Excellence 2024: Connected Community Solutions
December 24, 2024 by Craig Patton
Too often, residents and public sector workers feel frustrated by paper-based processes, red tape, inefficiencies, and roadblocks. For organizations running on outdated legacy technologies, it’s tempting to settle and only do what’s required.
Modern cloud technologies transform these frustrations into opportunities by enabling seamless communication, transparency, and streamlined processes that foster Connected Communities. Because the government is more transparent, trust increases. Residents feel more engaged and become partners in driving community safety, involvement, and openness. Government worker morale increases because they have the tools to serve their community better. Leaders are empowered to share insights and make informed decisions. Everyone thrives.
Celebrating Connected Community Excellence
Innovative organizations nationwide are becoming Connected Communities using solutions from Tyler Technologies. Tyler created the Tyler Excellence Awards to celebrate these inspirational successes. Let’s close out the year by once again recognizing recipients of the 2024 awards for Connected Community, announced earlier this year at the annual Tyler Connect conference.
Clermont County Auditor's Office, Ohio
To help meet the evolving needs of its thriving communities, Clermont County’s government prioritized finding technology that improves connectivity, efficiency, transparency, and engagement. To achieve its goals, the county turned to Tyler Technologies for an integrated system, including Enterprise ERP, that connects financials, courts, assessment, health, HR, permitting and licensing, and more.
The modernized system optimized operations across departments, replaced paper-driven systems with digital workflows, made key data easily accessible to the community, and provided 24/7 online access to tasks such as electronic bill payment and permitting.
“A connected community means that if you’re a resident of Clermont County, you see Clermont County as one when really there’s many departments and 20 elected officials,” says Clermont County Auditor Linda Fraley. “I feel like the more Clermont County gets connected, and the more we all have access to data, the better people are being served.”
Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources
The Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wanted to contain a mussel infestation in Lake Powell better. To this end, they deployed their Augmented Field Operations trailer-based mobile camera system to scan boats entering and exiting the water. The system provides 24-hour coverage of boat access.
Uploading the data to a state database allowed DNR to share information with 37 entities, agencies, and municipalities across the western United States. This data also gives DNR officials a more complete record of the status of boats that have not gone through the decontamination process. In addition, DNR can provide law enforcement with documentation to identify boat owners who have failed to comply with the inspection process. Officials can use the visual and data record in a court of law.
Manhattan Municipal Court, Kansas
The municipal court in Manhattan, Kansas, was grappling with outdated systems, limited resources, and growing public service demands. It envisioned a future where using technology to enhance justice delivery made the court more modern, efficient, and accessible. The court’s transformational roadmap started in 2019 with the integration of Tyler’s Municipal Justice solution, followed by expansions and add-ons. By 2023, it had completed a significant software upgrade.
The new systems had a tangible impact on the court’s operations and services. Compliance rates increased by 44%. Reporting for state requirements was streamlined. Simplified check-ins, macros, and digital document management produced substantial efficiency gains and moved the court towards a paper-light environment.
Court Administrator Jennifer Holmes says: “Overall, we would like to provide as many services as possible to the public and reduce the burden on staff. I am excited to find more ways to become efficient.”
Township High School District 214, Illinois
Leaders of the finance team in Township High School District 214 prioritize staying ahead of evolving technology standards. Seeing the benefits of School ERP Pro for their district, they wanted to go even further to help other districts in the region leverage the software to improve their payroll operations. They created a School ERP Pro user group to promote collaboration, establish best practices, and find solutions for Illinois-specific payroll challenges.
The user group has grown to include more than 30 school districts, helping new users with their transition, sharing tips, and troubleshooting issues. In addition, they created a repository of helpful resources where school districts can share payroll worksheets, communications, and more. They have also promoted and designed professional development opportunities for business office support staff in partnership with Illinois ASBO.
Mike Vargas, director of business services for the district says: “Creating this network has allowed us to talk through the complex issues we’re experiencing. Partnering with School ERP Pro and having that network of other payroll users has proven extremely valuable for our school district and all the participating school districts.”