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What century is your building department in? (POLL)

Does your Building Department use software for the permit process?

  • NO We do not use software at all and use nothing but paper

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • YES We use a combination of computer and paper

    Votes: 5 31.3%
  • YES We use permitting software but not for all aspects of the permitting process

    Votes: 6 37.5%
  • YES We use permitting software from soup to nuts including inspections and plan review

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • Total voters
    16

jar546

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Choosing an answer is just as important, if not more important that the discussions themselves. Please choose an answer before you post.
I realize there are many variables of permitting software, some don't do inspections, some don't do plan review, some do it all.
Thank you!
 
Our 3rd party company uses it own software for the administrative stuff. We use email to correspond to plan reviews. We have an app for inspections that is cool when it works right and when in a cell service area that sends out inspection reports by email. Otherwise everything is paper.
 
Our software issues, tracks, and sort-of schedules permits and inspections. That's all it does. Everything else is paper.
 
Our permitting software does not work automatically with the electronic plan review process. So yes everything is electronic however there are two separate systems, one for permitting and inspections and one for plan reviews
 
Option #3 if inspections are involved which option #4 suggests that it is. Except that our current software blows donkey b@!!$ so lets make that Option #2.5 at best.
 

We use permitting software but not for all aspects of the permitting process

Plan review is done with paper plans and a big red marker, red pencil or red ink pen the way it was meant to be?;)

I've got a couple of "Men who Draw" complaining cuz of the cost to produce paper plans, "times they are changin', I think Bob said!
 
We are 100% digital. The problem is the knowledge base and human resource element to make it work is lacking (my attempt at being kind) It was just "turned on" one day and has a lot of issues. There is a constant effort to fix things because the system was built very poorly and without attention to how it should work for an actual building department, by people not in the building department. Unfortunately I don't think it can be fixed without being re-built, and there is no will or skill to do so.
 
We are 100% digital. The problem is the knowledge base and human resource element to make it work is lacking (my attempt at being kind) It was just "turned on" one day and has a lot of issues. There is a constant effort to fix things because the system was built very poorly and without attention to how it should work for an actual building department, by people not in the building department. Unfortunately I don't think it can be fixed without being re-built, and there is no will or skill to do so.
What is the software you are using?
 
What is the software you are using?
We use Central Square- Trackit. I don't think it is the software as much as it is the implementation. I know others use it and it works well (I think Fatboy is one). I asked the software rep at our last education conference about some of the issues we have. He asked where I worked and when I told him he basically shrugged his shoulders and said he couldn't help because we "customized" it and they can't really support it. IMO, one of the flaws appears to be it's customizability. If it can be wrecked so badly by folks with an agenda then that itself may be the problem.

It does not integrate with a plan review software, which is also a mess. I basically download the plans from the portal (if that part works....I often have to get them via other methods like email or drop-box) review them and upload them back to the portal. This is an inherent flaw because each time a different reviewer does this a separate plan is created. I have tried SO VERY HARD to implement better document security, true concurrent review (BB studio), naming conventions, improved workflow, etc. but as I said, there is just no will to improve. Some folks are so invested in what they create they can't see any different way. There may also be some more nefarious motivations but that's another story...
 
Mostly #4, we do have some paper applications submitted from people of a certain generation. They are scanned and they get a paper permit at the end. Otherwise, all electronic.
 
Yeah it doesn't let me vote either. We have a "cobbled together" or "homemade" permit software that uses Access, it's basically uses spreadsheets but in a portal that makes it accessible. Hence the name I suppose. We were in contract with Central Square (Trakit) and it was going to be a "customized" program. Two years of very much wasted time and the decision was made to pull the plug. What we have works well enough.
 
We have had good luck with Central Square (Trakit), we keep putting more and more of the City department on it.

We do have a full time position dedicated to it though, it does not run without somebody minding the gaps.
 
Yeah I think we are just too small of a city for it. The couple of times we met with their rep I had to reiterate things like "no, I'm the only inspector" or "no there aren't going to be more than 5-6 registered users" and the like. It seemed to me like he was used to working with departments with at least double digit users.
 
Yeah I think we are just too small of a city for it. The couple of times we met with their rep I had to reiterate things like "no, I'm the only inspector" or "no there aren't going to be more than 5-6 registered users" and the like. It seemed to me like he was used to working with departments with at least double digit users.
You are never too small of a city to justify doing things electronically, especially the improved record keeping. Life is actually easier.
 
I would have to agree with Jar, I have a two inspector department and went with an electronic permit management system 10 years ago. We have slowly moved more and more electronic to the point we are at now where the only paper I deal with are paper submission from Boomers.
 
It surprises me that the ICC has not developed its own marketable software system for building departments.

Being they have resources and a very strong knowledge base behind them.

Just a thought
 
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