COMPANY: Point Software, Inc.
CHALLENGE: End the paper chase that is straining the resources of municipal governments. Provide a simple, sustainable solution that blends existing and new technologies while meeting the needs of next-generation taxpayers who expect information on demand.
OUTCOME: DocumentLink was developed on the InterSystems Caché® high performance database platform. It provides the paper-identical electronic documents and forms associated with any internal municipal process or database.
Innovative Mobile Solution for Municipal Government Operations Leverages CACHÉ Database System to Cut Costs While Delivering Access to Public Information Anywhere, Any Time
Point Software, Inc. of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, has been recognized with the InterSystems Award for Breakthrough Applications. Point Software received the award for DocumentLink™, an integrated suite of groundbreaking, Web-based applications developed to end the paper chase that is straining the resources of municipal governments countrywide. Running on a range of mobile platforms including tablets and smartphones as well as notebooks, DocumentLink provides government workers and the public with easy, secure, access to forms and documents in the cloud at any time from any location.
DocumentLink was developed on the InterSystems CACHÉ® high performance database platform. It provides the paper-identical electronic documents and forms associated with any internal municipal process or database. DocumentLink modules make it possible to completely automate processes such as enforcement of municipal code violation, revenue management in the Tax Collector's office, and delivery of real-time data and online real estate tax bills to taxpayers via the cloud.
"The primary objective of DocumentLink is to provide a simple, sustainable solution that blends existing and new technologies while meeting the needs of next-generation taxpayers who expect information on demand," said James Regan, President of Point Software. "The real breakthrough here is that DocumentLink makes it possible for both government personnel and the public to use convenient, popular mobile devices to access centralized information stored in the cloud at any time and from any location," Regan continued. "As a result, many processes—reviewing and signing forms, for example—can now be handled online rather than manually."
Architected for Success
The core business model for DocumentLink was built using multiple development tools including CACHÉ ObjectScript, JavaScript, Java and HTML. Point Software developers used a modular design that ensured they could leverage the functionality of the company's legacy system while also taking advantage of newer technologies such as cloud-based computing. By utilizing the Zen Reports functionality embedded in CACHÉ, for example, the development team was able to preserve the formatting and business logic of all existing reports with only minor code changes. "We completely committed to CACHÉ and to InterSystems' Zen technologies in order to make electronic municipal government a reality. DocumentLink is the result of that commitment," noted Regan.
"In previous versions of our .Net reporting application, we were heavily tied to SAP Business Objects' Crystal Reports," he explained. "This was a nightmare to support as every update to Crystal Reports or Microsoft Windows required modifications to Crystal Report templates. With Zen reports, we now have total control over how our reports work and have significantly cut our development cost."
Delivering Cost Savings and Other Valuable Benefits
The development cost savings realized by Point Software are the start of a stream of benefits delivered by DocumentLink . By making public information accessible any time and anywhere on a self-serve basis, a community's residents and businesses are free of the restrictions of operating hours or government personnel availability. And, municipality postage and materials expenses are significantly decreased since forms are available both online and in PDF format.
In addition, DocumentLink enables municipal inspectors and other field staff to effectively extend their office to the field via wireless and Web technologies, making possible mobile municipal government.
DocumentLink's e-billing management eliminates the cost of generating and mailing traditional paper tax bills while providing consumers with the convenience of an electronic form that is easily accessible and virtually impossible to lose.
"Overall, this software is intended to support green initiatives, increase the accessibility of municipal information for the public and yield a significant cost savings for the town or city," Regan said. "We think that we've succeeded in reaching all of those objectives."
DocumentLink is currently being implemented in municipalities throughout the Northeast portion of the United States.
"Point Software has developed an innovative solution for government operations that provides benefits not only for city and town governments but also for the people whom they serve," said Paul Grabscheid, InterSystems Vice President of Strategic Planning. "And, they've done it in a way that can only have a positive environmental impact due to the elimination of excessive paper forms and documents. This innovative approach makes it a pleasure to recognize Point Software with the InterSystems Breakthrough Application Award."
About Point Software
Based in East Longmeadow, Mass., Point Software, Inc. was founded in 1989 with a single goal: to create software applications that aid municipal government. Starting with a revenue management system for municipal tax collectors, Point Software has expanded its scope to provide software for treasury, utility billing/collection, assessment and accounting functions; citywide document and information management with public viewing options; and a variety of outsourced services that include Service Bureau, Deputy Collector, and Lockbox Posting.