A newly redesigned e-submission interface for county recorders is now in production. Iowa Land Records has now implemented this in more than 30 Iowa counties, and the remaining 60+ counties will be transitioning to the new system over the next several weeks. This is all part of a plan to phase in the new system while the current or “legacy” interface remains as an active back up.
“Recorders have experienced statewide changes in other software systems before, and when all counties are switched on the same day and the legacy system is turned off, it hasn’t worked very well,” said Lisa Long, Iowa Land Records Customer Service and Account Manager. “Recorders wanted to use a ‘phase-in’ approach, and we listened.”
Some of the key features of the redesigned e-submission applications include the following:
- Information about each document is presented on a single web page, so fewer “clicks” are required to navigate the page.
- Data elements affecting recording fee and taxes are front a center on the web page, and easily editable by the recorder.
- Changes in fees that result from corrections by the recorder are immediately visible and a recorder does not have to wait until the end of the work flow to see how edits affect fees.
- Recorders can remove incorrect data submitted by pressing a single button.
- The web page itself is built with a modern, responsive design – making it easier to view and navigate on a variety of devices and monitors.
Starting up this redesigned application and rolling it out to all the counties doesn’t mean the job is done. Further enhancements are on the way, including a “lock” feature to prevent multiple users from editing a document at the same time, a redesigned “search” function to help locate electronically submitted documents at various stages of the recording process, and improvements in the ways submitters and recorders can communicate with each other about documents submitted with errors.
Finally, early stage work to redesign the e-submission interface for customers is just beginning. Watch for more information about this project soon.