What is ePlan Review Software?

There’s an easier way, and it’s made possible with electronic plan review software. Electronic plan (ePlan) review software enables you to digitally review, and markup plans in real-time, collaborate with reviewers across different departments, and stamp applicant plans without the need for paper copies or uploading/downloading copies to desktop software.

You may be wondering how building plan review software can benefit your agency, so we’ve broken down some of the ways the best electronic plan review software can help you save time and money by digitizing your process

1. Increase efficiency with real-time collaboration

Construction plan review software enables representatives across various departments, like building, planning, fire, and public works, to review, markup, and leave comments on cloud-hosted plans from anywhere at any time.

Not only does this save time by making the collaboration process easier, but you’ll also eliminate issues with version control or manual data entry. Users will collaborate on the same digital version of the construction plan which avoids repetition of work, as well as the impact of your change on their review comments. Being all in one place, you won’t have to worry about compiling or missing comments from multiple plan copies.

2. Do more with less staff

Many public sector organizations face higher permit volumes but aren’t given increased budgets to hire more staff. Since plan review software can help you increase efficiency and save time, you can manage more projects without having to hire additional people. In addition, you can access resources from other locations to support your plan review function – being online, it can be done from any location.

3. Integrate with your existing permitting workflows

ePlan software works with your existing permitting platforms and workflows, so you can improve the flow of information between the land use platform, and the electronic plan review solution. For example, Avolve partners with more than 15 government technology providers to ensure their customers can implement plan review software.

4. Improve your agency’s citizen experience with faster permit approvals

By optimizing your plan review process with electronic plan review software, you’ll work faster and reduce the time it takes to approve permits. A more efficient process will benefit your team members, and it will also improve your applicant experience with more satisfaction on the service being delivered.

Time is money, so applicants will enjoy the opportunity to start development faster with a speedier permit approval process. In addition, you might even find that companies are more likely to work with your agency because the process is easier, so you could attract an increased amount of local development.

5. Ditch the paper plans and reduce your environmental impact

It’s time to say goodbye to the days of relying on paper copies of construction plans. By digitizing your plan review process, you’ll no longer need to manage multiple copies of plans, worry about finding space to store them, or download plan files to your desktop. Version control issues will be a thing of the past!

With this transition, you’ll reduce your environmental impact by printing less paper, and you might even save money by no longer having to pay to store your plan sets.