A Municipal Government in Southeastern Brazil modernized its construction permitting process by implementing Hyland’s OnBase and Brainware, replacing manual, paper-based workflows with a fully digital, automated solution. The transformation accelerated permit issuance, reduced operational risk, improved transparency for citizens, and enabled more efficient urban and economic development.
Before any construction, renovation, regularization, or modification of properties, citizens were required to obtain both an Approval Permit and an Execution Permit. To request these permits, applicants had to deliver a predefined list of mandatory documents in person at the Municipal Secretariat’s offices.
Once submitted, the municipality initiated an internal review and verification process, including checks of area calculations and property address information. The workflow involved multiple stages, all handled manually, with communications conducted via email and mobile phone. This created a high risk of document loss and resulted in fragmented, decentralized information.
As a result, permit issuance was slow, municipal employees faced excessive manual workloads, and economic activity was negatively impacted, since investments were unable to move forward without the legally required documentation.
Citizen trips avoided
Processes stored in the information repository
Documents digitally attached
Using Hyland’s OnBase Content Services platform together with Brainware, a solution was designed to meet the specific needs of the municipal government.
Process improvements began at document intake. Citizens now complete an online electronic form that allows them to attach all required documents digitally, eliminating the need to travel to the municipal offices. Applications can be submitted using a computer or smartphone.
With digital submission, process routing became faster and more reliable, ensuring that all required documentation is received for permit requests and issuance. This significantly accelerated response times for new construction, renovation, regularization, and modification projects.
Hyland’s capture solution automatically reads and validates the values in the project’s area calculation tables, comparing them with the parameters defined in the current Urban Development Plan (PDU). This automation made the initial acceptance stage faster and more accurate. Additional business rules were implemented, including automatic address validation using the municipal property registry.
To ensure accessibility and transparency, an integration was developed between the municipality and the Citizen Portal. OnBase automatically sends key process information and real-time status updates, allowing applicants to track progress online.
For compliance, unified record management, and governance, historical data and documents from existing processes were imported into OnBase. This enabled municipal employees to manage and control all permitting processes within a single platform. The solution also provides dashboards with performance indicators and urban management metrics based on the complete historical data set.
— Michelle Fernanda de Carvalho Souza, Document Management Manager, Grupo 3corações
The municipal government significantly increased agility by automating address validation and confirmation within OnBase, while also reducing operational risk through multiple system-driven validations. Citizens gained greater flexibility, as they no longer need to visit municipal offices in person to submit requests or documents, with projects now sent entirely online, reducing in-person service demand.
From an internal perspective, the municipality improved overall process management through centralized information and actionable indicators, and introduced digital signatures within the permitting workflow, allowing municipal departments to formally sign projects directly in OnBase.
