purchase products within their territory. Ultimately, the goal is to allow consumers to find a retailer that carries a product they want to purchase after searching for it on the MLCC web site.
The application system upgrade allows customers to check the status of their liquor license applications online at any time. It will also show them the name and cell phone number of the enforcement investigator assigned to their application to increase communication between the commission and its customers.
Digital Administrative Efficiencies “J
ust like everyone else, we’ve had to look at ways to cut costs,” says Patsy Holeman, Director of the Mississippi Department of Revenue, which oversees beverage alcohol control in the state. “We’re constantly examining processes to find efficiencies whenever we can.” Last year, as a result of examining the depart-
ment’s efficiency, Mississippi moved many of its administrative functions online. Whenever possible, the department no longer sends hard copies of pur- chase orders, bailment invoices and purchase invoices. Holeman says the time before customer receive pur- chase orders has dropped significantly, bailment invoices now only go out twice a month, and more than 80 percent of retail customers order items and access their daily invoices online.
“Our postage costs and person-hours spent print- ing, copying, sorting, and preparing paper records has drastically decreased,” Holeman says. “More impor- tantly, we’ve significantly reduced the time it takes for customers to receive special orders, which makes retail permittees, customers, brokers and suppliers happy.”
“We’ve significantly reduced the time it takes for customers to receive special orders, which makes retail permittees, customers, brokers and
suppliers happy.” — Patsy Holeman,
Director, Mississippi DOR
Posting any sensitive information online always creates security concerns, so the department created a special password-protected section on its website for internet customers and issued each one a user ID and password. Since only permittees can see the informa- tion on those pages, they contain everything from price books to supplemental pricing to individual account information. Permittees can order and view invoices in real time, and the system is set up to automatically draft their bank accounts for payment.
Now that the retail customers are online, the department is working with its two shipping com- panies to send documents electronically so trucks can leave the warehouse and be on the road more quickly. It’s also working to increase registration on the website. “We continue to see growth, and the goal is 100 percent participation,” Holeman says. “We believe that will happen as permittees handle more and more types of business transactions electronically.”
SW
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StateWays www.stateways.com March/April 2011
