Across every level of government, agencies are accelerating their investment in technology, focusing on dedicating larger portions of their IT budgets to modernization, data management, and artificial intelligence. According to e.Republic’s 2024 Generative AI Survey, government spending on AI is projected to grow more than tenfold — from roughly $1 billion in 2024 to as much as $16 billion by 2027.
For leaders, increased spending comes with new responsibility, as City Managers and other government leaders must make strategic, informed choices about where and how they invest. The goal isn’t simply to adopt emerging technologies, but rather to invest in proven, scalable solutions that improve department performance, enable data‑driven decisions, and deliver measurable returns.
With resources stretched thin, the smartest investments are those that empower teams to work more efficiently and serve citizens more effectively.
At Avolve, we understand these challenges firsthand, and we maintain laser-focused on helping local agencies modernize with confidence. As community development teams balance high permit volumes, workforce shifts, and rising public expectations, we continue to reflect on our guiding question: How can our technology help agencies do more with less?
After listening closely to the hundreds of local governments we partner with, we’ve developed a clear four-pronged innovation roadmap grounded in the principles of strategic investment, transparency, and measurable results. These aren't the kind of features that will be here today but gone tomorrow. They’re purpose-built capabilities that leverage the best of today’s technologies to slot right into your plan review process and deliver value from day one.
AI Submit: Cleaner Plans from the Start
A significant portion of plan submissions still contain preventable issues, like missing title blocks or incorrect sheet references. These small errors must be caught by administrative staff, taking them away from more pressing tasks and creating the need for resubmittal, which adds days of delay — and creates frustration for all parties.
That’s why we built AI Submit. It’s an AI-powered ‘front-gate’ check that flags those common errors before intake, so reviewers start with cleaner plans, applicants save time, and projects move forward, faster.
At Avolve we believe in intentional AI, or AI that’s customer-informed and purpose built for government plan review to remove administrative bottlenecks. Our approach to AI is human-centric, where technology is controlled utilizing the expertise of team members, creating efficiencies to streamline and accelerate the plan review process. Our AI features are not here to replace human judgement but automate busy work, so experts can focus on what matters.
Avolve GIS: Turning Plans into Places
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have long been used to map, plan, and manage critical infrastructure, but cities are now turning to this technology to improve service delivery, disaster response, and urban planning. According to a 2024 McKinsey article “Government organizations are increasingly using spatial data and satellite imagery to enhance delivery of public services, elevate disaster responsiveness, and foster the development of smarter, more sustainable, and more future-ready cities.”
Avolve recognizes the immense power of GIS, so we’ve embedded Esri ArcGIS directly inside the ProjectDox and DigEplan plan review window. No more toggling or exporting, reviewers can now drop a sheet onto a live map, rotate it to north, and sketch conflicts right there, saving up to 40 minutes per permit.
Avolve Mobile: Plans in Hand, Wherever the Job Takes You
Paper binders, printed sheets, and after‑hours data reentry still slow down many inspection teams and end up eating up hours that could be spent pushing projects forward.
Avolve Mobile puts the approved plan set right on a phone or tablet — even offline if needed. Inspectors can take a picture, pin it to the sheet, sign off on-site, and sync it back instantly. No duplicate work. No waiting for the office to catch up. Just faster, more transparent service.
Avolve Insights: Turning Activity into Direction
We all know the phrase, “If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.” But while most agencies actually have the data they need, it’s often buried in spreadsheets, email chains, or scattered among document repositories.
Avolve Insights changes this by turning everyday activity into real-time dashboards and reports you can actually use without having to spend days manually cleaning, sorting, and visualizing the data.
An Eye to the Future with Avolve
At Avolve, we’ve chosen to invest in meaningful innovations that provide immediate and long-lasting value to those working in community development. These four new features are not just incremental upgrades, but advancements that empower agencies to serve their communities faster, smarter, and more sustainably — built on secure, scalable technology that agencies can trust.
Request a demo to learn more about how our newest innovations will help you build thriving communities and to see them in action.