Technology has been proven to help save time and money across many industries, helping companies reach maximum efficiency and service for their customers. However, it has been recorded that local authorities have been wasting two million man hours every year due to the ineffective ways the services are being used.
It is not uncommon for council employees to be rekeying data, costing councils not only unnecessary time but also a lot of money. The rekeying of data alone costs the local authorities nearly £14 million a year, which could increase to £45 million if councils do not invest in effective digital services solutions. iApply is one of these solutions. It has been designed as an online management system for planning and building control applications. It provides a solution that ensures that the process is smooth-running and efficient, saving valuable time and money.
The planning permission process has been described as ‘on the brink’, with it being complicated and time-wasting for applicants and councils alike. This inefficiency can cause stress not just to the applicants and planners but also to council employees who process the applications. The process needs to become more accessible to the public, not off-putting or seen as increased hassle.
Appropriate technology, such as iApply, will enable authorities to stay in control of the time and money spent on these services.
With iApply, applicants have all the planning process applications and building control submissions in one place, coupled with real-time information, notifications and the ability to collaborate. However, the benefits are not just for the applicants, but also for the local authorities processing the applications. All the information is found in one place, is easy to use and informative to both the planner and authority, with no need to rekey information, thus reducing duplication of effort.
Ultimately, the process will be easier for everybody involved, eventually negating the stigma of a difficult and time-consuming submission process.
For further information on iApply, please visit www.iapply.co.uk or find out what one of iApply customers has to say about UK’s first combined online planning and building control submission service http://bit.ly/1UhPVMC.
