FileVision Helps Charlotte Housing Authority Go Paperless: Agency Sees Boost In Productivity, Improved Services
A new FileVision case study discusses how the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA) solved its key productivity challenge – the storage and retrieval of massive amounts of paper documents – with FileVision's information management solution. CHA, a non-profit real estate holding company, serves Charlotte, NC families for whom conventional housing is unaffordable.
"One of the main reasons CHA decided to purchase an information management solution was storage. They simply were running out of space," said Tim Martin, president of BankSys Management Inc. (BMI) and CHA IT department's long-time associate and solution partner. "We recommended FileVision as a solution to make it easier for employees to access important documents by eliminating the cumbersome task of physically pulling folders and checking them out and back in."
FileVision has proven effective for several key CHA departments, including the Real Estate Development Group, the Section 8 Housing Department, as well as outside legal counsel and agencies like the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Although the non-profit agency looked at several other systems, six out of seven chose FileVision over competing solutions. Within CHA, each individual department is realizing a positive impact on productivity with the FileVision solution.
Real Estate Development Improves Economic Growth with Better Productivity
The CHA Real Estate Development Group exists to develop and acquire quality, affordable housing to promote economic growth. The department is also charged with expanding the pool of developers and funding sources available to CHA for future projects. Before FileVision, all documentation was performed on an entirely manual process. Today, FileVision is enabling the department to electronically manage grant applications and approvals, signed agreements, contracts, HUD approvals and correspondence, resulting in improved productivity, reduced overhead costs and improved communications between departments.
Other departments within CHA need access to documents developed and managed by the Real Estate Group. With FileVision, they can now access those electronic documents from their desktops.
According to Deborah Williams, administrative assistant, CHA Real Estate Development Group, "Before FileVision, my job was really hectic because we were running out of room and space for paper filing. FileVision has changed things for the better. We very easily set up the system to work the way we were already accustomed to. We didn't have to change what was working for us. We've simply improved it."
FileVision Reduces Rental Process from Two Days to 15 Minutes
Once a CHA property has been completed, the rental process begins with a hand-off to the Operations department. Before FileVision, the transfer was a manual process starting with a face-to-face meeting followed by the physical transfer of all documentation. Hand-off meetings still take place, but the folders and files are now available to Operations personnel electronically via FileVision.
"Previously it took in excess of two days to get all the documents compiled into one file to send to the attorneys and other appropriate departments," said Ralph Vestuti, director of IT for CHA, "Now it only takes about 15 minutes. The attorney's office was surprised and pleased."
Section 8 Housing Department: Serves as Model for Going Paperless
With oversight of all Housing Authorities, HUD conducts onsite visits to the Section 8 Housing department to view documents and insure accountability of the program. As with other pre-FileVision processes, these reviews were conducted manually.
CHA's Section 8 department proved they could reliably provide electronic copies on the spot to HUD inspectors. As a result, HUD gave CHA's Section 8 department approval to use the new CHA/FileVision electronic filing and retrieval system to facilitate HUD's onsite visits and inspections. This has opened the door for other agencies to automate their paper processes. Vestuti stated, "When other Housing Authorities call us to discuss going paperless, we recommend FileVision. It works beautifully and it has already been blessed by HUD."
Point Forward Strategy: New Strategy Eliminates Storage Needs, Documents Efficiently Shared Electronically
Using FileVision, Section 8 chose a "from this point forward" strategy rather than a back file conversion. They are currently only scanning new applications and related files. The Section 8 Clerks shred paper files, as approved by HUD, after they are scanned, eliminating the need for additional filing cabinets and storage space. Once the files are scanned, Section 8 Housing Specialists access and print the files they need with a few clicks of the mouse. In addition, the ability to email contracts greatly enhances productivity.
CHA's future plans include rolling out FileVision information relationship management in Modernization, Accounting, Procurement, and Executive departments to name a few.
About The Charlotte Housing Authority
The Charlotte Housing Authority is a non-profit public real estate holding company that provides decent, safe and affordable housing to low and moderate-income families while supporting their efforts to achieve self-sufficiency. Over the last 12 years, the Authority has become a national leader in mixed-income developments as demonstrated by the agency's receipt of over $122M in HOPE VI grant funding from the federal government. This public investment has spurred hundreds of millions of dollars in additional private and public investment and development in nearly all areas of the city.
About BMI
BMI, headquartered in Duluth, Georgia is the one-source technology partner for banks, financial institutions and local governments. With more than fifteen years of experience, BMI provides banks and local government entities with software and service from design and installation to support and monitoring. BMI is an Authorized Reseller of FileVision Information Relationship Management software. For more information about BMI, email info@banksys.net.
About FileVision
FileVision is a global software company that develops information relationship management software. Our solution, FileVision, empowers organizations to bridge the gap between digital content and paper documents by intelligently linking and matching documents and information to important data objects such as people, companies, processes and assets. Government, healthcare and financial services organizations worldwide rely on our technology to help them improve communications, enhance customer service and immediately access information and relationships within data. FileVision is headquartered in Atlanta, GA with offices in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, please visit www.filevision.com.
SOURCE: FileVision