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
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StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2016 12 [ PROFILE ] distributed to inspectors so all forms could be instantly accessed in the fi eld. The fi nal phase will be an online licensing and renewal system, which will be rolled out to all off-premise licens- ees in early 2016. The new online licensing system will also mark the fi rst time that the WVABCA has accepted credit card payments. West Virginia utilizes a bailment system for alcohol distribution, and the agency implemented an online bail- ment control system in March 2015 that allows retailers to place orders online. While the online licensing system was outsourced to an external company, the control sys- tem was created in-house to allow for a more customized program tailored to the agency's own unique needs. As a result, both the WVABCA and the state's 178 licensed retailers are happy with the upgrades. "We've received such positive feedback from our retail partners," says Kim Hayes, Director of Spirits and Wine at the WVABCA. "It's an ideal system because everything is web-based and mobile-optimized. All of the data is shared online and in real time." Improved e-mail and reporting capabilities are an- other key feature of the new bailment control system. Previously, all users would be e-mailed copies of reports related to their respective areas. The new system uses a portal log-in model, allowing users to visit the site at their convenience while giving them access to personal data and recent reports at any time. Once completed, the entire series of system overhauls will have cost the state approximately $400,000. How- ever, the agency thinks the expense was well worth it. "We needed to invest in a major systems enhance- ment in order for us to continue to improve," says Randy Haynes, Director of Information Technology with the WVABCA. "Some of the systems we were using previ- ously weren't being updated or even supported anymore, so this was a necessary move that will ultimately benefi t West Virginia in many ways." West Virginia ABCA staff includes Beer Administrator Cindy Clark, Spirits Administrator Kim Hayes, Commissioner Ronald Moats and IT Director Randy Haynes (seated, left to right), as well as General Counsel Anoop Bhasin, Procurement Offi cer Dana Hoffman, Comptroller Julia Jones, Enforcement Director Thom Valencia, Secretary to the Commissioner Jane Reed, Spokesman Gig Robinson and HR Director Lisa Wensil (standing, left to right). will have cost the state approximately $400,000. How- ever, the agency thinks the expense was well worth it. "We needed to invest in a major systems enhance- ment in order for us to continue to improve," says Randy Haynes, Director of Information Technology with the WVABCA. "Some of the systems we were using previ- ously weren't being updated or even supported anymore, so this was a necessary move that will ultimately benefi t