Our ‘Local Government Best Practices’ series profiles innovators in the public sector who are bringing digital transformation to their municipality.
Today we’re featuring Carol Collins, Systems/Network Analyst for the City of Grand Junction, CO.
How did you get involved with local government?
My entire career has been in the government sector, first as a contractor employee with the federal government, and more recently with the City of Grand Junction.
I have worked with the City for 10 years, as a Systems Analyst in the Information Technology Division. I provide technical support for various software applications used by our City employees.
How did you first hear about GovOS?
My supervisor attended a CGAIT (Colorado Government Association of Information Technology) Conference, where he asked other attendees what forms package they used. He received good feedback about SeamlessDocs (now GovOS Studio) from attendees of two other local government agencies within the state.
Why did you decide to go paperless?
The City has been trying to minimize paper use for a long time. But, there have been obstacles, such as signature requirements and form delivery to the recipient or next signer in a business workflow. Even with electronic forms, we were using an outdated method that was often not compatible with all browsers – completed forms would come back blank; there was no valid e-signature capability. The City is always trying to make processes easier for citizens and employees. Online form submittal is one of the ways we can improve things. Now, with GovOS Studio, we can complete an entire workflow online.
We always strive to make life easier for citizens and employees. GovOS Studio helps us do that by providing a mechanism to access and complete a form online, including signature, payment if needed, and delivery of the form to its recipient.
And, the process is so much faster! From a management perspective, form submissions are consistently stored and easily retrievable, and signature attribution is achieved.
What is the GovOS implementation like?
We have the typical adoption problems, including resistance to change, or just procrastination. But as we deploy new forms, people see how well they work and realize that processes are improved. We now have forms used by many of our departments, including the Administration, Community Development, Finance, Fire, Human Resources, Parks, Police, Public Works and Utilities. We have received over 9,000 submissions to date.
Name one form or process that’s been changed by GovOS
We have a permit request that requires a fee and involves an approval process. Previously, the requestor would print and fill out an application (usually by hand) and provide required documents, either by email or in person. The paper permit would be approved and signed and the requestor would either pay by check, at that time, or get billed at the end of the month. Now, they simply complete the form online, attach needed documentation and submit payment in one simple transaction. When the permit is approved, they receive email notification and can retrieve the signed permit online.
Favorite GovOS Studio Feature?
So many! Digital workflow. The ability to retain the visual appearance (logo, formatting, etc.) of a form, both on-screen and the form submission results. Ability to add attachments. Great support.
Advice for another municipality just starting out with GovOS?
Make good use of the GovOS “Success Manager” assigned to you. You can call or email them and get prompt answers to any questions and advice on the best feature use to solve any need.
