Advanced Technology Transforms the Planning and Zoning Process, Breaking the Efficiency Barrier and Redefining What is Possible

Sponsored Content from enCode Plus

Created by planners, for planners, enCodePlus streamlines processes with purpose-built tools and features.

Successful collaborative drafting in the cloud may seem like a lofty goal when experience points to substantial challenges.

Conflicting, disjointed versions of documents revised by multiple parties. Confusing track-changes upon track-changes. Imperfect document-merge processes that never work as intended. All collaboration nightmares.

Most public- and private-sector planners have personal experience with these headaches. Planners (and their customers) are left constantly wondering where the latest, most up-to-date version of a document resides. Did anyone respond to the commissioner's concerns? Was the housing issue discussed in comment boxes across the last four versions ever addressed and resolved? Does the current version reflect only the best and most accurate revisions?

As communities move toward digital planning and zoning tools to mitigate these challenges, emerging technology must help them deliver critical services. They must provide continuity of service that is accurate and complete, maintain trust and respect from government officials and community leadership, and automate processes that allow planners to spend more time planning!

enCodePlus is the Only Software Platform to Check All the Boxes!

enCodePlus' planning and zoning software is an integrated platform that effectively accomplishes what other so-called "collaborative editing" programs fail to accomplish.

• enCodePlus lives in the cloud, which means it's accessible in real-time, to all collaborators, from any device, at any time
• A single living document stores all comments and edits in one place
• All versions of a document are automatically archived in a permanent searchable library, organized by time, date, and keywords, and watermarked as "draft" to eliminate confusion
• Comments and edits are also archived and — with a click of a button — can be compiled and downloaded for sharing or printing
• enCodePlus' "follow-up" feature highlights and serves as a reminder to return to important or otherwise unresolved comments
• The "filters" tool allows users to filter comments by username, status, and timeframe — thus removing noise from the editing process
• Each document is simultaneously converted to HTML for seamless web publishing at the push of a button
• An attachment tool and cloud library support hot links to important technical memos
• A robust definition library ensures equal understanding of key terms by all parties
• Automated and customizable styling — including headings, bulleting, and numbering — offer accurate drafting and automatic updating throughout the editing process
• enCodePlus can integrate graphics and tables with ease, and mimic the intended design

You've tried the mainstream alternatives — and they all have their strengths — but enCodePlus is different. Simply put, enCodePlus raises the bar.

Planners' Platform for Collaboration and Publishing

Created by planners, for planners, it is the only platform created for the unique needs of the planner and planning consultant; the only platform that addresses collaborative editing and commenting provides a top-notch publishing product, and seamlessly integrates with other systems.

With enCodePlus, you'll find additional powerful, integrated, industry-specific features that are not available elsewhere. Here are some recent examples of enCodePlus in action:

• In the City of Littleton, CO, Kendig Keast Collaborative (enCodePlus' parent company) is currently using enCodePlus to create the community's new Unified Land Use Code. With hundreds of comments over many months, staff has maintained focus, confident that they are always working from the most recent version.
• The City of Covington, KY, published its Neighborhood Development Code on the enCodePlus platform, integrating seamlessly with the searchable zoning data and mapping feature.
• The City of Beaverton, OR, recently digitized and archived over 5,000 pages of historic codes and ordinances for public access on the enCodePlus platform.

Don't tackle another plan or code project without this essential resource.

Contact us today to find out how enCodePlus can help you.

ABOUT THE CONTENT AUTHOR AND SPONSOR: Encode plus

Bret Keast, AICP, is the President of enCodePlus, a software solution designed to modernize, customize, codify, and publish planning and zoning documents. For 25 years, enCodePlus has continued to push the envelope of innovative customer service by digitizing plans and codes, integrating with GIS, and providing local governments with customized calculators and plan-review tools enabling staff to do their job better and faster. Bret is also CEO of enCodePlus' parent company, Kendig Keast Collaborative, where he and his team provide consulting services on planning and zoning projects.