Permitting Processes Promptly

By Niles Koenigsberg , Process Improvement & Change Management Intern

May 21, 2018

As a citizen of Colorado, applying for a simple permit from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) before 2016 was more difficult than it needed to be. 

The system at the time, Microsoft Access, was a helpful addition when it was implemented in 2007, but it was not an enterprise application. It wasn’t compatible with other entities across the state, and network outages rendered it unavailable and often corrupted the database. Certainly, it was an improvement from the original paper-based process that existed before 2006, however, the average wait time for a permit was 21 days. That was before the Office of Information Technology made the switch to Salesforce. 

Used by all of CDOT’s Access, Utility, Special Use, and Outdoor Advertising Permit programs, Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Not only does Salesforce automate an abundance of workflows, but the platform also allows any agency or department within or outside of CDOT to review applications. It may already sound like a time-saver, however, these improvements only scratch the surface. 

Dashboard

Now complete with an online application form for Utility permits that is integrated into CDOT’s website, significant data entry time required by CDOT’s permit staff has been eliminated. CDOT staff reduced the need to scan paper documents, and staff no longer worry about lost email communications and missing reviews conducted by external departments, because of the platform’s stored memory. All of this innovation allowed the average wait time for a permit to drop to 13 days. 

Not surprisingly, the SamSam malware that plagued CDOT in early 2018 did not harm the Salesforce platform. In fact, since the entire platform is cloud-based, CDOT permit writers and other staff members were able to complete their work remotely while their work computers were being purged of the malware. They could even approve permits from their mobile devices. 

The entire platform has been adopted and further developed by other Colorado state departments, agencies, and divisions (e.g. Marketing, DORA, rehires, etc.). 

Thank you to the project innovators and collaborators that propelled this system forward: Alex Karami, Andrew Lovato, Scott Hoftiezer, Jack Dean, as well as all of the permit managers and assistants throughout the state. 

However, this entire process would not have been possible without the diligent work and effort provided by the entire Office of Information Technology. 

Benefits