IDC hails QC programs for customer experience, digital innovation

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Two programs of the Quezon City local government unit (LGU) got awards from a global market intelligence firm for leading the country’s programs for customer experience and digital innovation.

In a post on their website, the International Data Corporation (IDC) said that for its 2022 Future Enterprise Awards, the QC Biz Easy – Online Unified Business Permit Application System (OUBPAS) is the country’s Best in Future of Customer Experience, while the QC iBIZ View – Automated Inspection Audit System (AIAS) is the Best in Future of Digital Innovation.

Quezon City’s local government mentioned these two awards in a statement on Friday.

According to IDC, the OUBPAS got the citation as it continues to integrate regulatory requirements needed by those doing business in the city into a single system, in adherence with the ease of doing business law.

“Starting from the vision to make it easier to do business at [QC] and fully comply with the provisions of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services Law, the Quezon City Government launched the QC Biz Easy Online Unified Business Permits System in October 2020,” IDC said.

“It aims to streamline and integrate all regulatory departments involved in the business permitting process into one system. It has now contributed to a 7% increase in customer growth from 9,994 (Jan – June 2021) to 10,725 (Jan-June 2022),” it added.

AIAS meanwhile is the tool used by the Quezon City Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) to check the compliance of establishments, where inspectors are provided with a tablet and a printer which can be used to view the checklist and review mission orders.

“AIAS utilizes technology and innovation and is one of the first-of-its-kind among Local Government Units in the Philippines. Each inspector is provided with a tablet and a handheld printer which can be used to view and review mission orders and other details on the establishment being inspected – with each information stored in a server,” IDC said.

BPLD head Margie Santos meanwhile said on Friday that utilizing digital technology has been a priority for the city government under Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“We have always prioritized digital technology as a tool for good governance and improved services.  Under the guidance of Mayor Joy Belmonte and City Administrator Mike Alimurung, we are so happy that key aspects of our digital transformation are now bearing fruit and reaping benefits for the city and its residents,” Santos said.

“Rest assured, we have more programs and innovations in the pipeline,” she added.

According to Santos, the digital upgrades were crucial in helping micro and small entrepreneurs who were affected by economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, or those who have tried to transitioned into other industries after the health crisis.

“We are truly honored by these recognitions from the IDC. Apart from validating our hard work, it serves to inspire us to strive harder to make things even more convenient for all QCitizens,” Santos noted.

Aside from Quezon City, another government office in the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) got an award for being the Best in Future Connectedness, as its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Monitoring System has “drastically improved implementation efficiency through seamless data and information interchange between internal and external systems”.

There were other private companies and businesspeople who got awarded too.

According to its site, the IDC is a global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the “information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets”.  It boasts of over 1,300 analysts worldwide that provide insights that IT professionals, business executives, and other sectors use to make smart decisions.

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