StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/570883
StateWays n www.stateways.com n September/October 2015 26 [ PROFILE ] All of these improvements played a role in accelerating liquor sales across the state. A faster, simpler application process resulted in new businesses opening sooner, boost- ing the economy and selling more product. In fiscal year 2014, gross wholesale spirit revenue reached an all-time high of $1.2 billion. Net profits were well over 10%. Despite these successes, Deloney is quick to point out that the work is far from over. "We've made a lot of progress so far, but there's still so much work to be done," he says. "Process improvement is the most important thing. You always need to be looking for new ways to improve." Deloney is already moving forward with the next phase of the license application improvement process. This in- volves developing an online application system. Within the next year, the MLCC will replace its current outdat- ed licensing software with a new program customized to meet agency needs. Although paper applications will always be available to select applicants who prefer them, the end result of the online overhaul will be a new licensing process that re- duces wait times and further improves overall efficiencies. "Everything comes down to making things faster and easier for our customers and our staff," Deloney says. "That's a never-ending process. Even when a project comes to a close, it's never really the end. The improve- ment process should be ongoing." THE CHANGES KEEP COMING Mandatory fingerprint cards, which applicants pre- viously needed to mail in as part of their applica- tion, are now offered electronically at select po- lice stations across the state. This eliminates the extra step of applicants mailing in a other piece of in- formation. It also drastically cuts down processing time by the agency, as electronic records are generally processed within several hours instead of several weeks. The MLCC also eliminated its closing application packet, which used to be the final step in the license ap- plication process. According to Deloney, that packet has since been eliminated as a redundant component, thereby shortening the process a bit more. As a result of these many successful process improve- ments, the average turnaround time for processing a li- cense application has decreased to an average of 100 days, a two-thirds reduction compared to four years ago. In addition to creating a smoother and more efficient process for applicants, the improvements also had positive effects on the agency itself. Paper application materials have been reduced by 63%, cutting down on the amount of materials needed for pro- cesses (and also supporting Michigan's statewide sustain- ability initiatives). The backlog of applications waiting to be processed has also been reduced by 92% since 2011, easing the workload for staff. We take our role as educators very seriously, and we work hard to connect with our community partners." — Andrew J. Deloney