I’ve
been in the utilities software business for 12 years. Normally, when I visit a
customer or prospective customer site to talk with the “billing” people and I
mention the word “permits,” they say, “Huh? What’s a permit? Oh, you mean that
stuff where we have people fill out applications? The paperwork that’s required
to do something and that we file away? Do you mean that CAD (computer-aided
design) system where we look at pipes in the ground? Permitting, yeah we do
it.”
My
response (only a little nicer): “Of course you do … you’re required by law to.”
Anytime someone digs in the right-of-way or installs new infrastructure, you’re
required to regulate that activity. You require them to get permission, or the
permit.
Many
billing departments will call this “engineering.” They might have a CAD system
or geographical information system (GIS) to
assist, but the solution is mediocre at best. If I ask them what permitting
system they use at their agency, they say, “Oh, permitting, the building department
has a permitting system.” But that’s not the permitting system I mean. In this on-demand webinar, I talk about permitting systems that are focused on
utilities, which will affect your future revenue stream as new customers are added
to your tax base. Some types of permits that we discuss include:
- Water/sewer taps
- General construction
permits
- Utility service
agreements
- Underground storage
tanks
- Excavation permits
- Conservation permits
- Impact fees
View this on-demand webinar to discover how integrating permitting and GIS into
your CIS Billing system will help you get a better handle on your revenue
stream and business processes.
Posted by Carlos Thomas, Solutions
Director, CIS Billing, Public Sector Group
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