City of Henderson simplifies government service delivery for everyone using Docusign eSignature

To most outsiders, Nevada is defined by the glittering lights and high rollers of the “entertainment capital of the world.” But there’s another city in the silver state that’s garnering national recognition as one of the best (and safest) places to live. Just along the southern rim of the Las Vegas Valley, Henderson is A Place to Call Home for over 300,000 Nevadans.

The City of Henderson’s success is driven by a long-term commitment to becoming “America’s Premier Community.” That includes embracing technology to help employees work more efficiently, boost public safety, and create new avenues for citizen engagement. From the city’s Office of Performance and Innovation, Addah Moritz-Smith and her team are leading the charge to transform how government works using digital tools like Docusign eSignature.

“We touch just about every department in the city,” said Moritz-Smith, business process analyst.

Transforming court workflows

Digital solutions that are responsive and easy to navigate are critical to providing timely government services. With over 23 years in city government, Moritz-Smith has lots of first-hand experience. “I've been through two municipalities, four mayors and six city managers. Operations and making things quicker, simpler, easier are what I love doing,” she said. “Docusign eSignature allows us to do that every day.”

In the old world, paper-based processes slowed down operations and created major bottlenecks. “A big challenge we were dealing with was contract inconsistencies,” said Moritz-Smith. Without automated policies in place, contract reviews—and figuring out who needed to sign what—became a guessing game. “One of the first things we did was look at how long things were taking us and realized there's got to be a better way.”

One case where shaving time was paramount is warrant authorizations. Blood draw requests, for example, have a two-hour window for judicial signoff. Sometimes that meant tracking a judge down at his residence. With eSignature, law enforcement can get legally-binding warrants in minutes, helping to keep communities safe. 

“Every single warrant in the city is electronic now,” said Moritz-Smith. “We’ve had judges and attorneys asking ‘can you please make this a Docusign document so I can sign it on my phone.”

But it’s not just about simplifying signatures, Moritz-Smith said. The city is also leveraging eSignature ’s workflow engine to make sure the right documents go to the right court and the right people—depending on the type of offense. In the Henderson Municipal Court, clerks are using the eSignature’s stamp functionality to digitally embed their official “filed” seal on Pro Per Motion requests. “Before, they had to print them out, stamp them and manually route them—so this was another huge win for us,” said Moritz-Smith.

Streamlining operations and services citywide

What started with the top 50 use cases quickly expanded to over 800 templates and PowerForms created using Docusign eSignature. Now, employees have streamlined access to self-service workflows directly in SharePoint. 

Beyond efficiency gains, the transparency has been incredibly valuable for stakeholders—especially when it comes to time-sensitive items. “Employees know who has their document, how long they’ve had it, and whether or not it’s been declined, voided or completed,” said Moritz-Smith.

The city has seen some noteworthy benefits across departments:

• Over 52,000 documents flow through eSignature every year

• The majority of documents are completed within five days

• Paper usage and costs are down

• Automated workflows and document storage have helped reduce labor and improve compliance

Here are just a few ways the City of Henderson is using Docusign eSignature citywide:

Accelerating procurement with dynamic workflows

The City of Henderson spends millions of dollars on goods and services every year. Before, the cycle time for low-dollar contracts averaged 59 days. For high-dollar contracts, it was nearly double. Now, contracts under $10,000 are completed in less than two hours—and those over $100,000 are completed in about two weeks. “We have templates for specific levels,” Moritz-Smith said. “Does this contract only need a director signature? Does this one need to go to City Council?” That’s all automated based on purchase thresholds now.

Recording more detailed vehicle accident reports using Docusign Drawing Fields

When a city vehicle is involved in an accident, a lot of people need to know about it—and they want to know exactly where the damage is. That’s possible now with the Docusign drawing tool. Employees select their vehicle type from a drop-down menu and mark the damage zones on a graphical rendering directly in eSignature. Key stakeholders, including the employee’s supervisor, risk management and fleet management, are automatically added to the review workflow so everybody can take the next action. 

Digitizing resident program enrollment

One of the city’s largest groups of eSignature users are parents of children participating in its Safekey after-school recreational program. Enrollment involves a 13-page application that was previously completed on site using traditional paper forms. If parents moved their kids to another recreational center, they had to go through the process all over again. “Now, it’s completely electronic, which saves a lot of time and frustration while eliminating that duplicated effort for everyone.” Moritz-Smith said.

Delivering on the city’s mission

The City of Henderson’s digital transformation doesn’t just save time and manual effort. It’s also helping the fast-growing community bring its mission to life: to provide services and resources that enhance the quality of life for those who live, learn, work and play in the city.

“Our strategic plan…our path to premier…those are our guiding forces. And tools like Docusign eSignature are helping us get there,” said Moritz-Smith. For those contemplating a similar transformation, her advice is simple: Have a goal in mind, and establish your KPIs—but don’t overthink it. “You’re going to learn a lot of things along the way,” she said. “Just get started.”