Smart Forms + Workflow for government and public sector

Digitize permits, applications, and internal processes with multi-department approval routing, complete audit trails for FOIA readiness, and on-premises deployment for data sovereignty.

Government agencies at every level manage high volumes of forms—from permits and inspections to procurement, HR, and public records—often across slow, paper-based, multi-department processes. Smart Forms + Workflow replaces these with intelligent electronic forms that enforce data standards, automate approvals, and deliver records to your document management system with a complete audit trail. AI-powered form creation converts existing PDFs in minutes, with unlimited licensing, WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility, 50+ built-in languages, and flexible deployment as SaaS or on-premises for full data sovereignty.
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Scalable and Flexible Solutions

The Government forms problem

Government agencies face challenges that the private sector doesn’t: public accountability, Freedom of Information Act requirements, multi-department oversight structures, strict procurement rules, and IT security policies that often preclude cloud-only solutions. Paper forms amplify every one of these challenges.

Multi-department approvals take weeks

A single permit application may require review by the planning department, public works, the fire marshal, environmental services, and a final sign-off from a director or board. With paper or email routing, each handoff adds days. The applicant — a citizen, a business, or an internal department — has no visibility into where their request stands. Staff in each department have no dashboard showing what’s pending, what’s overdue, or where bottlenecks exist.
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Paper forms don't enforce data standards

Government forms often require specific formats — permit numbers, parcel IDs, case numbers, statutory references, dollar amounts with proper coding. Paper forms can’t enforce these rules. Applications arrive incomplete, formatted incorrectly, or with fields that don’t match the agency’s data standards. Staff must contact the applicant, request corrections, and re-review — a cycle that can repeat multiple times for a single submission.

FOIA and public records requests expose documentation gaps

When a Freedom of Information Act request arrives — or an internal audit, an inspector general review, or a legal discovery — the agency must produce complete records of decisions, approvals, and communications. Paper-based processes produce fragmented records. Approval decisions are buried in email chains. Signed forms are scattered across filing cabinets in multiple departments. Reconstructing the complete chain of custody for a single action can take days of staff time — and gaps in documentation create legal and reputational risk.
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ERP Integration

Field workers can't participate in paper processes

Inspectors, code enforcement officers, field engineers, and caseworkers spend their days away from the office. Paper forms require them to return to a desk, complete the form, and physically deliver it to the next step. This creates lag between the field observation and the official record — and increases the risk of lost or incomplete documentation.

IT security policies restrict cloud adoption

Many government agencies — particularly at the federal and state level — require data to remain within their own network infrastructure. Cloud-only solutions are disqualified during procurement. Agencies need software that can be deployed on-premises, behind their firewall, under their security policies, while still providing modern capabilities like drag-and-drop form design and automated workflow routing.
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Citizen-facing forms are outdated and inaccessible

Many agencies still require citizens to download a PDF, print it, fill it out by hand, and mail or deliver it in person. This creates barriers for citizens with disabilities, limited transportation, or limited access to printing. It also means the agency receives data in the least usable format possible — handwritten, unstructured, and requiring manual entry.
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How Smart Forms + Workflow solves it

Build government forms with drag-and-drop — no coding

Smart Forms provides a visual form builder with 20+ field types tailored for government data collection. Text fields with input masks enforce permit numbers, case IDs, and statutory reference formats. Dropdown lists populated from agency databases ensure applicants select valid codes, departments, and categories. Date pickers with validation rules prevent invalid date ranges. File upload fields accept supporting documentation (site plans, photos, certificates, identification). Electronic signature fields capture applicant and reviewer signatures digitally.

Multi-page forms with progress indicators handle complex applications that span multiple sections — applicant information, project details, technical specifications, and required certifications. Conditional logic shows or hides sections based on the application type, jurisdiction, or dollar amount — so each applicant sees only the questions relevant to their request.

Department administrators build and modify forms using the visual designer without IT involvement. When a new form is needed for a legislative mandate, a regulatory change, or an internal policy update, it’s created in hours — not months. For faster migration, the AI assistant converts existing PDF forms into working smart forms in minutes — upload a permit application PDF and the AI generates the digital version with appropriate fields, validation, and layout. Powered by Anthropic Claude and OpenAI GPT.

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Seamless Workflow Automation

Route through multi-department approval chains

When a form is submitted, it enters an automated workflow with configurable queues, conditions, and email notifications. Each department in the approval chain has its own queue with specific field permissions — controlling which fields each reviewer can see, edit, or is required to complete.

A typical permit application workflow: Applicant submits electronically → front counter staff verifies completeness and assigns a case number → planning department reviews zoning compliance → public works reviews infrastructure impact → fire marshal reviews safety requirements → environmental services reviews if applicable (conditional routing based on project type) → director or board gives final approval → approved permit and all documentation export to the DMS with full indexing.

Each step supports approve, reject, reassign, and comment actions. Email notifications alert the next reviewer when an item arrives in their queue. Timers can trigger escalation emails when items sit too long. The entire process is visible on the Process Status dashboard — which items are pending, who has them, and how long they’ve been waiting.

Conditional routing means not every application goes through every department. A simple fence permit skips environmental review and the fire marshal. A major commercial project hits every queue. The workflow adapts based on the form data — automatically, consistently, and without manual routing decisions.

Deploy on-premises for full data sovereignty

Smart Forms is available as an on-premises deployment — installed on your agency’s servers, behind your firewall, under your IT security policies. No citizen data, no internal records, and no approval decisions leave your network. The on-premises option runs on IIS with SQL Server and supports your agency’s existing infrastructure and security architecture.

For agencies open to cloud deployment — or those migrating to cloud-first strategies — the SaaS option provides the same feature set with CASO managing the hosting environment.

Both deployment models support SSO through Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Active Directory, LDAP, and SAML 2.0 — integrating with your agency’s existing identity and access management infrastructure. Role-based access control with four distinct levels (System Admin, Form Admin, Creator, User) ensures appropriate access for administrators, department staff, and public-facing portals.

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Produce audit-ready records instantly

Every action on every form is logged automatically: who submitted, when each department reviewed, what decision was made, what comments were added, and any conditional routing that was triggered. This audit trail is attached directly to the record in your DMS.

When a FOIA request arrives, when an inspector general reviews a program, or when legal counsel needs the complete history of a decision — the documentation is produced in seconds. Every approval, every rejection, every comment, every timestamp — all in one retrievable record. No manual reconstruction. No searching through email chains or file cabinets across multiple departments.

Give field workers mobile access

Smart Forms is fully responsive and works on tablets and smartphones through a standard web browser. Inspectors complete inspection reports in the field on a tablet. Code enforcement officers document violations with photos and notes on their phone. Caseworkers complete intake forms during home visits. Field data enters the workflow immediately — no returning to the office, no delay between observation and official record.

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AP Reporting

Provide citizen-facing digital forms

Smart Forms can be deployed as public-facing forms on your agency’s website. Citizens complete permit applications, license renewals, public records requests, and service requests from their own device — desktop, tablet, or phone. The form enforces all required fields and data formats before allowing submission, ensuring the agency receives complete, usable data every time.

Why government agencies choose Smart Forms

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AI-powered form migration

Upload existing PDF forms and the AI converts them to working smart forms in minutes. Agencies with hundreds of legacy forms can digitize rapidly without rebuilding each one manually.

Unlimited licensing for the entire agency

No per-user fees, no submission caps. Deploy across every department, every office, every field worker — one flat price regardless of headcount.

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WCAG 2.1 AA accessible

Screen reader support and 50+ built-in languages meet federal, state, and local accessibility requirements for both internal and citizen-facing forms. This is often a procurement requirement for government agencies.

Built-in analytics

Track permit volumes, processing times, approval bottlenecks, and department performance in real time without exporting data.

Multi-department routing that mirrors your org chart

Configure unlimited approval queues organized by department, role, or individual. Conditional routing ensures each application goes through exactly the right departments based on its type, value, and jurisdiction — automatically and consistently.

FOIA-ready from day one

Every submission, review, approval, and comment is logged with a timestamp and user identity. The complete audit trail is attached to the record in the DMS. When public records requests, audits, or legal inquiries arrive, you produce the full chain of custody instantly.

Data sovereignty with on-premises deployment

Install on your servers, behind your firewall, under your IT policies. No citizen data or internal records leave your network. This meets federal, state, and local government security requirements without compromising functionality.

Citizen-facing digital forms

Replace downloadable PDFs and paper applications with responsive web forms that citizens complete on any device. Required fields, format validation, and conditional logic ensure every submission arrives complete and usable.

Field workers stay connected

Inspectors, caseworkers, and enforcement officers complete and submit forms from the field on tablets or phones. Data enters the workflow immediately — no returning to the office, no paper handoff, no delay.

Departments own their forms — not IT

The visual form builder and workflow designer let department administrators create and modify forms and approval chains without developer involvement. When a legislative change requires a new form, it’s built in hours.

Conditional routing handles complexity

A simple fence permit takes a different path than a major commercial development. A purchase request under $5,000 takes a different path than one over $50,000. The workflow adapts based on form data — no manual routing decisions, no inconsistency.

Integrates with your existing DMS and databases

Direct export to AppEnhancer (AppXtender), Easyfile, or any SQL database. Two-way database integration and REST API connectivity auto-populate form fields from your existing systems and write approved data back. SSO through Entra ID, Active Directory, Okta, or SAML 2.0.

Common government workflows we automate

Permit applications (building, zoning, special use)

Applicant submits online application with project details, site plans, and fee payment reference → front counter verifies completeness → conditional routing sends to relevant departments based on project type (planning, public works, fire, environmental) → each department reviews and approves or requests revisions → director or board gives final approval → approved permit exports to DMS indexed by permit number, address, applicant, and date.

Inspection reporting

Inspector completes inspection form on a tablet in the field with photos, observations, pass/fail determination, and required follow-up actions → supervisor reviews → if violations are found, conditional routing sends to enforcement → completed inspection exports to DMS indexed by case number, address, inspector, and date.

Personnel actions

HR submits a personnel action form (new hire, promotion, transfer, termination, reclassification) → department head approves → HR director reviews → conditional routing sends certain actions (promotions above a grade level, new positions) to the city/county manager or board → approved action exports to HRIS and DMS.

Public records and FOIA requests

Citizen submits a public records request electronically → records coordinator reviews for scope and redaction requirements → relevant department locates and reviews responsive documents → legal reviews if privilege or exemption applies → coordinator compiles response → completed request and response export to DMS with full audit trail documenting every step and decision.

Grant management and compliance reporting

Program staff completes grant activity report with expenditure details, milestones, and supporting documentation → program manager reviews → finance verifies expenditure coding → grants coordinator approves and compiles for funder submission → completed report exports to DMS and grants management database.

Council and board agenda items

Department head submits an agenda item with background memo, resolution text, fiscal impact statement, and supporting attachments → city/county manager reviews → legal reviews for form and authority → clerk assigns to agenda → approved items export to the agenda management system and DMS.

Internal policy and procedure approvals

Department drafts new or revised policy document → department head approves → legal reviews → HR reviews if employment-related → city/county manager approves → approved policy exports to the policy repository and DMS with version tracking.

Citizen service requests

Citizen submits a service request (pothole repair, streetlight outage, noise complaint, code violation report) via the agency’s website → request is assigned to the responsible department based on request type → field crew or inspector is dispatched → completion is documented → citizen receives notification of resolution → completed request exports to DMS.

Frequently asked questions

Can Smart Forms handle multi-department approval chains?
Yes. Smart Forms + Workflow supports unlimited queues organized by department, role, or individual. Each queue has its own field permissions (controlling what each department sees and edits), events, conditions, and actions. Conditional routing sends applications through different combinations of departments based on form field values — so a simple application takes a short path while a complex one goes through every relevant department. Parallel processing is also supported, allowing multiple departments to review simultaneously.
Does the system provide audit-ready documentation for FOIA?
Yes. Every form submission and workflow action is recorded with a full audit trail — who submitted, who reviewed, when each action was taken, what decision was made, and all comments. This documentation is attached to the record in your DMS and can be produced immediately for FOIA requests, inspector general reviews, legal discovery, or internal audits. No manual reconstruction is needed.
Can government-mandated field requirements be enforced?
Yes. The form builder supports required fields, format validation (including regex patterns for permit numbers, case IDs, and statutory references), input masks (for formatted identifiers), numeric range validation, conditional required-if rules, and dropdown lists populated from agency databases. Every submission meets your data standards before it enters the workflow — incomplete or non-conforming applications are stopped at the point of entry.
Is all data kept within our government network?
It can be. Smart Forms is available as an on-premises deployment — installed on your servers, behind your firewall, under your IT security policies. No data is transmitted to or stored on external systems. This meets the security and data sovereignty requirements common in federal, state, and local government. The SaaS option is also available for agencies with cloud-first strategies or those seeking reduced IT overhead. Both models deliver the same feature set, security controls, and SSO options (Entra ID, Active Directory, Okta, SAML 2.0).
Can citizens submit forms online?
Yes. Smart Forms can be deployed as public-facing forms embedded on your agency’s website. Citizens complete permit applications, service requests, license renewals, and public records requests from any device. The form enforces all required fields and data formats, ensuring the agency receives complete, usable data. Applicants receive a confirmation and tracking number upon submission.
Can field workers use the system on tablets?
Yes. Smart Forms is fully responsive and works on any device through a standard web browser — no app to install or maintain. Inspectors, code enforcement officers, caseworkers, and field engineers complete and submit forms from tablets or phones in the field. Data and photos enter the workflow immediately. There is no delay between field observation and official record.

Ready to Revolutionize Your Workflow Process?

Smart Forms + Workflow digitizes government forms and approvals — from permit applications and inspection reports to procurement requests and FOIA responses — with AI-powered form creation, multi-department routing, conditional logic, complete audit trails, built-in analytics, and on-premises deployment for full data sovereignty. Unlimited licensing. WCAG 2.1 AA accessible.
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