Going Paperless

It's another sign of the times and one that can serve as a model for all state departments of agriculture. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is successfully transitioning its core business functions away from paper-based systems and towards a more efficient, convenient, and customer-friendly electronic system. That includes a way for those who have ODA licenses and permits to renew and pay without having to fill out a paper form and stick it in the mail. Statistics show ODA licensees prefer technology.

"It's gone remarkably well," says ODA Assistant Director Lauren Henderson. "We started with fairly low expectations but are very happy with the acceptance we have gained by our customers. We hope to continue increasing that acceptance so that everyone who would like to renew online can do so."

The Oregon Department of Agriculture issues 92 different types of licenses, permits, and registrations ranging from pesticide applicators and Christmas tree growers to egg handlers and industrial hemp producers. Overall, there are more than 40,000 licenses issued by ODA.

In late 2013, ODA implemented an online payment and license renewal system for licensees, achieving a 15 percent participation for the December renewal period in that first year, which runs November through March. The June renewal period in year one– which runs May through September– achieved a 14 percent participation. Last year, with more notice and promotion of the online system, those percentages increased to 26 percent for the December period and 40 percent for June. This year, the December period renewals reached 66 percent and 77 percent for the June period with a month to go. That's 77 percent of all possible renewals of ODA customers. Among those who have already renewed, the figure is 95 percent who have done so online.

While the old paper-based system is still being used by a few licensees, most ODA constituents and agency staff are thrilled with the transition. The online system gives the customer the ability to pay in a more secure environment with an immediate receipt of payment. Additionally, the customer receives a license certificate faster than traditional methods. The system also reduces errors with its built-in fee calculator, eliminating overpayment or underpayment mistakes. "We still offer renewal by paper because we still have customers who may not have a computer or have very slow internet access," says ODA Information Systems Project Manager Michelle Bemis, who was led the development and implementation of the online license renewal system. "But for those who are able to use the new system, it's quicker, more efficient, and safer."

Whether it's an individual with a single license with ODA or a large retail chain that requires hundreds of licenses for each of its stores in Oregon, the system is designed to make it as easy as possible to renew. When a customer renews through the ODA website, they are able to calculate what they owe and hit a "pay now" button. They are immediately taken to a US Bank secure website where the customer can make a payment by debit card, credit card, or electronic check.

"We've added a feature this year," says Bemis. "Not only does the customer have the ability to pay by credit card on a secure US Bank website or by electronic check, they can also print a voucher. What we found through customer feedback is that some licensees want to go online and calculate the fee but still want to mail in the check. They can now do so with a printed voucher. So far this year, about a third of our online renewals have selected the voucher option and have mailed in the check."

In any case, the customer does most of the legwork. They are the ones entering the data. Some license fees are based on gross sales, others have a flat fee for an individual device– an ODA licensed scale, for instance– in which case the licensee must enter the number of devices in their possession. That makes the online calculator feature useful and no longer requires that information needing to be re-entered by ODA staff as it was under the paper-based system. "This new system reduces the potential for error and the potential for a customer overpaying or underpaying," says ODA Financial Services Manager Andrea Boyer. "That would result in ODA having to bill the customer or issue a refund for the difference. The online renewal saves us that extra work and the customer  can receive their certificate of license within a few days."

The sheer amount of paper that had to be processed before by ODA licensing personnel created a giant workload, especially at peak renewal times. It often took up to five or six weeks to receive the certificate in the mail. The corporate offices of the larger businesses that have hundreds of ODA licenses would annually receive a big box with a large stack of papers for them to fill out. The new system allows them to process those renewals all at once.

During the first two years of the phased-in online system, ODA customers who had not yet renewed online received a paper form and information about how to renew electronically. This year, everyone has received a postcard with the information but no hard copy form. Those who still want to renew by paper can contact ODA and request the form.

The online renewal is in place. What's next? There are several ways in which ODA can augment its online services, including new license applications and more, according to Henderson. "You can print your ticket to a concert at home. I would like for us to get to a point, at least for some licenses, where our customers can pay for it online and then print their licenses on the home computer. We aren't there yet, but that's a goal I think we should have." With people getting more used to conducting business online, it only makes sense that ODA keep up with the times.