Systems Modernization Project

Dear Stakeholders,

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is pleased to announce the selection of a partner, Paladin Data Systems, for our Systems Modernization Project (SMP). The 2015 legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1965 which authorizes the agency to impose a temporary additional fee of 6.2 percent on most new and renewed licenses and permits for a two-year period. The temporary fee will be used to replace the WSLCB’s outdated licensing and enforcement systems. Paladin will provide its SMARTGOV system which is anticipated to go online in late 2017.

One of our biggest goals is to make the system less complex, for both our employees and our customers, by streamlining processes and utilizing new technology. Freeing ourselves from the aging systems allows us to increase self-service capabilities; automate processes where possible and increase transparency for you the customer. Whether you are a licensee or interested member of the public you will experience better access to the data you are looking for. Upgrading our systems also significantly reduces the risks related to data security, data integrity, and the potential catastrophic failure of existing systems.

Processes
Changing systems is also a perfect opportunity for the agency to closely examine our business processes. Each of the agency’s business processes, from suspensions to banquet permits, have been identified, mapped, and assessed prior to building the new systems. In addition to mapping our current processes, teams are also developing future state maps of those processes depicting how the process should work using the new technology and where we think improvements, efficiencies, and automations can be made.

Next Steps
The project is already underway and this announcement represents a significant milestone. As more information becomes available and more milestones reached we will be communicating them to you. In addition the agency will be engaging stakeholders along the way and hopes to eventually provide demonstrations and testing. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact the WSLCB at (360) 664-1600 and thank you for your support.

Peter Antolin
Deputy Director, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board