How Grain Valley, MO found massive time savings with online business licensing software

Background

The City of Grain Valley was incorporated in 1884. It can be found just east of Kansas City. Grain Valley has seen Lewis and Clark, the Osage Tribe, the Civil War, and the expansion of the railroad. Grain Valley currently has an estimated population of 16,673. As a desirable location with a rich history, it is predicted to continue growing as new businesses move into the area.

Challenges

Prior to Civic Review, Grain Valley was handling all renewing licenses/permits using paper applications.

The City Clerk at Grain Valley recalled,

Our applications undergo various approvals through various departments depending on the license/permit types. Documents would move through various hands multiple times before final approvals. We had to track down applications regularly. Once licenses were finally approved, our payments had to go through another department as well.

A typical new application would require on average 1-3 days each and 7 touches by the time it got through all of the reviews, payments, printing, etc. we would spend days on end during our renewal period on each application printing and mailing renewals, opening mail coming back to us, sorting through mail, tracking down missing items (fields not filled out or licensing requirements such as insurance certificates, etc.), getting manual signatures/approvals, sorting through so many payments (checks) or calling each business over the phone payments, printing and mailing the licenses.

The situation was frustrating for staff and for applicants. During the COVID pandemic, it was even worse.

Our City has grown, and during COVID, it was apparent the way we did business was not working well. People were in and out of the office on split shifts to try and limit the number of individuals in the office at any time (social distancing) and it would be days before approvals were complete.

It was at this point they recognized that something needed to change. They began searching for a solution to streamline their process to reduce headaches and maximize efficiency.

Solution

During the process of searching for the right solution, Grain Valley spoke with several other companies.

The other companies we spoke with wanted us to fit into their product’s limitations,” Grain Valley said. When we participated in Civic Review’s demo, we knew it was the right solution for us. It was not an out of the box, this is what you get type of program. It allows for customization, automation, and our multi-levels of approvals. The program is also very user friendly.

Grain Valley evaluation process focused on customizability, efficiency, user friendly features, and great support. Civic Review was able to deliver a solution that met all of the city’s requirements and more including the ability for businesses to submit multiple new business licenses and renewals online, quick and painless review processes, print licenses remotely, integrate with the city’s existing payment provider, route approvals automatically based on application criteria, and robust reporting capabilities. Grain Valley also uses Civic Review for building permits, planning and zoning, and code enforcement.

Results

Grain Valley found that Civic Review transformed how City staff worked, saving countless hours for each employee that was involved in a new business license or renewal. Before Civic Review,

With Civic Review, the renewal rate utilizing electronic processing still requires other people to review, but all reviews, payments, even license printing is done by the applicant (no mail!) This has been a HUGE time saver for us and the customers.

Grain Valley has successfully modernized its license management processes, leading to greater efficiency, transparency, and compliance. Civic Review has not only improved the experience for business owners but has also enabled city officials to manage licenses more effectively and proactively.