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Several primary objectives for the department are to streamline and automate inspection scheduling and disposition tracking; permit and licensing workflow management; and multi-agency construction plan reviews. Reviewing agencies that will be included in the new permitting application process include Fire Prevention, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Assessing, Landmarks Commission, Boston Water and Sewer, Public Works, Transportation, Conservation, and Parks and Recreation.

Thus far in FY05, ISD's revenue is over $25 million obtained from processing nearly 100,000 permit and license applications. ISD's Building and Structures Division is responsible for over $23 million of that revenue, collected from processing nearly 56,000 permits and licenses. ISD as a whole conducts over 60,000 inspections a year.

Boston's ISD had been investigating back office and customer-centric building regulatory and permitting solutions for over 10 years, conducting extensive management reviews that fueled the requirements for a competitive procurement of an industry-leading off-the-shelf software and services vendor.

After comprehensive software demonstrations and site visits, Hansen 8 was selected to help reduce paper-driven processes, shorten permit and licensing turn-around times, provide extensive activity status and financial reporting capabilities, and serve City of Boston constituents in a more streamlined fashion.

At an executive-level kick-off presentation held on January 5, 2006 for over 10 different City departments, Mayor Thomas M. Menino stated, "My administration's priority is to focus on using technology to improve our delivery of services. This automated permitting and inspection project is one of our initiatives that will improve the coordination amongst city agencies and streamline a very complicated and confusing application process. Boston looks forward to working with Hansen in implementing this new system."

The Hansen 8 solution will include the full array of products available in the Community Development and Regulation (CDR) product family. They include the Customer Service, Building and Use Permits, Project and Planning, Code Enforcement/Case Management, Business and Trade Licensing, and Cashiering products. Peripheral extensions include Hansen's DynamicPORTAL® for online service request management; permit and license applications; Hansen's Mobile Solution; and the Web services-based Hansen GIS integration.

The first implementation milestone includes the set-up of a centralized call center within ISD using the Hansen 8 Customer Service product. In conjunction with initial implementation efforts, Hansen will work with the City to provide a master addressing and contact application utilizing the Hansen 8 addressing, contact, and property management data structure.

"With our partnership with Boston, Hansen continues to further serve the East Coast governmental building and construction regulatory community," stated Bob Benstead, Hansen's Business Unit Director for CDR. "Boston's emphasis on historical preservation and its diverse housing stock and construction activity required a highly configurable workflow engine. Our professional services organization is experienced and up to the challenge and looks forward to working with a well-planned Boston project team."