By legislation, there is a minimum 28 day review period before a licence can be granted. During this time official bodies (local police, environmental health, etc) and the public must have visibility of the proposed licence for a chance to challenge the application.
Staff have to manually email applications on to official bodies, as well as enter them on to public register.
Shadowing staff processing applications and in the call centre gave a real time snapshot of the challenges faced by both licensing staff and applicants.
Manual processData entry of handwritten information was a tedious process and at risk of human error. It was further slowed by factors such as Illegible writing, lack of information, and incorrect fees submission. All of which were a cause of unnecessary contact with the applicant.
Most incoming licensing calls were regarding updates for ongoing applications or requests for more information on the requirements of the application process.
CollaborationWorkshop sessions with stakeholders and the team were run to define the 'to be' output.
It also highlighted some of the challenges when working with legal document.
Pain points
- Applicants cannot find guidance notes on the website
- CSOs have to rekey applications in to licence database
- CSOs have to manally forward applications on to the relevant authorities
- Jargon makes questions unclear
- Illegible user writing
- Long application review time without updates prompts users to initiate contact
