Transforming Permitting in the City of Syracuse with e-PlanSoft

In 2018, the City of Syracuse, New York, launched a digital transformation initiative aimed at modernizing its outdated plan review and permitting processes. Syracuse's operations were fully paper based, creating inefficiencies, extended timelines, and high costs. Through strategic planning and the implementation of e-PlanREVIEW® from e-PlanSoft™, the city has significantly improved its plan review and permitting performance, reviewer productivity, and applicant satisfaction.

A Legacy of Paper and Inefficiency

Jake Dishaw, Deputy Commissioner for Code Enforcement and former Director of Permits, described the pre-digital era as “complete chaos.” Applications, plans, and revisions were physically delivered in rolls, stored in overfilled offices, and transported by hand across various municipal departments. In fact, applicants for large commercial projects were required to submit eight full sets of paper plans - each routed to separate departments scattered throughout the city. The logistics of this approach resulted in extensive delays.

“Sometimes stuff would get dropped off via delivery person and we wouldn't even know what it was,” Dishaw recalled. "We would come across [plans] days later...It was an organizational mess, and it just slowed everything down.”

Not only was the process time-consuming, but it also introduced substantial financial burdens for applicants, who could spend thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars on printing alone. Physical routing created long wait times; one department might only retrieve plans biweekly, leaving submissions untouched for weeks. Additionally, there were no standardized timelines or service level agreements (SLAs), making consistent review cycles virtually impossible. A full commercial permitting process could take up to a year to complete.

Laying the Groundwork for Change

Recognizing the gravity of the problem, Mayor Ben Walsh declared permitting a citywide priority. Jessica Brandt, now Permit Director, was enlisted through the Mayor’s Office of Innovation to help lead the change. The team conducted an extensive discovery process, engaging staff and mapping workflows to identify key improvement areas: people, process, communication, space, technology, and resources.

“We saw going digital as a solution to a number of the different challenges that we had identified,” Brandt explained. One critical pain point going digital would solve was the absence of accountability in the paper-based system. Plans were dropped off without documentation or tracking, and confusion routinely delayed routing and review.

A digital transition would also tackle spatial and organizational barriers. Reviewers were decentralized, residing in different departments and buildings. The act of physically routing plans amplified delays, especially when reviewers only collected plans once a month. Bringing reviewers together digitally became a key goal.

Selecting the Right Partner

After vetting multiple vendors, the City of Syracuse selected e-PlanSoft for its right-sized solution, e-PlanREVIEW. The software offered essential tools for plan reviewers, including side-by-side version comparisons, scale calibration, and revision overlays - critical features that made the transition viable.

e-PlanSoft also provided a standalone digital submission portal, goPost™, which was vital at the time since Syracuse lacked a permitting system, at that time, capable of digital intake. The solution’s user-friendly interface, effective project management, and accessible support structure made it the clear choice.

“We made sure we had direct input and evaluation from the people that were going to be using it,” said Dishaw. “This wasn’t just senior staff making the decision - we brought in everyone.”

 

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Transitioning to Electronic Plan Review

Transitioning from a paper-based process required deliberate coordination, cultural change, and attention to countless logistical details. Training played a pivotal role in smoothing the transition. From permit clerks to senior plan reviewers, all employees had to learn to navigate the new system, use its tools effectively, and shift from reviewing paper blueprints to interpreting digital documents on-screen.

To further aid adoption, Syracuse invested in upgrading its technological infrastructure. The city outfitted review stations with large-format touch screens, mobile monitor carts, and dual-screen desktop setups. These tools were thoughtfully chosen to emulate the experience of traditional plan tables while enabling the advantages of digital workflows.

e-PlanSoft’s implementation team was instrumental in this process, providing responsive support and troubleshooting assistance that allowed the city to address challenges in real time. According to city staff, the responsiveness and commitment of e-PlanSoft’s support services made a substantial difference in the overall success of the rollout.

Measured Success and Lasting Impact

Since implementing e-PlanSoft, Syracuse has seen remarkable improvements in performance and efficiency.

• The city now operates with clearly defined SLAs: eight weeks for new commercial buildings and six weeks for large-scale renovations. Applicants who submit complete documentation can often receive approvals in under eight weeks - compared to the six to twelve months under the old system.
• Electronic plan review has eliminated the need for costly printed sets and physical deliveries. “This was a huge cost savings for our applicants,” said Brandt. “It was a bit of a learning curve for applicants, but they certainly see the benefit.”
• The city has repurposed the space once consumed by plan storage for collaborative work areas and streamlined workflows.
• The e-PlanREVIEW integration with Clariti Launch allows for a seamless permitting experience, from submission to approval, for applicants.

Looking Ahead

Syracuse’s plan review and permitting transformation is far from over. With large-scale developments and major infrastructure projects on the horizon, the city aims to become a national model for efficient, applicant-focused permitting. “We want to be known as the best permitting department in the country,” Dishaw emphasized.