Explore how Cloudpermit helps the City of Brantford promote better internal and external collaboration, consistency, and transparency.
In 2022, the City of Brantford’s Planning Development Services department aimed to modernize its processes.
Insight into the Decision
With a strong push from City Council and the City’s IT department to move to online processes, Brantford seized the opportunity for provincial funding. This allowed them to adopt online planning and development through the Municipal Modernization Fund.
The City has now benefited from using the planning & development software Cloudpermit for over a year. Staff have been successfully accepting applications online since July 2023.
Before Cloudpermit, we received and reviewed planning applications through physical paper submissions and/or digitally via email,” said Jeff Medeiros, Acting Manager of Development Planning for the City of Brantford. “We relied heavily on Outlook Office Suite to organize, manage, and circulate planning applications, which was not the most efficient way to do business. Now, with Cloudpermit, we’ve gained greater efficiency and organization—it’s been a positive experience.”
From February 2023 to July 2024, Brantford's staff created 2,385 workspaces for building permits and planning applications. These workspaces contain thousands of files altogether.
Before this system, managing our data was a challenge,” said Medeiros. “Now, we can easily track data and our files more efficiently; Cloudpermit has solved our data management needs.”
Ontario’s Shift to Online Planning
Ontario is increasingly shifting toward online planning and development permitting. This trend stems from the need for greater efficiency and improved accessibility in managing development processes.
Cloudpermit has made managing our high volume of development files much easier,” he said. “I believe that many governments would benefit from adopting online platforms like this.”
Medeiros sees a growing need for planning departments to adopt more online systems. However, he notes that achieving consistency with these systems can present challenges.
Not all municipalities use the same software, and some are building in-house systems. This can create inconsistencies from one organization to another. It’s beneficial when organizations use the same system. For example, when we started using Cloudpermit, some users had experience using the Cloudpermit software in a neighbouring municipality. This familiarity allowed them to begin using the system right away. That shared consistency made a positive difference in their experiences doing business in Brantford.”
By using the same system, municipalities can align their processes. This can foster greater consistency across regions and simplify collaboration.
Greater Internal and External Collaboration
Cloud-based platforms help governments share information easily with both internal departments and external agencies.
One of the biggest benefits of this system is simple information sharing. We easily share projects within our department, other departments in the City, and external stakeholders. We did not have a centralized database before, but Cloudpermit has filled that gap.”
Staff easily circulate applications to internal and external stakeholders for feedback and comments using Cloudpermit. This streamlines the review and approval process.
Communities appreciate how the system makes information more accessible and acts as a database for historical data,” said Medeiros.
Centralized data promotes better project transparency.
Cloudpermit has made our development process more inclusive,” he continued. “It has created many new opportunities for collaboration and an easier way for us to do business. This benefits both city staff and external stakeholders.”
The system has greatly improved efficiency by minimizing manual processes. It has also reduced the risk of lost or incomplete information. The system serves as a central hub for all planning-related communication. Staff and stakeholders can talk with each other in real-time and easily find past projects in one spot.
Intuitive Interface for Better Accountability
When local governments transition to a new system, their community must learn a new way of working.
While some users needed extra support initially, most applicants and external groups quickly learned how to use it. The intuitive interface made the process easier for them,” Medeiros shared. “Our initial training was effective and helped our staff learn the software. Cloudpermit’s clear layout and straightforward design make it easy to use daily.”
Brantford’s Planning and Development Services department also benefits from simpler fee management.
Cloudpermit allows us to communicate fees to our applicants as soon as they submit their applications,” explained Medeiros. “This approach is effective and meets Planning Act requirements.”
The online system also simplifies automatic tracking and report generation.
Cloudpermit keeps a complete record and has a time clock to help us stay organized,” he said. “Without paper slowing us down, sharing information is much faster. Now, we can circulate applications to stakeholders within five minutes!”
As a result, governments maintain stronger operational continuity.
How Technology Addresses Paper Challenges
Online tools can help governments solve ongoing planning industry challenges. The high volume of paper usage and its associated issues are among these problems.
By transitioning to online systems, governments can reduce paper consumption, streamline processes, and significantly boost efficiency.
For Medeiros, it comes back to the importance of consistency.
Paper can be inconsistent,” he explained. “Some people include too much information, while others add too little. Some individuals organize paper files differently; file them improperly, or leave them on their desks. This makes finding accurate information challenging.”
Online storage can provide added protection for valuable data. It can also ensure that information remains consistent and easily accessible. Brantford’s staff want to take their relationship with paper a step further.
With everything backed up on Cloudpermit and our internal city servers, there’s no need for paper files anymore. We want to eliminate paper files entirely to minimize waste and duplication, while supporting a more sustainable approach to processing development files by using Cloudpermit.”
The Future of Planning
Brantford’s Planning and Development Services department digital transition also keeps things running smoothly when staff are absent. It also aligns with the increasing shift to online planning in Ontario.
Brantford’s success with Cloudpermit sets a great example for other municipalities. It shows how online systems can improve transparency, reduce paperwork, and support sustainability in planning and development.
To learn more about how online processes can shape the future of planning & development across Ontario, visit cloudpermit.ca.
This article was originally published in the OPPI Planning Exchange.
