me so much time that I’ve been able to enter 50 years of paperwork into the system.”
By digitizing the County’s entire history of documentation, the department has not only reclaimed much-needed workspace but has realized further efficiencies in their operation. They no longer need to search through boxes to locate permitting and licensing history but can access it all instantly from wherever they are.
Happier Stakeholders
GovBuilt’s search feature has helped streamline working with contractors, who don’t always know the address but can usually provide a name. Even with as little data as the first name, Seth is able to locate the correct job request in GovBuilt, saving time and frustration.
Realtors and citizens are also happy with the system, as their requests are fulfilled much faster than before—at a time when real estate is booming in the county.
