It doesn’t matter if you serve 10,000 or 100,000 constituents, every local government organization faces opportunities for improvements in efficiency and process. As populations grow and the scope of ordinances and agencies increase, the need for efficient processes and pragmatic workflow solutions also expands.
At InStream, we understand the diverse and unique needs of local governments throughout the United States. Coming from a position of knowledge and experience, we work to develop custom solutions that contribute to more productive local governing bodies.
#1 More Efficient Case Management
Your organization has a steady stream of cases coming in and out the door. However, unlike a picture perfect “stream” that runs from Point A to Point B, the cases in your organization may start, stop, diverge, rejoin, and branch out again before reaching a final destination!
Let’s consider one typical scenario we encounter with local government clients:
- A wide variety of professionals, from legal counsel to elected officials, are involved in an organization’s cases.
- These professionals are using a variety of devices, from personal smartphones to government-issued desktop computers.
- One agency needs to access a file with “Software A” and another relies on “Software B” for the same job.
Sound familiar?
InStream’s document management system and workflow solutions simplify these complexities so that your cases can proceed seamlessly. When using a document management system developed by our team, your employees and stakeholders have the support they need to advance cases as efficiently as possible through digital workflows.
And getting “Software A” to work with “Software B?” We handle that issue for our clients all the time by building custom solutions that connect disparate software systems.
See how we helped the HR Department at the City of Niagara Falls.
#2 Accounts Payable (AP) Technologies
Local governments around the U.S. rely on a combination of InStream solutions for powering their Accounts Payable departments. Take a look at an example process:
- Document scanning and data capture tools like Optical Character Recognition (OCR) are used for converting paper invoices into digital formats. Once processed with OCR, data can be easily searched, extracted, and analyzed.
- These invoices are imported into a secure document management system, eliminating the risk of loss and damage, while making documents easier to access.
- Invoices are automatically routed through workflow for approval and payment, reducing the risk of late payment fees.
- Custom automations and integrations with other systems can be layered into the workflow. For example, once an invoice is approved in workflow, the document management system, which is integrated with the AP system, triggers the processing of the payment.
#3 Better Policies for Travel Logistics
If government employees in your organization have to travel for work, InStream can help you smooth out the logistics involved in the trip. As discussed above, implementing a document management system can make it easy for employees to access the files they need from anywhere, according to access permissions determined by your organization.
How else can we help?
- Reimbursement requests for travel-related expenses can be easily entered into a system.
- Service requests for cars, vans, and transportation vehicles can be submitted from the field.
- Fleet management tools can be used to request a vehicle, monitor which employees have which vehicles, keep tabs on locations, and more.
- All of this can be managed through eForms, which are submitted electronically and then routed through a workflow for review, approval, and processing.
#4 Conversion Services
Local governments frequently have an extensive collection of documents and records, many of which are in a delicate state due to age or storage conditions. InStream has helped many local governments, including the City of Niagara Falls, convert these documents into digital formats that are easy to access and preserved forever.
Unleash the power of your data from traditional paper documents with document conversion services.
#5 Digital Image Storage and Vault Services
Once documents have been successfully converted, InStream offers digital image storage solutions. Our team can help your organization build out digital storage on location with traditional servers, or we can develop a cloud-based solution.
Lastly, we’re proud to offer vault storage services for microfilm and other physical documents and files. Vault storage adds additional layers of protection that many local governments find to be essential for meeting rigorous security measures.
Your company and team can rest easy knowing that your documents are under InStream’s care. We go to great lengths to ensure tight document security and preservation.
How Can We Partner With You?
Can we help your local government organization improve efficiency?
