Permit Tracking

[RUPS47]

Sitting here on my lunch break after processing DOT permits for multiple jobs all morning. I'm about at the point of tearing out what little hair I have left. At my firm, we do not have a formal system for tracking the status of a particular permit (i.e. what permits have been started, what agency has them at a given time once set out for signatures and approval, on what date was permit approved/disapproved, ect...). There are several other project managers at my firm, and each of us has bits and pieces of a multitude of projects often overlapping. Needless to say, the job of permitting gets confusing and hard to track.

We have a basic tracking system set up in an excel spreadsheet that is place in each job file. This has proved to be tedious to update and maintain. It’s not a very efficient system, nor is it effective or relevant due to a lack of useful detail.

I'm wondering if there is a tried and proven way to effectively track the progress of permit requirements for multiple jobs. This system would have to be centralized, easy to update, and contain information relevant to the timely advancement of permitting.

I recently came to the design side after working in Construction Management during my undergraduate education. There are various project management software applications on the market (i.e. Microsoft Project, Primavera SureTrak, …) that are used on the construction side to track the progress of complex and varied construction schedules. I was thinking of starting a sort of “permit schedule” in one of these programs to see whether it could help in keeping track of all the permitting needs that go into Land Development Design. I was also thinking about trying to set up a system using Microsoft Access.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a good system to track permits, or has an effective system in place at his or her place of employment. I would also appreciate any suggestions about how to make the permitting process more efficient. I know I’m not the only one who is frustrated by the task of permitting.

Hopefully,

Rups

 

[dicksewerrat]

First you have to centralize the data collection process. Whoever gets the permits back from the 'Agency' should input and share the file throughout the office. Each agency should have a typical time line for approval/rejection. This could be input into a management schedule, like any other task on the project. Each manager should have this info and put it down as the first major task. Nothing else gets done until permits are issued. If the total lag time is 6 months, then you put in the time frame before doing the 'old' first task.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[francesca]

I have worked in several countries, and ironically, the country with the best QA was South Africa (not England or America). The company I worked for in South Africa had an ISO 9001-approved QA system which was cumbersome and effective. As a fresh graduate, it was my responsibility to maintain QA on the projects I worked on. When I moved to England, I again worked for a company with an ISO-certified QA system, but theirs didn't even include so much as an index page on project files. When I moved to Tennessee, files were manilla folders and you were lucky if they had the right project name on them.

Eventually, we got a good secretary, and she created an Access database, but the system was stifled because occasionally people from other departments would collect approved drawings and permits and drop them off without telling her.

It would be a good lesson for junior engineers to be responsible for tracking the status of projects, or a good secretary could do it (and she could also take a load off for you by initiating the permits as far as she can -- I had a mail merge and Access database for my NOI/SWPPP permits, for instance, that a secretary could have managed and saved me a bunch of time.) The trick is getting senior management to agree to rolling out "permit tracking awareness" through the entire firm.

 

[jdonville]

RUPS47,

Echoing francesca a bit, you're probably going to have to get 'buy-in' from the other managers if you expect them to follow the new rules. It may be helpful to get buy-in if the other managers help to design the system or at least critique the proposed system. The potential downside is that you won't get the best system, but it sounds like you would happily trade up for just about anything at this point.

It has occurred to me that perhaps all you need is to coordinate with the other managers to determine and update the status of permitting activities on a regular basis. My department (6 project managers) meets weekly to update each other on project status and plan delegation of future work.

While it's 'extra' work, keeping minutes helps to crystallize actions that need to take place for the next meeting, determine responsibility for getting it done, and keep a running account of the status of incomplete issues. A list of permits for each project can be maintained this way, and the face-to-face meeting helps to ensure accountability. Especially if it's used also as a briefing for the boss.

Just my thoughts.

Good luck with your situation.

Jeff


Jeffrey T. Donville, PE
TTL Associates, Inc.

http://www.ttlassoc.com

 

[RUPS47]

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT. I HAVE BEEN TRYING A VERSION OF PERMIT TRACKING THE I SET UP IN MS ACCESS. THE OTHER PROJECT MANAGERS AND I TRY AND MEET WEEKLY TO COORDINATE. NO LUCK YET WITH THE CENTRALIZED COLLECTION POINT. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE COME SHORTLY.

 

[dicksewerrat]

I think you are the collection point right now.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[RUPS47]

YEAH I GUESS I AM THE COLLECTION POINT. I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MY BIG MOUTH SHUT.

 

[dicksewerrat]

Not really because now you have asystem. And as soon as they hire a new guy, delegate.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com