Making the Move to Electronic Plan Review

Top tips and considerations in adopting an electronic plan review solution

If you’ve joined the ranks who have come to understand the many ways that electronic plan review will bring greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness in their plan review processes, congratulations. With an almost immediate ROI and the ability to work and interact with other stakeholders, even while complying with social distancing, making the move to a digital platform is the smart choice in streamlining the plan review process from start to finish.

When selecting an electronic plan review solution, consider how well the solution minimizes the time and steps required through the entire plan review process, including submission, review, recommendations, and ultimately time to complete.

Wondering where to begin in selecting the right solution for your needs? Not to worry, we’ve got it all right here for you.

Collaboration
Among the many benefits of electronic plan review is the flexibility to collaborate remotely. Pay careful attention to the ability to work together simultaneously, in real-time, while remote. This will save significant time over the course of the project, when multiple stakeholders across several departments can work on the project at the same time, rather than waiting for the plans to be checked back in before others can get to work.

Flexibility
Will your organization be better served with a standalone plan review solution or one that will integrate with a permitting/back office solution you’re already using. If you’re using additional platforms for permitting, be sure that your electronic plan review solution will seamlessly integrate with it, saving time and improving accuracy by eliminating the need for redundant data entry. If you’re not using an electronic platform for your permitting processes, you’ll need to be sure your electronic plan review platform is fully functional as a standalone solution and not dependent on any other systems to offer all of the features that will allow you to transition to the electronic model.

Plan Submission
Online submissions significantly streamline the plan review process from both a time and space perspective. You’ll no longer need to rely on receiving paper plans that take up an inordinate amount of space, and it won’t be necessary to have dedicated staff available during specific hours to receive plans. Consider how you want to accept online plan submissions. Do you have an existing permitting solution that offers a portal for online submissions? Will you need a portal that is specific to only your electronic plan review platform? Has your organization built a custom portal to accept submissions? You’ll need to factor this into your decision, and select the option that works best for your organization – remember, your plan review solution is being implemented to create efficiencies, not extra work.

Recommendations and Comments
One of the most time-consuming aspects of plan review is making recommendations, addressing them, and then verifying that each has been completed. Inconsistencies in verbiage and missed comments commonly slow down the process. The best solution will accommodate this with on-demand reporting, and the ability to select from an array of standardized comments, to virtually eliminate any question of intent, meaning, or even recommendations being unseen.

Cloud-based
As more people work from remote offices, on the road, or at home, IT departments have come to realize that user-initiated configuration changes and out-of-date software on remote machines are the new weakest link in corporate security. Those organizations that have adopted cloud-based technologies report greater efficiency across the board. Cloud servers, as opposed to on-premise or LAN-based management systems, remove the issues and budget-constraints IT departments face with the need to own, manage and maintain, and update your own the range of applications on a user’s PCs, laptops, and handheld devices. hardware, and provides greater security. Backups, software updates, and physical maintenance are managed offsite, as is constant monitoring for security vulnerabilities. Moving to a cloud-hosted solution provides a secure solution that will save time, effort, and stress.

Trusted Company and Availability of Support
Every consideration and benefit listed above is meaningless if you take on a solution that’s unmanageable, difficult to use, you can’t access help, and the company doesn’t have a record and history of reliability and reachability. A local or domestic company who specializes in the solution and is known for its award-winning customer service and reliability will serve your needs best and ensure your needs and objectives are met.

e-PlanSoft is the industry leader in electronic plan review. With deep experience in the public sector and the AEC industry, we live by our mission to deliver the best cloud-based plan review tool on the market.

Cloud-based e-PlanREVIEW® offers maximum flexibility to allow you to work in a way that best serves your organization. It can be used as a standalone platform, and also integrates seamlessly with most leading back-office/permission platforms, allowing you to be more efficient and eliminate redundant data entry. e-PlanREVIEW allows multiple stakeholders to collaborate simultaneously, at any time, from any device with a secure internet connection. Plans can be submitted through your organization’s online portal, through your permitting software, or e-PlanSoft’s goPost™ public portal, regardless of the time of day, and you can be assured of ironclad security. e-PlanREVIEW offers role-based permissions, so each team member has access appropriate to their specific level of participation. e-PlanREVIEW also eliminates any issues with missed or undecipherable comments. Select pre-populated codes and comments from the standard comment library – no need to look up codes or decipher writing or intent. e-PlanREVIEW helps permitting agencies and the AEC industry to conquer the challenges of managing intake, recommendations, revisions, and reviews, and keeps all stakeholders apprised of the project status. The entire plan review process is streamlined, while allowing as-needed access across all departments, and maximizing efficiency.