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Framingham, Massachusetts Selects Accela Solution to Improve Customer Service

Web-based applications support Town’s goals to deliver excellent quality and cost-effective public services

Framingham, Mass. (April 20, 2009) Framingham, Massachusetts has selected Accela Automation® from Accela, Inc. to streamline its permitting, inspection, and fire department processes and improve the quality of services it provides. The user-friendly, easily accessible system will enable staff, residents, and local developers to conduct business via the Internet.

Framingham’s Building, Licensing, and Code Enforcement departments will upgrade to the Web-based system from a legacy Accela product. Staff will have access to a centralized database of land-use information that will enable them to more effectively track and manage activities related to permitting and inspections and support fire suppression and prevention, safety education, code enforcement, and plan review activities.

“We wanted a permitting and inspection solution that provides real-time status information to our citizens and customers, enables our inspectors to review and update permit and inspection information from the field, and reduces our IT administration burden – all this while maintaining the 40-plus years of permit history from our Accela legacy permitting product,” said Alan Holt, Framingham’s manager of Database Services. “The best solution was from the same company that has provided us with excellent service and support for over 10 years and is now guiding us through a successful implementation of Accela Automation and its mobile inspection and citizen access applications.”

“Framingham joins a growing group of Accela clients who are recognizing the many advantages of serving their citizens through Web-based solutions,” said Maury Blackman, Accela president and CEO. “Our experience has shown that the more agencies provide to the public, the greater the return they see on their technology investment.”

Additional Accela applications will enhance the functionality of Accela Automation by enabling field staff to work more efficiently in conducting inspections, providing residents with the ability to apply for and obtain permits online, and facilitating sharing of GIS information from a centralized database:

Accela Wireless™ is a mobile government software application that allows government staff to perform their jobs from the field for inspections, code enforcement, work orders, and service requests. Optimized for Intel Centrino® Mobile Technology, Accela Wireless is compatible with PDAs, laptops, and Tablet PCs running on the Microsoft Pocket PC 2003, Windows Mobile 5, Windows 2000, or Windows XP operating systems.

Accela Citizen Access™ provides real-time, direct access via the Internet to agency permit and land management activities. Online permit applications can be configured to allow citizens and businesses access to apply and pay for permits, schedule inspections, check the status of a permit or inspection, or print an approved permit directly from the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Accela GIS™ seamlessly integrates with Accela Automation to provide powerful real-time visual analysis to enhance land use, zoning, and infrastructure data. It allows creation of multiple map layers, automated map analysis, parcel and asset inventory management, direct editing of GIS data or files, and auto-distribution of information to mailing lists. It is built on ESRI® technology.

ABOUT FRAMINGHAM

The town of Framingham is located in Middlesex County in eastern Massachusetts about 20 miles west of Boston. It was first settled in 1647 and is currently home to approximately 67,000 residents. For more information, please visit https://www.framinghamma.gov/.