FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IRVINE, Calif.—November 16, 2021: e-PlanSoft™, leading developer and provider of cloud-based electronic plan review solutions, today announced that the Town of Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada has selected e-PlanREVIEW®, the company’s flagship product, to perform its plan reviews.
e-PlanREVIEW will be integrated with the Town’s permitting platform, Cloudpermit, which was implemented in September of this year. When the integration is complete, the Town will have a full end-to-end permitting and plan review solution, which will allow Gravenhurst to achieve its objectives.
Key considerations in the selection were the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the time required for plan reviews, the space needed to review and store plans, and the environmental impact of paper plan reviews vs. digital processes.
“The ability to eliminate paper from our process will serve us well now and into the future,” states Andy Jones, Chief Building Official at the Town of Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. “e-PlanREVIEW supports our efforts to meet our objectives.”
The Town’s initiative to operate as an environmentally-favorable organization supports the selection of e-PlanREVIEW, which will allow the town to achieve a paperless model for its plan review. Eliminating paper from the process will represent great progress for the initiative.
Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, plans and associated documents have been submitted as paper. The pandemic introduced additional challenges to the paper plan review model. To accommodate the necessary safety measures and the office closure, the Town began accepting plan sets via email, however, to review them, plans are printed in the office and the paper copies are reviewed. Larger plans are still delivered via courier service and dropped off outside of the office. The Town also takes measures to sanitize shared-touch documents as part of its pandemic precaution protocol. The process has become cumbersome and challenging to manage. Adding to the burden is provincial law, which requires that all plans received must be stored indefinitely.
It became clear that the challenges faced by the Town would be resolved with technology solutions, however, without information prior to the onset of the pandemic, new technology solutions hadn’t been included in the budget. Fortunately, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing of Ontario’s Municipal Modernization Program allowed the Town of Gravenhurst to apply for and receive funding from the provincial government to procure the necessary software.
Once Gravenhurst identified Cloudpermit to transition its permitting processes to a digital model, it set out to find the best plan review solution that would integrate well with the permitting platform and achieve its other objectives. e-PlanREVIEW stood out as the best solution to accommodate its needs, and will serve the town well moving forward, even beyond the pandemic.
“The integration between Cloudpermit and e-PlanREVIEW will be a true asset to the Town of Gravenhurst,” shared Jarkko Turtiainen, Cloudpermit’s Senior Vice President, North America. “Not only will Gravenhurst’s building department continue to benefit from an online building permit process with Cloudpermit, but it will soon benefit from seamless plan reviews with e-PlanREVIEW. This integration will bring Gravenhurst’s efficiency to new heights, and we’re excited to be part of it.”
e-PlanREVIEW will integrate seamlessly with Cloudpermit, and as a cloud-based solution, it provides unlimited indefinite storage. All tasks are performed digitally, fully accommodating all pandemic-related restrictions, and streamlines the process for a faster turnaround time. As each step is completed, the plan is automatically routed electronically to the next task and notifies the reviewer of the status. The town performs an average of 700 permitting projects per year, so the time savings will be compounded for each review performed.
“We are excited to work with the Town of Gravenhurst and provide a solution that well accommodates its requirements,” stated Harrison Longhurst, Regional Sales Manager at e-PlanSoft. “In providing e-PlanREVIEW to integrate with Cloudpermit, we are a part of the solution that addresses and conquers the challenges associated with working with paper.”
The selection of e-PlanREVIEW by the Town of Gravenhurst expands e-PlanSoft’s footprint in Canada. As other Canadian agencies take notice of the success achieved, the company anticipates greater demand across the country.
About Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Gravenhurst, otherwise known as “The Gateway to Muskoka”, is in the south end of Ontario’s finest four-season destination – Muskoka. Gravenhurst offers a vibrant community rich in arts, culture, and heritage and is home to the best events, recreational facilities, and outdoor activities in Muskoka. Gravenhurst offers visitors a wide range of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. Drive to Gravenhurst from Toronto in only 90 minutes. Fly from anywhere, and land at the newly renovated and expanded Muskoka Airport.
www.gravenhurst.ca/en/index.aspx
About e-PlanSoft
e-PlanSoft™ develops industry-leading cloud-based electronic document review software that assists governmental agencies, construction and manufacturing industries, developers, and owners with their plan review, design review, product review, construction, and asset review management in real-time. www.eplansoft.com.