Digitisation of building permit applications delivers significant benefits

The digital journey of Hafnarfjörður continues

The City of Hafnarfjörður's digital journey began in the autumn of 2019 with a shift in focus and the establishment of a new Service and Development department. In these just over four years, much has been achieved, and digital successes have been both large and small. The latest digital success concerns the digitisation of building permit applications, which is estimated to save the municipality up to 14.7 million annually. The City of Hafnarfjörður measures the benefits and success of major digital projects with the help of KPMG, and the benefits of this project were assessed after several months of experience.

Opportunity for the transformation of the building permit process

Prioritisation in digital transformations is important. Some projects can be very important but complex and difficult to implement, and the increased digitalisation of building matters is a good example of such projects. In 2023, the focus was on collaboration among all stakeholders in the targeted digitalisation of the building permit process. A recent benefits assessment reveals that the digitalisation delivers annual benefits to the municipality of up to 14.7 million króna (kr).. The project was carried out in partnership with the company Taktikal, which had a proven technological solution, and in collaboration with Reykjanesbær, which has in many ways led these changes. The changed process is delivering tangible results for the City of Hafnarfjörður, not just in the service experience but also in the optimisation of time for staff and applicants, costs, printing and, not least, environmentally.

Breakdown of the valuation

• Nearly 25,000 kilometres are no longer driven in connection with the job.
• Applicants save 5 million in printing costs.
• The total reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from fewer car journeys is 5.2 tonnes.
• Release of staff resources for the future or equivalent to 1.2 full-time positions
• Approximately 10 hours are saved per application processed.

What is digital in the process?

• The application is electronic as before.
• Registration of building surveyors, tradesmen, designers and design managers with a check of their rights in the HMS rights database. Registration cannot be completed unless the rights are valid.
• Return of self-drawn plans and drawings (no paper!)
• Statements and supporting documents
• All signatures in the process are electronic.
• Drawings will be electronically sealed with a watermark.

Further opportunities for optimisation and efficiency

The results of the benefits assessment are based, in part, on interviews with staff from Hafnarfjörður Municipality and with building control officers, designers and tradesmen who have applied for planning permission both before and after the changes. The estimated benefit is conservatively estimated, as it does not account for an increase in the number of applications, marginal cases, or changes in procedures that could yield even better results. The benefits and success of digitising building permit applications are an incentive for more projects and digital steps to be taken in the coming weeks, months and years.

Project history of the implementation

Project stories | Hafnarfjörður (hafnarfjordur.is)