Major efficiency improvement in taxation thanks to a new platform

Belastingsamenwerking Gemeenten en Waterschappen (BsGW) is responsible for levying and collecting municipal and water board taxes. Citizens and companies have the right to object, and many of them do so — for example, by objecting the property value as well as dog tax, sewer charges, or tourist tax.

The government is often faced with the challenge to handle objections correctly and, above all, within the stipulated time frame — especially when the required information is stored in different systems. The solution: to streamline existing business processes and systems through a special platform.

Efficient and transparent collaboration on better services for citizens — PAQT develops digital solutions for the government.

PAQT’s thinking process doesn’t start from a standard product but from our needs. They’ve thoroughly immersed themselves in our work processes. If you don’t understand how we work, you won’t get our demands and needs.

We were used to buying turnkey software. Now, we’ve really implemented software together, which means you constantly need to make choices. That requires a lot of flexibility. It’s just another Tuesday for PAQT — but for us, it’s a new experience!

Roy Willems Procescoördinator

About BsGW

Belastingsamenwerking Gemeenten en Waterschappen (BsGW) is an independent cooperative effort by 29 Limburg municipalities and Waterschap Limburg (the Limburg district water board). BsGW is responsible for levying and collecting municipal and water board taxes. This concerns as many as 62 levy types based on 116 regulations.

To determine and collect these and other taxes, BsGW collaborates with the Inlichtingenbureau (information agency), UWV (Employee Insurance Agency), waste processors, the law court, and the national tax authorities. BsGW has joined forces with PAQT’s Common Ground experts to handle objections in a smarter, more efficient way.

Vision on digitalization

BsGW wants to focus on standardization and digitalization. It sets high standards for operational excellence, open standards and APIs, best practices, best-of-breed solutions, and a solution in accordance with current IT and architectural principles such as GEMMA and Common Ground.

Finally, it expects an optimal price-quality ratio and the lowest possible risk for business operations. The quality PAQT delivers and the method it uses make for a perfect match.

Platform supports decisions and prevents errors

BsGW works with 14 different systems that are barely integrated. Moreover, there is no central data storage. This results in a lot of work, a lack of overview, and a good chance of errors.

In the new situation, the entire process is managed through a platform. The system supports the civil servant in taking decisions by showing them the right data. It also helps prevent incorrect entries. Furthermore, the platform ensures a good distribution of workload, and the civil servant can work from home — which is especially relevant today.

Moreover, PAQT was asked to analyze business processes and propose an innovative solution to improve the way of working, considering the following objectives:

Connecting the individual process steps and applications
Preventing peak loads by better organizing work activities
Digitizing process steps that are carried out manually or on paper
Making information available to both citizens and BsGW employees faster

Automated work processes

We started by automating the entire intake process in a solid way: all incoming objections to the dozens of levy types are validated and passed on to those who handle them substantively in a timely manner.

Of course the automation of the intake and handling process results in a more efficient way of working — but more importantly, it means the citizen will receive a thorough, timely response to the objection they submitted.

One platform for submission and handling

The various existing systems have not been replaced — we’ve integrated them into the platform. The software has been established around the processes and systems like a shell. This results in a smart workflow, and it means all employees are always dealing with the same real-time information. In the long run, this will save a significant amount of time — and it already makes for an increased ease of use for employees.

The first version of this innovative application is used by approximately 50 employees in BsGW’s Intake and Handling Departments. In the long term, it’s possible to investigate the options and opportunities for expanding and scaling up the application.

All information on a single screen

All documents are easy to find

Working in a more efficient, more pleasant, and easier way

The platform that has been developed with PAQT has allowed BsGW employees to handle citizens’ and companies’ objections in an efficient, transparent, and correct way. They no longer have to obtain the required information from a variety of systems, as all information is provided to them on one screen. That makes their jobs more efficient, more pleasant, and easier.