Forms, Flows, and Follow-Through: Laserfiche + CPS for Real-World CPI

When American City & County recently called continuous process improvement (CPI) “a structured, ongoing approach to identifying and eliminating inefficiencies in operations” and urged local governments to “streamline workflows, leverage available data and technology, and continuously adapt to changing community needs” — they could just as easily have been describing a textbook Laserfiche deployment shepherded by CPS (Complete Paperless Solutions). 

From buzzword to boots-on-the-ground

The article highlights three pillars of successful CPI: leadership support, frontline employee involvement, and data-driven decision-making.

Laserfiche, especially in its Cloud edition, is built for exactly those dynamics. Role-based dashboards provide executives with real-time KPIs; drag-and-drop Forms invite clerks, permit techs, and AP staff to redesign tasks they are familiar with; workflow analytics surface bottlenecks and enable teams to iterate without writing a single line of code.

A quick win that everyone can see

Take invoice approvals, one of the processes American City & County spotlights as ripe for CPI. 

With Laserfiche Forms, CPS helps a finance department map every handoff, then configures conditional routing so that invoices auto-advance the moment the required data is present. Built-in digital signatures eliminate “folder-surfing,” and business rules enforce separation-of-duties automatically. The first cycle usually closes in days, not weeks, and because the new workflow rides in the same repository the auditors already trust, the change sticks.

CPS: the catalytic layer

Technology alone won’t dismantle an “unfortunate process.” That’s why CPS begins each engagement with a Kaizen-style workshop: staff place process steps on a wall, vote on pain points, and assign time and cost weights. Laserfiche analytics then quantify the gap between the current and ideal state, creating a baseline the organization can celebrate as gains accrue quarter after quarter.

“Continuous improvement isn’t a finish line; it’s a habit. Laserfiche gives you the toolset, and CPS makes sure the habit takes root.” — Joe Mempin, VP of Services, CPS

Our consultants also build governance playbooks, ensuring that every future workflow update is evaluated through the same CPI lens, thereby maintaining momentum even when personnel change.

T

angible results on the metrics that matter

The payoffs mirror those cited in the American City & County piece:

• Improved efficiency — staff redirect hundreds of hours toward higher-value work.

• Cost reduction — duplicate data entry disappears, and paper storage shrinks.

• Better service delivery — permit turnarounds and public-records responses to accelerate, boosting resident satisfaction.

• Risk mitigation & transparency — every click is logged, searchable, and reportable, satisfying auditors and strengthening public trust. 

Charting your next increment

CPI isn’t a massive rip-and-replace; it’s a cycle of experiment, measure, and refine. Laserfiche’s low-code flexibility means you can pilot one department this month and roll improvements city-wide next quarter. CPS backs you with certified architects, change-management coaching, and a deep bench of California municipal success stories to help you see what “good” looks like before you begin.

Ready to turn CPI from an article you read into outcomes you report? Let’s pick that first process together and prove what Laserfiche + CPS can do.