Automation of planning certificates results in $100k cost savings through faster processing times, reduced waste and redeployment of company resources
Anstat, Victoria Australia

Business Challenge
Anstat, an SAI Global Company (www.anstat.com.au/api), is the largest provider of Planning Certificates in Victoria, and holds comprehensive databases of current and historical planning information. Although Anstat offers its clients a highly secure and fast on-line ordering system for planning certificates, weekly planning amendments issued by government agencies were marked-up manually in hardcopy maps. Before issuing a planning certificate, staff had to first cross-check planning information with these maps and this introduced delays in the delivery process. To improve delivery times, which could take up to 2 to 3 days, Anstat was looking for a way to automate the production of planning certificates.

Solution Overview
In order to get a complete understanding of Anstat's existing business processes, Geomatic Technologies (GT) first undertook a requirements analysis with Anstat. In this initial phase GT led workshops with the various project stakeholders, while investigating market leading technologies that could assist with the automation of planning certificate delivery. GT provided advice on technology options including software, data and development components, as well as outlining implementation timeframes.

The solution deployed at Anstat draws on two technologies: GT Loca and iSMART. Together these technologies enable a new automated workflow for issuing planning certificates.

GT Loca provides address validation and mapping functionality for Anstat's online ordering system so that client requests can be ordered to the correct property with a high level of accuracy, minimising errors and rework. iSMART, developed by eSpatial, is a web-based GIS or Geographic Information System application that allows Anstat to digitise its existing hardcopy plans and mark these up with weekly planning amendments, removing hardcopy mark-ups. These combined technologies have created an improved workflow for the generation of planning certificates by reducing the need to cross-reference with paper-based systems, and will eventually allow for the elimination of hardcopy plans.

Outcomes
Since the introduction of the new automated workflow solution processing times have been dramatically reduced and resourcing has been much more efficient. Some key statistics are:

• GT Loca's address-matching service is queried on average 1000+ times per day.
• >11,000 polygons have been created with iSmart digitising tools, capturing over 2000 hardcopy maps and hundreds of printed database entries.
• 65% of products are produced and delivered to clients within 10 minutes of being ordered and the remaining 35% are generally delivered within 2 hours.
• Staffing requirements have been reduced enabling staff to be re-deployed within other areas of the business.
• Paper use and document storage costs have been reduced.
• Staff have gained new skills in creating and manipulating digital information.
• Moving from paper to digital has enabled the re-purposing of office space.

Images above from left to right
Aerial image of properties with property lines outlined. Workflow analysis for issuing planning certificates. House plan and 3D drawing of house.