Modernizing Permit Intake for the Accela Citizen Portal with GovPath’s GWiz and Avolve’s DigEplan

For applicants, permitting often feels like a black box. They are often burdened with guessing requirements, submitting incomplete applications, and facing resubmissions, wasting time and frustrating everyone involved. Through a new integration, GovPath’s GWiz and Avolve’s DigEplan are changing that. Agencies using Accela can now connect guided, GIS-enabled permit application intake directly onto DigEplan’s AI-powered plan validation during submission before plans move forward. GWiz guides applicants through the permit application and submission process, while DigEplan’s AI pre-check capabilities provide a structured interface for flagging issues before plans are submitted.

A Shared Commitment to a Better Permitting Experience

Both GovPath and Avolve share the common goal of helping public agencies modernize permitting while improving transparency and service delivery for applicants.

“Applicants often struggle to determine which permit they need or what information is required before they begin the process,” said Dane Quatacker, Chief Product Officer (CPO) at GovPath. “GWiz helps remove that uncertainty by guiding applicants through permit application and submission requirements in a way that reflects how agencies actually operate. Integrating GWiz with DigEplan’s AI-Submit functionality adds an additional layer of efficiency to the application process.”

“Agencies need intuitive front-end tools that make permitting seamless from the Accela Citizen Portal,” said George Mastakas, Chief Growth Officer at Avolve. “GWiz + DigEplan targets that critical initial stage of the permitting lifecycle that often goes underserved, guiding applicants to complete, accurate submissions on their very first visit. By combining our AI-powered pre-submission capabilities, we’re creating a connected, intelligent applicant experience that dramatically reduces friction before applications even reach agency staff.”

GWiz Helps Applicants Get Clear on Requirements Before They Submit

Applicants often have to guess requirements, navigate unclear submission steps, or realize too late that they’ve selected the wrong permit type. GovPath designed GWiz to address this front-end uncertainty. GWiz enhances the agency portal with an intelligence guidance layer that helps applicants understand the requirements of their application before they submit. Instead of navigating static forms or complex permit categories, GWiz guides applicants through a series of simple questions about their project, asking:

• What type of project are you planning?
• Is the work for a residential or commercial property?
• Are you adding, modifying, or demolishing a structure?
• GWiz enhances the intake layer by guiding applicants through permit application and submission requirements.
• DigEplan AI-Submit reviews plans before submission.

GWiz interprets the applicant’s intent using natural language search and dynamically maps their responses to the appropriate permit type. The system then surfaces the correct record type, documentation, requirements, and estimated fees based on the agency’s configuration.

With GIS functionality, GWiz can also automatically populate address details and support location-based record selection, ensuring applicants see requirements that reflect the specific rules governing their property.

DigEplan Ensures Applications Are Complete Before Submission

While GWiz helps applicants start the process correctly, DigEplan AI-Submit takes it a step further by providing advanced capabilities where plans go through a series of checks before they are even submitted.

This enhancement helps ensure that applicants move smoothly through the application process while ensuring submissions include the correct documentation and information.

For example, an applicant might begin by describing a residential addition or tenant improvement project in GWiz. Based on agency rules, GWiz identifies the likely permit path, surfaces required documents, and provides fee guidance.

From there, the submission moves into DigEplan AI-Submit, where plans are reviewed to identify missing sheet references and titles, auto-detect and populate elements like the north arrow and scale, and ensure space for approval stamps before they move forward in the review lifecycle.

Because the intake processes reflect the agency’s actual permit requirements or configuration, reviewers receive submissions that are better aligned with their requirements.

Modernizing the Accela Ecosystem

For Accela agencies, this partnership reinforces the strength of the core permitting system while improving how the added experience works together. Accela remains the core system of record for permitting.

By connecting Avolve's AI Submit for DigEplan with GovPath's GWiz, AI assistance at submission becomes part of a single guided experience within Accela’s permitting system, with GIS data embedded throughout. The integrations empower applicants to begin the process with greater clarity and confidence.

And because the workflow is built to support a broader modern permitting experience, it also creates a natural path for future capabilities such as GIS-enhanced plan review and field mobility as agencies continue to evolve.

From Guided Intake to Measurable Efficiency Gains

Based on strong historical data from DigEplan customers, agencies typically see a conservative 20% decrease in staff time required to process each application. They also see a consistent reduction in their reliance on external plan reviewers, averaging a 30% decrease in third-party review spend. For an agency currently spending around $1,000,000 per year, that’s roughly $300,000 in annual savings that can be redirected to higher value priorities.

The value for agencies with this integration is straightforward: applicants receive clearer guidance before they submit, and agencies receive cleaner applications that move more smoothly into plan review.

Upcoming Webinar: GWiz + DigEplan on Wednesday, June 24 at 10 AM PT

Sign up for our webinar to see how GWiz and DigEplan create a front-end permitting experience that is easy for applicants to navigate permit applications, and easier for the reviewers that serve them.