Local governments must collaborate across departments to effectively manage business license approvals; however, traditional workflows often hinder timely communication and lead to delays and frustrations for both agencies and applicants. Accela streamlines collaboration for license approvals, empowering agencies to work more efficiently and provide better service to businesses. Accela’s cloud-based licensing solutions address communication challenges by fostering multi-department coordination, enhancing transparency, and accelerating approval times.
Streamlined Workflows for Simultaneous Review
Accela helps building, permitting, fire, and health departments participate in concurrent reviews rather than sequential approvals. Automated workflows are pre-configured to route applications to the relevant departments in real-time, allowing all necessary parties to review, comment on, and approve documents simultaneously. This multi-departmental approach reduces bottlenecks and makes the entire process up to 50% faster than traditional methods
Enhanced Communication Across Departments
A core strength of Accela is the platform’s focus on inter-agency communication. The system keeps all departments informed of an application’s status, reducing the need for manual updates and redundant inquiries. Notifications and status updates are shared instantly across departments, ensuring that everyone involved remains on the same page. This transparency improves coordination and reduces miscommunication to create a seamless experience for both agency staff and applicants.
Transparent Progress Tracking for Applicants
Accela’s citizen portal allows business owners to check the status of their applications at any time, which reduces the frequency of status calls to city departments. Applicants can see where their applications stand in the review workflow and which departments are actively involved. They also receive instant notifications of any changes in status, giving them the confidence that their application is progressing efficiently through each required checkpoint.
Simplified Document Management
The platform supports online document submission and management for floor plans, financial statements, and lease agreements. By enabling applicants to upload documentation online, Accela eliminates paper-based processes and centralizes files in a single location accessible to all relevant departments. This approach helps streamline document review, reduces manual data entry errors, and enhances record-keeping across departments.
Improved Efficiency in Inspections
For agencies that require inspections as part of the licensing process, Accela’s mobile app allows field inspectors to conduct, document, and submit inspection reports in real-time. With instant access to application data and previous inspection history, inspectors from various departments can conduct more comprehensive, accurate, and coordinated reviews. This mobile functionality significantly reduces the time inspectors spend on paperwork and allows staff to focus on efficient fieldwork, which speeds up the overall approval process.
Accela’s multi-department coordination capabilities streamline the licensing process by enabling cross-departmental collaboration, improving transparency, and reducing delays. Local governments can make better, faster decisions that benefit both the community and the businesses they serve. As a result, agencies using Accela are well-positioned to meet the demands of modern governance and drive economic development with ease.
Accela and 3SG Plus
3SG Plus is an authorized Accela reseller, integrator, and professional services provider. We help local governments implement the Accela Civic Platform. Our professional and managed services ensure that each deployment meets operational objectives and maximizes return on investment.
If you would like to learn more about Accela solutions for business, occupational, and short-term rentals, check out our brochure. If you would like to speak with one of our Accela experts, drop us a line below.