Delivering four reporting forms with HUD and FormBuilder

Overview

In 2024, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) faced a challenge after losing funding for their online system. Without an online tool the team at HUD had to revert to Word and PDF forms. In search of a budget-friendly digital solution to improve access to forms for their customers, the team began engaging with FormBuilder and Business Connect team in March 2024. Radley Neethling, HUD’s Business Solutions Architect, played a key role in exploring FormBuilder and Business Connect and led the internal processes to get sign-off.

The work

To get started, Radley from HUD met with the Business Connect team for an initial session to understand the offer to government and how FormBuilder works. That day, Radley jumped onto the tool and started creating his forms. 

1. Identifying candidate forms: Radley identified 4 regular reporting forms used by Māori entities who receive funding for housing development.
2. Building with FormBuilder: Radley reported – "from the beginning, FormBuilder's customisable and user-friendly interface allowed us to effortlessly design and implement forms tailored to our specific needs. The platform's advanced features, such as conditional logic and real-time validation, will enable us to collect accurate data efficiently, reducing errors and saving valuable time.”
3. Seamless onboarding: With all the necessary onboarding documentation ready to go, gaining internal sign-off from ICT was quick and easy. “The expert team at Business Connect guided us through the entire process, ensuring a smooth transition and facilitating seamless communication”.
4. Rapid implementation: All forms were built and launched within 12 weeks, going live on 29 August 2024.

The outcomes

• Cost savings: HUD estimated savings of at least $80,000 in the digitisation process.
• Rapid service delivery: “It's paid for, security checked, all done. All you've got to do is get on and build the forms. Jump on now, you'll have a form tomorrow and next week it'll be published.”
• Enhanced user experience: “The platform's automation features will allow us to focus on what truly matters - providing top-notch services to our customers.”
• Improved data quality: the digitised forms mean HUD now receives better quality customer data resulting in less back and forth with users and time saved on both sides.
• Streamlined processing: HUD's processing team now receive applications directly into the Business Connect admin portal, enabling them to find all necessary case information, communicate with users, and generate reports – all in one place. 
• Time savings for users: end users can save time and effort by reusing application data on the Business Connect platform, reducing the need to repeatedly fill out the same information.
• Digitising more forms: the team at HUD are now identifying more business-facing forms to digitise using FormBuilder, including their Annual Affordability Report. 

“The partnership between HUD and Business Connect has truly been a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation. Our experience has been nothing short of exceptional, and I am confident that the HUD use case will further demonstrate the effectiveness and ease of delivery that these platforms provide.”

Radley Neethling, Business Solutions Architect, HUD