KAPAS Plug-Ins

Plug-in of the month - Turning Notes into Records

We have developed a set of standard plug-ins that have been implemented ate two or more clients. We have pulled these together and added them to this page so existing and potential clients can see what can be done with a Salesforce back office.

We have developed a set of standard plug-ins that have been implemented at two or more clients. We have gathered these together on this page so existing and potential clients can see what can be done with Salesforce Automation

We will keep adding plug-ins as clients ask for new coding or processes and where they are happy to share with their sister authorities.

The cost of each plug-in has been kept as low as possible and only covers tweaking and installation.

If its not exactly what you need, we can develop another plug-in. For details and prices please email Kathryn

Create Approved Drawings Condition

Reviews the status of all case documents
Creates a table of those with a status of Approved
Creates a condition against the current officer report

Record neighbours as publicity

Several clients like to record neighbour notifications as 'publicity' rather than consultation.
Allows for better monitoring of consultation responses
Means the officer, PINS and any ombudsman can see who was notified, when and how.
Overcomes the drudgery of reviewing PDF letters for which address was consulted
Records reconsultation as a new publicity ensuring consistency and auditability
Links the neighbour related party record to the publicity record and then to the actual PDF letter generated where they are included.
Ensures the appeals team can efficiently and effectively gather details of interested parties and pass to PINS.

Create Approved Drawings Condition

Reviews the status of all case documents
Creates a table of those with a status of Approved
Creates a condition against the current officer report

Alert Officer on consultation response

When a consultee (not member of the public) leaves a comment on a case, the officer is notified, either by the 'bell' or an email to their outlook account.

White list selected consultees so their comments are automatically published

Some clients wish to speed up publication of comments from selected consultees
This plug-in tags trusted consultees.
Comments when received from these consultees is automatically published and the consultation closed.
(Add-On) If the consultation includes an attached document, this can also be 'shared' with the case record and made public.
A record is updated to show publication was automated and when, providing an audit trail.

Key Contact alerted when a consultee comment is made public

Whether a consultation response is read and manually published or the above plug-in automatically publishes it, an email is sent to the key contact (see shared core plug-in).
A copy of the email containing the name of the recipient and adte/time of sending. Providing an audit trail.

Officer Reports

The Arcus system provides an excellent facility for storing standard and offering them to users for incorporation into a report.
The KAPAS plug-in compliments this by adding bespoke standard paragraphs specific to the application and decision types.
Creating a standard report format and importing data from related objects, such as
- relevant site history (see below)
- List of all those consulted or notified
- list of those commenting
- verbatim comments (rarely required but available)
- breakdown of support v's objection (see below)
- list of relevant policies
- list of relevant constraints

Verification of case before review

Clients invariably use the 'Submit for Approval' button to pass a report to a reviewer.
This plug-in checks to ensure key events have occurred.
- Consultation end date has passed
- If Approval with conditions, that conditions exist, and similar for refusal etc
- That all insertions (provided they are consistently marked) have been removed.
Shows a list of decision details.
Asks the author to confirm they have carried out tasks where there is no data stored.

Auto Update Decision Details on the Report screen

Some clients appreciate either a summary, or a verbatim list, of conditions on the report screen.
The list is reevaluated every time a decision detail is added, edited or deleted.
This means the reviewing officer doesn't need to open each decision detail to review the authors wording

Order Conditions by category

Some councils wish to order their conditions by category
For example, have the pre-commencement conditions first, followed by their pre-dig conditions.
This plug-in can be configured so that each of the category types are brought together and the conditions numbered.
It can also be configured to start numbering formatives again at 1.

Managing multiple extensions of time

The SalesForce system will keep a record of the most recent extension of time on the details page.
This plug-in allows the council to record all of the extensions of time. In this way they can keep an audit trail of where an extension of time was requested whether it was accepted and what date expires.
The plug-in also updates the extension of time and date which will then move the latest decision date.
We provide screens that allow the officer to record provisional extensions of time (while they await agreement) and then return to these when the agent has responded.
The council can use any negative response in a following appeal to show that an extension of time has been offered, and rejected.

Relevant Site History

The salesforce system will collect information about other cases in the same geographic location, using the GIS.
The officer can then review each of these links to determine whether or not they're relevant to the current determination.
This plug-in brings together the data and allows the officer to review which cases are relevant more quickly.
There is a second variant of this plug-in, where we will add a sophisticated formula field to the site history object which will provide key data to the officer on each of the related cases.

Keeping track of support and objections

This plug-in has multiple benefits to the council.
The first is that we can add up all of the comments which are in support, objection or neutral on a case.
This can be presented to the case officer so that they can populate their report.
For some councils with schemes of delegation where the number of projections triggers are review, these figures can be used to automatically create a banner, or an alert to the officer that a threshold has been met.
Furthermore, these figures can be form mattered in such a way that they can appear on the public register.
Members of the public may appreciate the summary, rather than having to count them up themselves. This also benefits authority where the public comments are not put on the public register, but the council wishes to acknowledge the number of objections, support or neutral responses.

We have been working with a couple of highly motivated BC teams who are delighted to share our plug-ins

Inspection Suite

Book A Visit

Allows an officer to gather details of an inspection request on a single screen.
Enables the officer to add plots on the fly
Gather data on new related parties such as builders. These are added to the databace automatically
Book visits on more than one plot
Book more than one inspection type at a time
Creates separate records for each so the BSR can audit
Records details of the person requesting the visit together with any short note (call me 20 mins before hand)
Ensures consistancy and provides clean data for later stages.

Allocate Visits

Scheduled visits appear in a specially designed (Kanban) list on the Visits Object.
Visits can be easily 'dragged and dropped' from one inspector to another.
Automation is also available to bulk update inspectors and inspection dates.
Once allocated, inspectors can refer to their SF calendars and move them into timed slots.
- Great for lone workers
- One client uses this list to push emails to the clients to confirm they are scheduled for a site visit

Writing up inspections

This plug-in handles the simple one plot, one inspection visits al the way through to multi inspection, multi plot scenarios with adding interventions, defects and photographs.
The Inspector is offered all visits that have not been written up and can choose one or more inspections from the same site.
Inspectors can copy their notes from one plot to another ensuring consistency whilst not losing efficiency.
Defects and interventions are automatically associated with the visit, the plot and the case. This means the inspector can see at a glance what defects apply at each level.
The inspector is notified about any outstanding defects on the case or plot so they can be considered and where appropriate discharged as part of the write-up.

Update First and Last Inspection

This plug-in will automatically update the first and last visit against the case and the last visit against the plot (the first inspection will also be the commencement date).
This will allow managers and inspectors to run reports showing cases (or plots) not inspected recently.

Automatic Email Notification

The final plug-in in this suite is the notification to the responsible person (usually the applicant) of the results of the inspection. As a curtesy, a copy can also be sent to the person who requested the visit, for example the builder. (provided emails are recorded against the related party)
The recipients receive an email detailing the inspector's comments, any interventions noted and defects recorded.
A copy of the email contents and recipients names (and email addresses) are stored against the inspection record so they can be easily audited.

Beta Test Plug-In

In a test environment we have a plug-in that is triggered from the website, allowing registered clients to create their own inspection requests.
They are offered cases they are already a 'related party' but also able to search for a case by
- Reference number or
- Address

Financial Suite

Managing payments, discounts and refunds

The financial records in Salesforce follows accounting principles and as such payments, payable, discounts and refunds are handled differently. Negative amounts aren't allowed.
We have taken all the heart ache out but building the rules into the plug-in.
A single screen that collects the correct information and does all the adding up.

Outstanding Plan and Inspection Charge

This is an Add-on Plug-in. That is to say, thsi plug-n relies on the one above.
The system will calculate an outstanding balance across all financial records, but can't say if all the payment has been made where there is a split charge.
Through a consistent approach to recording financial records we can calculate the amount owing on the plan check element.

Other Plug-ins

Lock closed visits, plots and cases

In recent years there have been numerous changes in the law and processes.
A number of clients have decided that when a site visit has been completed, it should be locked down, preventing alteration either inadvertently of deliberately.
Similarly when a plot or case is completed these can be locked to prevent any alteration.
Once locked, a Systems Admin can unlock them and make authorised changes.
This will ensure the Regulator and auditor are satisfied with the accuracy of the data.

Building Control Consultation

Planning applications have a sophisticated system which relates largely to public consultation.
Some BC Clients prefer a simple set of screens selecting the consultees from a short list of usual contacts. for example:
- Fire Service
- Structural Engineer
- Water Company
- Partners

Convert Plan Appraisals to Requirements

When an inspector issues a 'plan check' letter or email they include a number of Plan Appraisal points.
The applicant and agent may not be able to clear all these points and ask for them to be added as Requirements (aka conditions).
This plug-in will copy outstanding plan appraisal points and apply them to the list of requirements.
The inspector can then tweak the wording to read as a requirement.

Master and Child Complaints

When a complaint is made to the council, it is kept in a single record.
Whether there are more than one complainant reporting a single issue, it may be tempting for authority just to add the person as a related party.
This however may cause issues going forward, particularly for those authorities that use the DSH forms.
It is important that each of the complainants information is stored separately, both for data protection, and also that the officer has information about when a complaint was made, who made it and the precise details of the complaint.
This plug-in allows for multiple complaints to be attached to a single master complaint.
The plug-in also allows for updates from the master complaint down to the individual child complaints.
In this way, any complaints made through the DSH form can be updated and reported back to the member of the public.
The plug-in allows for the changing status, and auto closing of child records.
There is a dependency, that the council has made the authorised closed date and the closed reason mandatory field. As this information will be passed to the child object and included in any automatic emails back to the complainant.

Key Contact

This is a core plug-in used by all clients. It facilitates many of the automated plug-ins related to emails.

The key contact is the person who is updated on progress.
In Development Management if there is an agent, then they are the key contact. If no agent then the applicant becomes the key contact.
In Building Control the scenario is more complex as there are more players such as builders and approved inspectors. New roles under the BSR are also considered.
The key contact is re-evaluated every time a new related party is associated with the case.
The case officer can assign a different related party as a key contact, and prevent further updating.

Getting text out of Notes

Where councils have historic Notes records, or where external processes are being posted to the case via notes, we can now extract the note text including formatting, and insert them into any associated record. Watch the short video.
Our first foray into Apex and components. More to come.

Delete small GIF images from Files

When emails are associated with a casethere may be a tendency for small GIF files and logos are also attached.
If theses build up, they may be a distraction.
Our plug-in identifies small files and automatically delete those with particular extension type.

Discharge multiple Invalid Reasons

Template paragraphs and single decision notices

We can create a single decision notice that covers all planning case types and decisions
Single acknowledgement, neighbour notification or site notice template
Using our plug-in, the user need not be faced with hundreds of different decision templates, or dozens of neighbour letters etc.
Our solution allows systems admin to maintain a list of standard paragraphs which are automatically inserted into any letter template, instantly flavouring it for the application type and/or decision.
A neighbour letter for a householder application will have different guidance for a neighbour that a prior approval or listed building case.
Management can be reassured that once a decision has been agreed, the correct template will be issued.

Automatic Email Suite

The following is a small sample of the automated emails we have created for clients. We believe that clients should 'push' information and updates to the applicant/agent/complainant/respondent. In this way the number of 'chasing emails and phone calls can be greatly reduced.' Clients have found that calls from agents and the public fall dramatically if they are kept informed of progress; leaving the officer to deal with the case.

They can be configured to 'fire' at certain stages or when fields are updated, for example Valid Date goes from Null to 'Something'
We encourage clients to set out the next steps in any process, and Template Paragraphs are used to ensure such steps are specific to the stage and the case type. In this way we can manage expectations and pre-empt potential follow-up questions.
These are highly sophisticated emails rather than dumb basic versions.
We keep a log of each email sent so it can't be sent again in error.
We can also place the text of the email as a file against the record.

Thank you for your application/complaint

sent in response to a new case being created. This is prior to anyone seeing it.
It could be when the DSH form arrives or Planning Portal is downloaded.

We acknowledge receipt

This can be instead of the first email,
It is when the case is first handled.

When Allocated

When an officer is allocated to the case, it would be good to let the applicant/complainant know.

When Valid

When the valid date has been entered.
This can also add the acknowledged date automatically and change the status.

We have started consultation

provides a list of consultees to the key contact.
Includes closing date and what happens next

The officer has visited the site

This is a valuable email to ensure the recipient feels appreciated.
Important that 'next steps' explains that the officer is not able to discuss their deliberations at this time, but we will let you know once a decision is made.
Some clients send this to anyone making a comment on an application, complainants on enforcement cases and interested parties on appeals.

The officer has submitted their report for review

Again a valuable stage, showing that cases are progressing.
'Next steps' need to manage expectations

Results of a site inspection (BC)

This is covered in detail under the BC Tab

The decision has been made

There are a number of flavours to this email. (all include a link to the public register)
- Basic, the decision was approve with conditions / not expedient to pursue
- Intermediate, decision together with a list of conditions and informatives / reason for decision
- Comprehensive, decision, conditions etc, and the officer report
The recipients can have different versions depending on their role.

There is an appeal

Email sent to all members of the public and consultees when an appeal is lodged.

Copy of Completion Certificate (BC)

A small number of clients now use email versions of completion certificates.
A pdf version is also stored in case a 'paper' copy is needed.

And anything else you can imagine.

KAPAS CONSULTANCY

Interim Solution In Building Control and Planning

KAPAS PLUG-Ins

Inspection Suite

Financial Suite

Other Plug-ins

Template paragraphs and single decision notices

Automatic Email Suite