County Offers Secure, Modern Experience to Constituents

Industry: County Government
Location: El Dorado County, California
Number of Employees: 14
Population: 191,185
Tyler Client Since: 2020
Tyler Products Used: Enterprise Records Management and Records Public Access

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Challenges

For the constituents of El Dorado County manual processes and outdated software were creating unnecessary challenges.

For years the county had relied on inefficient software and required paper applications for the full range of recording services. Constituents had to make a trip down to the busy Recorder-Clerk’s Office and then navigate the different counters to research their documents or process their applications. Since each staff member provided a unique set of services there could be a long line at one counter and no activity at another. Without integrated software there was little opportunity to help each other out, expedite service, and reduce bottlenecks and long lines.

For staff members there were additional challenges. Their legacy software was not user-friendly and would often error-out or freeze when they tried to search the index or complete an application. Because everything was done on a paper application, the time-consuming data entry part of the process often resulted in errors. Processing a marriage license and performing a ceremony was a lengthy, 45-60 minute, multi-step process which required staff members to use a typewriter.

The county was also concerned about protecting their constituent’s personal information and preserving the county’s records since several of their neighboring counties had recently experienced hacks.

Newly elected recorder-clerk, Janelle Horne, recognized they needed a new software solution to improve service and mitigate risk.

“I came into the office with fresh eyes and was open to doing things differently,” explains Horne. “We didn’t want to continue to do things the way they have always been done.”

Solution

El Dorado County was looking for an integrated software solution that included:

• Capabilities for constituents to complete forms and land record research either online or at in-office kiosks
• An efficient workflow process for recording and indexing
• A dashboard that would allow administrators to monitor a document through the workflow process
• Security that met the standards of their IT Department

The county chose Tyler’s Enterprise Records Management and Records Public Access solutions.

With Tyler’s integrated solutions, the Recorder-Clerk’s Office was able to change the way they did business. They were able to provide more online filing options, and they installed five in-office selfservice kiosks for constituents to conveniently research and process requests on their own.

They were able to cross-train their staff so that everyone could provide the full range of services rather than directing constituents from one staff member to another.

And they were able to reduce their reliance on manual processes and paper documents storage which freed up space for other use.

In short, Tyler’s new solutions provided a new way to organize their workflow, improve constituent services, and ultimately make better use of their space.

Results

With these new solutions in place, El Dorado County has streamlined every service they offer and transformed the experience for their constituents.

Constituents appreciate the convenient and user-friendly new solutions, and that services are more centralized. They can use one of the self-service kiosks or request support from the full-service counter.

With so many constituents completing forms online, staff members spend less time with data entry and can now record, index, and verify an average of 450 documents a day (up from 250). A marriage license and ceremony now takes only 15 -30 minutes to process and does not involve staff use of a typewriter. These timesaving measures have allowed the county to lower staffing levels (a 24% salary savings) even though they have nearly doubled their daily recordings. Staff members can also now easily assist with records research at the self-service kiosks.

There are other in-office changes as well. Because forms are now completely electronic, the county has decreased the amount of space needed for paper storage. They also repurposed a copy room that was no longer needed to add a marriage room. This additional revenue source provides a private, inexpensive place for their constituents to get married.

The county can now accomplish more in less time with enhanced workflows, less data entry, and a more convenient experience for their constituents. They welcome other counties to visit their office to see the many benefits of the Tyler solutions in a live environment.