You've been approved for CARES Act funding. Now what? - e-PlanSoft

If you’re among the many organizations that successfully applied and were approved for funds through the CARES Act, congratulations! The criteria were specific, but still left room for some flexibility in how you apply the funds. But one hard and fast rule is the deadline to commit and expense the funds – December 31, 2020 – and it’s coming up fast.

If you haven’t already made the eligible expenditure for reimbursement, it’s time to move forward or risk losing access to the funds forever.

Consider an option that will accommodate more than the immediate need for social distancing. The right solution will also facilitate business continuity, improved efficiency, and will directly improve how your constituents conduct business with your agency. Permitting agencies and those in the AEC industry can take advantage of their CARES Act funding now by moving to an electronic plan review model. Permitting agencies and those in the AEC industry can take advantage of their CARES Act funding now by moving to an electronic plan review model.

Immediate ROI, Benefits, and Efficiencies

An electronic plan review solution and portal, such as e-PlanREVIEW® and goPost™ portal from e-PlanSoft™, fully accommodates distancing requirements and eliminates hands-on paper-based workflows. Forward-thinking agencies that have already adopted the electronic plan submission and review model are achieving significantly greater efficiency and productivity, and unprecedented time savings immediately upon implementation.

e-PlanREVIEW and goPost can be implemented very quickly and ROI is nearly simultaneous with the ‘go-live.’  The e-PlanSoft™ solutions offer streamlined workflows, improved commenting, enhanced real-time team collaboration while operating remotely, and the ability to submit documents for review from anywhere, even outside of regular office hours.

CARES Act Considerations

 The CARES Act was put in place to offer relief from some of the many challenges that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides, in part, assistance to organizations who were not already equipped to comply with distancing mandates and allows them to implement solutions to enable remote operations. There are qualifying factors though. The organization must have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the solution must be newly planned as a result of the pandemic. That said, funds are generally approved for use on new initiatives to acquire and implement technology solutions that eliminate or mitigate the need for in-person interactions and along those lines, paper-based workflows.

Follow the Lead of the Leaders

Some organizations are still up in the air about how to best allocate these one-time resources; however, many have taken action and are already realizing the benefits. The City of El Paso, Texas researched options to alleviate some of the challenges that arose from the pandemic and found that moving to an electronic plan submission and review model would keep business running smoothly and more efficiently, eliminating the need to impose any in-person interactions. Their move to e-PlanREVIEW and goPost from e-PlanSoft was an optimal solution to allow them to continue their plan reviews without interruption and will improve their efficiency during pandemic conditions and into the future.

Use Your Funding or Lose Your Funding

To take advantage of your CARES Act funding, you must acquire, implement, and submit the expenditure before the end of the 2020 calendar year. Whether you are an existing customer or new to e-PlanSoft, our professionals can get your agency up and running quickly and easily on this industry-leading solution, to ensure your agency receives the funds you are entitled to and capitalizes on this rare opportunity. Our focus is centered on helping you provide the maximum value to your citizens and employees in this very difficult time. Give e-PlanSoft a call today to get started and move your organization to improved efficiency in plan review now and into the future.

Learn more about our software, their functionality, and their use by getting in touch with us 1-877-654-3752. You can also send us an email at info@eplansoft.com with your questions and queries.

e-PlanREVIEW® and goPost™ are here to make your life easier—request a demo if you want to see them in action.