Eight agencies and two state employees received “Best of Washington” Awards for the use of innovative technologies to improve and more efficiently deliver public services. Gov. Jay Inslee delivered opening remarks to summit attendees, and was on hand to congratulate the award winners at a Nov. 7 ceremony during the 20th annual Digital Government Summit in Olympia.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue was a finalist for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) award for its implementation of the $50 million tax project TR3 (Rip, Replace, Revitalize!). The project implemented GenTax, a commercial off-the-shelf tax software from Fast Enterprises, which provides electronic tax filing and online payment options.

With efficiency in mind, Hawaii’s Department of Taxation (DOTAX) implemented GenTax, a tax software from Fast Enterprises, to modernize their tax system. Through this modernization, the project was able to improve not only its efficiency, but also its security, compliance, and overall process for payments and returns.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue undertook a tax modernization project known as the Pennsylvania Tax Hub, or PaTH. With this upgrade came a 90% error reduction rate for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) returns, as well as a 74% reduction in turnaround times.The Department of Revenue used Fast Enterprises’ tax software, GenTax, to update its online service portal.

Several southeastern motor vehicle agencies were recognized for their efforts to modernize their software by leveraging Driver and Vehicle Services software developed by Fast Enterprises, a software development company based in Centennial, Colorado. Arkansas’ Department of Motor Vehicles was awarded the Excellence in Government Partnership Award for bringing online access to driver and motor vehicle services throughout the state. Georgia’s Department of Driver Services received the Improved Through Effectiveness Award by efficiently assisting clients. Tennessee also brought convenience to their customers through the use of the FAST software, which includes an online services portal and gives clients more flexibility in how they register to vote.

The Washington Department of Licensing has received the Certificate of Project Excellence for its efficiency on the five-year Driver and Vehicle System (DRIVES) project. The project accomplished all of its objectives and finished ahead of schedule through the implementation of FastDS-VS, the driver and vehicle services software from Fast Enterprises. This implementation improved Washington’s overall reporting capabilities while increasing system reliability and reducing downtime, which also improved the public’s ability to complete more licensing tasks online.

As part of a larger implementation project for GenTax, Fast Enterprises’ commercial off-the-shelf tax software, the Illinois Department of Revenue implemented a new online MyLocalTax portal, which has increased efficiency and delivers taxpayers better services. The portal provides local government officials with monthly access to financial tax allocation information, which has improved communications and financial control, and has made the information-sharing process more timely and transparent.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is implementing a second rollout of the tax administration solution Pennsylvania Tax Hub (PaTH), which was followed by the launch of the online self-service portal myPaTH. The new user-friendly system eliminates complicated paper filings and is responsible for the collection of more than $750 million in tax revenue. The Department’s use of Fast Enterprises’ tax software, GenTax, has increased efficiency, facilitates improved tax collection, and enhances overall taxpayer services throughout the launch.

Fast Enterprises ranked No. 34 on the 2019 Workforce 100 list, which recognizes the company’s high ranking in Human Resources-related areas, such as workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, innovation, and leadership on job review websites like Glassdoor. This high ranking reflects the company’s efforts to provide a healthy, supportive work environment, as well as the emphasis FAST places on taking care of its employees.