“This new system is a great example of innovation in state government,” Governor Wolf said. “Something as simple as a software upgrade can not only improve the customer experience, but help agencies such as PennDOT operate more efficiently and transparently.”
Through the deployment of a software upgrade call ‘Orchestra,’ Driver and Vehicle Service managers can monitor wait times at 27 Driver License Centers around the state in real time and deploy additional resources in response, PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said.
“We at PennDOT know that people rely on us for critical transportation services and one of the most important is Driver and Vehicle Services,” Richards said. “When people come to us, they want a quick, no-hassle experience. This new system to monitor wait times is one way we are working to deliver that kind of quality service.”
Richards added that at one of PennDOT’s busiest centers in Malvern, Chester County, the new system prompted PennDOT to add an extra camera to its photo license operation and expand hours of operation. As a result, wait times were cut from 90 minutes to less than 30 minutes.
Through the Governor’s Office of Transformation, Innovation, Management and Efficiency (GO-TIME), state agencies are working to increase efficiency, improve service, and generate savings through inter-agency collaboration, external partnerships, and citizen engagement. These efforts are expected to generate up to $150 million in savings in the current fiscal year.
The ‘Orchestra’ system is part of a GO-TIME project involving multiple initiatives through which PennDOT is modernizing, improving customer service and safety, and enhancing and expanding intra-agency partnerships.
“PennDOT is committed to delivering value to the people of Pennsylvania,” Richards said. “Governor Wolf demands nothing less of us and we are delivering on his promise of government that works.”
Initially, PennDOT plans to add the system to another 23 Driver License Centers with the highest customer volumes.