Mapping Multi-Department Permit Workflows
Full visibility into cross-department permit workflows for the first time.
The Challenge
A city of 200,000 residents had a building permit process that touched 4 departments (Zoning, Engineering, Fire, Building) with no shared view of the overall workflow. Average permit time was 12 weeks with high variance.
The Approach
H-Synth extracted each department's documented permit review process, then modeled the practiced workflow through staff interviews. The organizational graph revealed previously invisible dependencies and handoff delays. Simulation predicted which improvements would have the most impact.
The Results
The city identified 3 sequential handoffs that could run in parallel, reducing average permit time from 12 weeks to 7 weeks. The living workflow model is now the official process documentation, updated as procedures change.