Today we are going to talk about some innovation tools and techniques, and how we recently used them in our permitting work.
Technique number 1 - Iterate
Our office tries to prototype things as much as possible before we launch a project. However, sometimes you don’t get an initiative quite right on the first try. We are OK with that. We fully believe that sometimes you fail, and when you do, you learn from your mistakes and improve things for the next time.
When we initially launched our commercial permit review process, we underestimated the importance of calendar reminders, follow-ups, and guidance. When an intake meeting was scheduled, applicants would receive an email and/or phone call telling them when their meeting was. However, it was typically a week before the meeting - and that was it. The applicant was expected to remember when their meeting was, and come to City Hall Commons at the scheduled meeting time. Unfortunately this practice resulted in a lot of no-shows. This frustrated both applicants and staff. So we decided to go back to the drawing board and iterate on the process. Which brings us to our second innovation technique.
Technique number 2 - Leverage Existing Models
One of our favorite ideation techniques is something we call “pattern matching”. It involves identifying an existing process, business model, or practice and applying it to something new. We decided to employ a doctor’s office model to the commercial permitting process. Initially we were just going to focus on the permit intake process, but eventually decided to expand it to the entire commercial review process. We asked the project managers (PMs) to act doctor’s office support staff. Here’s a summary of how we decided to apply the doctor’s office model to the permitting process.
| Function | Doctor's Office Pattern | Permit Office Application |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | When a doctor’s office receives a referral from another medical professional, the office support staff reaches out to the patient to schedule the first appointment. | When the PMs receive notice that a project has been registered, they reach out to the applicant to schedule an intake meeting. |
| Appointment Reminder | A day before an appointment, medical support staff reaches out to the patient to confirm their appointment time. | A day or two before the scheduled intake meeting, a PM reach out to the applicant to remind them of their meeting. |
| Appointment Materials | The medical support staff reminds the patient to bring their insurance information and any other relevant materials. | A PM remind the applicant to bring their application, Code Review Form, plans, and any other relevant materials to their intake meeting. |
| Appointment Arrival | When the patient arrives to a doctor’s office, they initially see a nurse to do a preliminary assessment. Once all the data is collected, the doctor will come in to see the patient. | When the applicant arrives for their intake meeting, they will be greeted by the PMs. Once everyone is situated, the PMs will invite the reviewers down for the main part of the meeting. |
| Vitals | Prior to seeing the doctor, the medical support staff ensures that all of the patient’s relevant materials are compiled including medical history, height, weight, and the reason for their visit. | Prior to a permit application being passed along to reviewers, the PMs ensure that the application is as complete and as free of errors as possible, that all required materials are submitted, and any pre-identified hurdles have been addressed. |
| Triage | When a patient first enters a medical setting, the staff assesses them and identifies the degrees of urgency of which they need to be seen. | Traditionally, permits were reviewed in a first-in, first-out fashion. Now during the intake meetings, permits are assessed and may be moved into a quick review or even on-the-spot track. |
| Follow-up | Medical support staff follows up with the patient. They may require further tests, or an additional appointment to make sure the patient’s condition is improving. | After applications have been submitted, reviewers may find mistakes or issues with plans. The PMs follow up with the applicant to address the issues. |
| Records | Throughout the visit, the medical staff maintains medical records that can be reviewed at any point in time. | The PMs keep notes and maintain documentation about each permitting project that can be reviewed and referenced at any point in time. |