# 100% Paperless 100% Online Building Department



## jar546 (Nov 24, 2020)

Is your Building Department 100% Paperless and 100% Online?
This means that you have no paper folders for inspectors or plan review.  All submissions are done online and processed electronically.  The contractor then downloads the approved drawings and permit cards/inspection cards, prints them and keeps them on the jobsite.

If you are 100% online, and 100% paperless, how long have you been doing it?  Please comment below.

IF you are not, please answer the survey question so we can get an idea of percentage. Thank you.


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## classicT (Nov 24, 2020)

Since COVID, we are 100% (er, well 99%).

We will still get the odd old-timer who cant figure out email and will mail (or the dreaded fax) something in. We then scan and convert to electronic. If needed, we will print and mail back to them. This is few and far between, and is limited to those of a certain generation who will not do anything electronic.


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## cda (Nov 24, 2020)

It is going to take awhile to change 

Plus, budget hit hard, so cannot buy the needed electronic stuff.


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## jar546 (Nov 24, 2020)

classicT said:


> Since COVID, we are 100% (er, well 99%).
> 
> We will still get the odd old-timer who cant figure out email and will mail (or the dreaded fax) something in. We then scan and convert to electronic. If needed, we will print and mail back to them. This is few and far between, and is limited to those of a certain generation who will not do anything electronic.


Same, we are essentially 100% but still have an occasional  very rare situation where we scan.
WE WILL NOT scan plans as all drawings from RDPs must be electronically signed and sealed.
WE WILL NOT ACCEPT scanned plans that come from an RDP.  No more wet seals.


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## Beniah Naylor (Nov 24, 2020)

We are 100% paperless I think it started a little before Covid but not by much.


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## jar546 (Nov 24, 2020)

Beniah Naylor said:


> We are 100% paperless I think it started a little before Covid but not by much.


I hope you took the survey.  Thank you for replying.


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## Keystone (Nov 24, 2020)

Jar or any of ya that are mostly online,, How many people actually input all the info correctly for plan review and fee calculator??


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## Keystone (Nov 24, 2020)

Have ya eliminated a permit clerk with being electronic?


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## classicT (Nov 24, 2020)

Keystone said:


> Jar or any of ya that are mostly online,, How many people actually input all the info correctly for plan review and fee calculator??


We haven't made it this far yet. But are hopefully on our way to a new system that can do this as well. We are in the midst of moving to a new webbased permitting suite.

Right now, we have a pdf application that gets filled in and emailed to us with the plans (or link to plans if large file).

In the future, the application will be done via a webpage, which will end with a quote. But per our developer, the customer will not be able to pay until we have had a permit technician review and approve the application (i.e. verify inputs made by customer).


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## Beniah Naylor (Nov 24, 2020)

jar546 said:


> I hope you took the survey.  Thank you for replying.


I was not able to take the survey, I don't know it's because I'm not a Sawhorse or if the website doesn't like my server. So mine will have to be a provisional ballot...


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## ICE (Nov 24, 2020)

We are 100% online for obtaining permits and getting there for plans but paper plans are still in the works.

I have noticed a trend....a building permit will be obtained for an addition but not the MEP. Then there’s a request for under-slab plumbing but no permit.  Nobody is gaming the system....they just don’t understand the system.


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## jar546 (Nov 25, 2020)

Keystone said:


> Jar or any of ya that are mostly online,, How many people actually input all the info correctly for plan review and fee calculator??


The permit techs verify the info before it is allowed to go to plan review.  Part of the plan review process is checking the valuations again.
No, we did not eliminate a permit tech, they are both just as busy as they were before.


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## jar546 (Nov 25, 2020)

Beniah Naylor said:


> I was not able to take the survey, I don't know it's because I'm not a Sawhorse or if the website doesn't like my server. So mine will have to be a provisional ballot...


All registered members can take surveys.  You don't need to be a Sawhorse so I think this may be something on your end.  I use Chrome and it seems to work well with the forum.


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## JCraver (Nov 25, 2020)

jar546 said:


> The permit techs verify the info before it is allowed to go to plan review.  Part of the plan review process is checking the valuations again.
> No, we did not eliminate a permit tech, they are both just as busy as they were before.



How many applications does your office receive a day?


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## Beniah Naylor (Nov 25, 2020)

jar546 said:


> All registered members can take surveys.  You don't need to be a Sawhorse so I think this may be something on your end.  I use Chrome and it seems to work well with the forum.


Probably is on my end, my computer was set up by someone else and they did things differently than I would have. I was using Chrome, it must be some other issue. We shall see.


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## jar546 (Nov 25, 2020)

JCraver said:


> How many applications does your office receive a day?


We received 110 online permit applications in the month of October if that helps.  We had 21 working days in October.  That is about average.


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## JCraver (Nov 25, 2020)

jar546 said:


> We received 110 online permit applications in the month of October if that helps.  We had 21 working days in October.  That is about average.



Bigger government than mine is fascinating to me, in a way.  I don't want any part of it, but it's interesting to hear about.


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## jar546 (Nov 25, 2020)

JCraver said:


> Bigger government than mine is fascinating to me, in a way.  I don't want any part of it, but it's interesting to hear about.


We are very small.  I did electrical inspections in the city of West Palm Beach and they had a numbering system that reset to zero every month.  I remember in June of 2019 I did an inspection on the 4th of the month for a permit that was issued on June 3rd.  The permit number was 19-06-0234 which means that they had at least 234 permits in the queue by day 3 of June for the month of June.  Imagine that, 234 permits in 3 days.


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## VillageInspector (Nov 25, 2020)

We have been trending towards all electronic processes even prior to Covid but more so now and I would guesstimate that we are probably at 85 + at this point and I'm sure as Covid 2.0 is right around the corner in this area that we will be pushing 100 percent shortly. Our planning and zoning submittals are at 100 percent as a result of the respective board members opting for Zoom meeting which I don't see changing for the several months at a minimum.

Have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving


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## jar546 (Nov 25, 2020)

VillageInspector said:


> We have been trending towards all electronic processes even prior to Covid but more so now and I would guesstimate that we are probably at 85 + at this point and I'm sure as Covid 2.0 is right around the corner in this area that we will be pushing 100 percent shortly. Our planning and zoning submittals are at 100 percent as a result of the respective board members opting for Zoom meeting which I don't see changing for the several months at a minimum.
> 
> Have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving


Great news.  Only 15% to go!  I am seeing this more and more.  Thanks COVID,..... but in a good way.


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## Rick18071 (Nov 25, 2020)

I worked for a few 3rd party inspection companies. They are usually in the stone age when it comes to electronics. Unless they see more profit in doing things paperless I don't see any changes. We are lucky just to get updated code books from them.


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## mark handler (Nov 26, 2020)

At this time, yes


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## Pcinspector1 (Dec 3, 2020)

No and No. 

Still require two full sets, stamped, signed and dated plans. One set gets returned and required to be at the job site. We have requested PDF's for our electronic files but we have no legal authority to do so until I change the ordinance. We use to require a Mylar, but not any more. 

1) Have you an ordinance supporting your request that allows paper only submittals? 
2) Do the projects have a set of approved paper plans at the site to view?
3) Are you seeing or not seeing plan addendums and change orders on projects? How's that handled?

I think budgets have a lot to do with this modernization for some jurisdictions.

Just curious, I thought I could get out before this.


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## Pcinspector1 (Dec 3, 2020)

Also when you have to go to court, will you have the documents needed?


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## mtlogcabin (Dec 3, 2020)

1) Have you an ordinance supporting your request that allows paper only submittals? _You do not need an ordinance to allow electronic submittals as long as you will still accept paper copies if drawn that way. The vast majority of drawings are done electronically and after 4 years no one has ever insisted on providing paper copies._

2) Do the projects have a set of approved paper plans at the site to view? _We have the approved plans on our i-pads which the inspector can access in the field and if the worker in the field does not have them onsite the inspector can e-mail them to him directly while standing next to him. The i-pads have a data plan for internet access at all times_

3) Are you seeing or not seeing plan addendums and change orders on projects? How's that handled? _They are submitted electronically and placed into the approved drawings after review

_


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## jar546 (Dec 3, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> No and No.
> 
> Still require two full sets, stamped, signed and dated plans. One set gets returned and required to be at the job site. We have requested PDF's for our electronic files but we have no legal authority to do so until I change the ordinance. We use to require a Mylar, but not any more.
> 
> ...


1) No, the FBC covers this in the Administration section so we don't rely on a local ordinance.
2) Yes, always, they download and print the approved drawings from their account on the website.
3) Revisions are submitted as a child permit to the original permit and follow the same plan review process.

Honestly, after having the Building Department closed to the public for the past almost 9 months and the fact that we are 100% paperless, I am in absolutely no rush nor do I want to open up the doors again because it will just reduce our efficiency and take more time and effort on our part.  We will still be 100% paperless but we will have to scan stuff in. (the sizes we can scan anyway).  I am hoping we open but still only take online submittals.


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## Pcinspector1 (Dec 3, 2020)

Thanks for the valuable information, any minor or major issues with your processes?


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## mtlogcabin (Dec 3, 2020)

Electronic plan submission has been in the I-Codes since 2003. So basically the BO can determine what is acceptable and what is not when submitting electronically

2003 IBC

106.1.1 Information on construction documents.
Construction documents shall be dimensioned and drawn upon suitable material. *Electronic media documents are permitted to be submitted when approved by the building official. *Construction documents shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the location, nature and extent of the work proposed and show in detail that it will conform to the provisions of this code and relevant laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, as determined by the building official.


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## steveray (Dec 3, 2020)

We still legally need paper for the legal record but we can work digital, just have to get it in the budget....Software and hardware...


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## tmurray (Dec 3, 2020)

jar546 said:


> Honestly, after having the Building Department closed to the public for the past almost 9 months and the fact that we are 100% paperless, I am in absolutely no rush nor do I want to open up the doors again because it will just reduce our efficiency and take more time and effort on our part.  We will still be 100% paperless but we will have to scan stuff in. (the sizes we can scan anyway).  I am hoping we open but still only take online submittals.


We are in the middle of doing this now as we have been open to the public for about 4 months. It's not that bad, but we always scanned everything in anyway, so we just changed the process from scanning everything in at the end to scanning everything right away. 

We also have a large format scanner to get those pesky physical drawings that are not available in digital format for whatever reason, but most people are more than happy to save the cost of printing a set and sending it in digitally.


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## rktect 1 (Dec 3, 2020)

I would say that we are around 90/10.

90% not paperless
10% paperless


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## mtlogcabin (Dec 3, 2020)

steveray said:


> We still legally need paper for the legal record...


We did to up until last year when the state changed the rules for records retention from requiring paper to allowing electronic retention


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## fatboy (Dec 4, 2020)

Keystone said:


> Jar or any of ya that are mostly online,, How many people actually input all the info correctly for plan review and fee calculator??


Fortunately, with TRAKiT, we are able to have custom screens that you can select type of construction, occupancy type, SQ foot, which calculates valuation, then formulas to calculate plan review fees, permit fees and sales tax. Also Development Impact Fees for new construction. In answer for the next question, our permit tech still  verifies valuations/fees before the system will allow the submittal.


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## fatboy (Dec 4, 2020)

fatboy said:


> Fortunately, with TRAKiT, we are able to have custom screens that you can select type of construction, occupancy type, SQ foot, which calculates valuation, then formulas to calculate plan review fees, permit fees and sales tax. Also Development Impact Fees for new construction. In answer for the next question, our permit tech still  verifies valuations/fees before the system will allow the submittal.


And, we started electronic plane review in February 2018, in preparation for the launch of TRAKiT in June, 2018. 

Paper copies are supposed to be on site, but frankly, they don't get looked at, with the iPads the inspector can look at the smallest of details easily. All addendums, engineering, reports etc. are also in the electronic file.

It is always an evolving process, we found that the time savings could pay for a new Business Analyst position that works solely on TRAKiT, electronic processes, etc. 

All in all, very happy with it, would do it again in a heartbeat, wish I had pushed harder back in the day to get it launched sooner! That was the worst of it, the initial budget outlay  for the system, the process mapping, etc. to forever to get it going, probably three plus years. 

If you are thinking about it, start whatever wheels moving, *ASAP*!


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## jar546 (Dec 4, 2020)

steveray said:


> We still legally need paper for the legal record but we can work digital, just have to get it in the budget....Software and hardware...


Digital record is widely accepted as legal across the US.  In Florida we have compliance rules for digital media.


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## cda (Dec 4, 2020)

In the office, What size monitor do you use for plan review????


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## mtlogcabin (Dec 4, 2020)

60 inch tv's


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## jar546 (Dec 4, 2020)

cda said:


> In the office, What size monitor do you use for plan review????


I have dual, side by side 32" monitors and cannot fathom going back to a single monitor.


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## mtlogcabin (Dec 4, 2020)

Actually my commercial plans examiner has a 70" and a 42" tv for monitors. Fire  sprinkler and fire alarm plans examiner has a 60" tv and two 17" monitors every one else in our department have 60" tv's for monitor's. All the public works employees use 60" tv's as monitors along with a 17" monitor for a dual setup.


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## steveray (Dec 4, 2020)

Our State librarian needs to step it up....Microfiche and laserfiche are the only things we can use instead of paper for lifetime retention documents...



jar546 said:


> Digital record is widely accepted as legal across the US.  In Florida we have compliance rules for digital media.


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## Bryant (Dec 4, 2020)

We do most of the residential fully electronic and most if not all of the builders like it, so do we. Commercial a different animal. A lot of it has to do with the amount of data our system can handle. That is an IT thing which is a constant battle. Individual  homeowner projects like additions accessories and decks usually come in paper. We like the 21st century, but we are stuck in a 19th century mentality from the powers that be....


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## Pcinspector1 (Dec 4, 2020)

What would you say is the estimated cost from a plan review screen, review software, permitting software, field I-pads etc.?


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## Rick18071 (Dec 4, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> What would you say is the estimated cost from a plan review screen, review software, permitting software, field I-pads etc.?



Don't forget wifi, internet and cell connection costs. And upgrades and replacements every few years.


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## jar546 (Dec 5, 2020)

One of the factors that you haver to look at is the cost of paper records retention, storage facilities, degradation of paper, space and labor costs for records requests.  The world is moving forward with technology whether we like it or not and paper is slowly becoming a thing of the past.  Look at the costs of office supplies.  My budget was $12,500 per year for all of the paper, writing utensils, toner, copier leases, folders/jackets, permit cards, etc. and we are now less than half of that, coming in just over $5,000 per year.  I just had to transfer $17,000 to the Clerks office so they could manually scan all of our old records and place them into Laserfische.  Now that we are paperless, I don't have any expenses like that anymore.  Storage of full size blueprints and being able to find them has always been more expensive than anyone wants to admit.

Whatever the cost is to work towards electronic, it is worth it and part of doing business in today's world.  Once you realize the benefits and ease of operations, not to mention the detailed records, you will never, ever look back.  Architects, Engineers and contractors love the new process because they only have to print 1 copy to keep on the jobsite.  Some jobsites are even more advanced on large projects because I get there and they hand me a large tablet on a shoulder harness and I have access to the prints in PDF right at my fingertips and can zoom right in as far as I need to.

Another benefit is our inspectors can use our SmartGov app and bring up any document if they need to.  The level that we are working at now vs the level I worked at in the past with paper only has benefits that outweigh any of the costs. It is what it is and you just have to move forward without excuses.If yoiu want to make it happen, you will.


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## cda (Dec 5, 2020)

And I am guessing 
There is a backup to the backup to the backup storage ?

Somewhere in Alaska, protected by Bears.


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## ICE (Dec 5, 2020)

mtlogcabin said:


> 2) Do the projects have a set of approved paper plans at the site to view? _We have the approved plans on our i-pads which the inspector can access in the field and if the worker in the field does not have them onsite the inspector can e-mail them to him directly while standing next to him. The i-pads have a data plan for internet access at all times_


Our system restricts who can view documents and plans to persons that the applicant has entered into the application for a permit.  If your email address is not there, you can't see anything.


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## jar546 (Dec 6, 2020)

cda said:


> And I am guessing
> There is a backup to the backup to the backup storage ?
> 
> Somewhere in Alaska, protected by Bears.


Ours is a web based program that meets the records requirements of the State of Florida.  Those companies that have web-based programs have redundancy that meet today's standards.  Some systems require a local, in-house server and those have to be backed up to a compliant records retention company such as Laserfische which is a web-based system anyway.


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## fatboy (Dec 6, 2020)

> Pcinspector1 said:
> What would you say is the estimated cost from a plan review screen, review software, permitting software, field I-pads etc.?



It will vary wildly.

We are in in at as the entire Community Development Department level, Inspections, Development Review, and Code Compliance.

We have moved every process we had under it, so you need to think about the various other software licenses that you can dump. The cost of storing all the paper files/plans.

Bottom line, we are probably in it for $3-400K, all said and done. Plus as stated, the ongoing cost of maintaining the system, equipment.

But there are so many variables and options. Electronic plan review as a start would be way \cheaper, easier to start, plus it is out of the way when you can get into a system.


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## jar546 (Dec 6, 2020)

I think the price is heavily dependent on the size of your municipality.


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## tmurray (Dec 7, 2020)

jar546 said:


> One of the factors that you haver to look at is the cost of paper records retention, storage facilities, degradation of paper, space and labor costs for records requests.  The world is moving forward with technology whether we like it or not and paper is slowly becoming a thing of the past.  Look at the costs of office supplies.  My budget was $12,500 per year for all of the paper, writing utensils, toner, copier leases, folders/jackets, permit cards, etc. and we are now less than half of that, coming in just over $5,000 per year.  I just had to transfer $17,000 to the Clerks office so they could manually scan all of our old records and place them into Laserfische.  Now that we are paperless, I don't have any expenses like that anymore.  Storage of full size blueprints and being able to find them has always been more expensive than anyone wants to admit.
> 
> Whatever the cost is to work towards electronic, it is worth it and part of doing business in today's world.  Once you realize the benefits and ease of operations, not to mention the detailed records, you will never, ever look back.  Architects, Engineers and contractors love the new process because they only have to print 1 copy to keep on the jobsite.  Some jobsites are even more advanced on large projects because I get there and they hand me a large tablet on a shoulder harness and I have access to the prints in PDF right at my fingertips and can zoom right in as far as I need to.
> 
> Another benefit is our inspectors can use our SmartGov app and bring up any document if they need to.  The level that we are working at now vs the level I worked at in the past with paper only has benefits that outweigh any of the costs. It is what it is and you just have to move forward without excuses.If yoiu want to make it happen, you will.



I did an analysis just on storage of paper records and for the minimum retention time of 20 years, it would cost me $5,000 for each bankers box of files to have them professionally stored and we produce 11 of them a year (small municipality).

I think this is something a lot of us are forgetting about when we look at our permit prices. It's not just the operation of the department we need to look at, but also the records management and retention.


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## Pcinspector1 (Dec 7, 2020)

So it appears that some have moved forward with the process as budgets allow. No one has just cold turkey, flat out changed and became paperless or online capable over night, It takes some planning. 

Here we would have to have paid outside IT, some of you have a department of about 1-5 employees doing that, which makes it a bit easier I suspect. 

Kudo's to you that have progressed!


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## jar546 (Dec 7, 2020)

Pcinspector1 said:


> So it appears that some have moved forward with the process as budgets allow. No one has just cold turkey, flat out changed and became paperless or online capable over night, It takes some planning.
> 
> Here we would have to have paid outside IT, some of you have a department of about 1-5 employees doing that, which makes it a bit easier I suspect.
> 
> Kudo's to you that have progressed!



We had permitting software but the only thing online was inspection request.  We literally went to 100% paperless overnight because the software that we have had that capability.  It took about 2 weeks to get the kinks out of the system (big kinks) and the ability to set up the online payment so we took cards over the phone which is now strictly prohibited.


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## Rick18071 (Dec 8, 2020)

As a 3rd party inspection company we only keep ongoing plans. Once they get the C. O. it's the municipals responsibility to store the files.


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## tmurray (Dec 8, 2020)

We have been slowly moving in this direction for the past 5 years or so. What started this was a threat analysis which dictated that a fire would be a significant loss to our current records (100% paper at the time with some digitized). So we made decisions to slowly mitigate this risk. COVID definitely sped up the final phase of electronic submissions, but the rest was already done.


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## jar546 (Dec 8, 2020)

tmurray said:


> We have been slowly moving in this direction for the past 5 years or so. What started this was a threat analysis which dictated that a fire would be a significant loss to our current records (100% paper at the time with some digitized). So we made decisions to slowly mitigate this risk. COVID definitely sped up the final phase of electronic submissions, but the rest was already done.


Not to sound like a broken record but I will never, ever work somewhere that is not 100% digital.  It just does not make sense anymore.  Paperless is certainly the way to go.


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## tmurray (Dec 9, 2020)

jar546 said:


> Not to sound like a broken record but I will never, ever work somewhere that is not 100% digital.  It just does not make sense anymore.  Paperless is certainly the way to go.


Yes. Once we switched over inspections to digital, it saved me like an hour a day in paperwork.


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## tmurray (Dec 9, 2020)

Also, It didn't really cost that much money. Especially over the long term. When we were looking at new software or technology replacements, we just made sure it supported the ultimate goal of online services.


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