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DBI outlines Dec. 8 target and revised timeline for new permit-tracking system
Summary
Department technology staff told the Building Inspection Commission a revised implementation plan for the Exela/Accela permit‑tracking system includes data conversion through mid‑October, user acceptance testing and three weeks of staff training in October–November, with a go/no‑go decision and a planned go‑live on Dec. 8, 2014.
Henry Bartley, a Department of Technology portfolio manager assigned to the permit‑tracking project, told the Building Inspection Commission on Sept. 17 that the department expects to make a go/no‑go decision for the new Exela/Accela permit‑tracking platform before a planned Dec. 8, 2014 go‑live.
Bartley said data conversion — moving permit and in‑process project records from the legacy system into the new platform — is the program’s "long pole" and will require cleanup through mid‑October, followed by a dry run and user‑acceptance testing. "We will launch on December 8," Bartley said, describing checkpoints that include a full data conversion, an Oct. 31 checkpoint and two weeks of final go/no‑go review.
The timeline calls for three weeks of user training and an on‑site vendor support window extending through March after launch. Bartley said scripts to convert data "all exist, and they've been exercised," but added that testing has surfaced issues that must be resolved before the conversion is considered complete.
Commissioners pressed for public outreach and a transparent rollout. Commissioner Walker asked whether the department planned public demonstrations and website‑based guidance; Bartley said staff and the communications manager are scheduling a public demonstration of the Exela Citizen Access portal and preparing outreach material so residents and contractors can use the portal to schedule inspections and monitor permits.
Several commissioners warned the project’s long delay has eroded public confidence. Commissioner Meyer said the implementation’s repeated postponements have diminished trust, calling the delay "a pretty big error on our part to let it get this far," and urged the department to hold itself to the new timetable and to prepare a public message acknowledging the delay. Bartley said the department will hold a public demonstration, provide counter signage at launch and keep vendor staff on site to help customers adapt to the new process.
The commission also discussed governance: a sponsor team that includes Commissioners Mark and Walker, DBI leadership and vendor executives will meet regularly, Bartley said, and 21 Tech/Accela/Exela resources have been committed to the schedule. He said severity‑1 or ‑2 defects would block go‑live; cosmetic issues would be fixed post‑launch.
Next procedural steps: the department will report back on Oct. 31 checkpoints and planned public outreach; the commission retained oversight and urged frequent status updates and visible public communications ahead of the Dec. 8 go‑live.
