What is Valence?
Valence is a web-based Customizable-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Licensing and Case Management System developed and sold by Dorger Software Architects Inc, an Alabama Corporation.
Valence is the product of lessons learned by implementing Licensing and Case Management Systems across multiple domains at dozens of state regulatory agencies over 20 years.
Valence is an application that can be tailored to a customer instead of forcing that customer into a box.
An Extensible Approach
The Valence application is highly configurable. We designed it with extensibility incorporated into the system design.
The Core components of Valence are generic and applicable to any solution. Core components include user management and authentication, role-based security, contact management, document management, simple forms, workflow, reporting, dashboards, a public web portal, responsive UI, configurable API endpoints, and more...
We built domain-specific components on top of the Core components, specific functionality for Case Management, Registration, Licensing, Enforcement, Examination, Revenue Tracking, etc.
However, because we know rules and processes vary from client to client, we added the ability to configure client-specific functionality directly into the platform.
Domain Features
Case Management
Valence provides a complete case management system. Easily track case staff assignments, service lists, activities, filings, orders, correspondence, hearings, and remarks. Valence workflow can be used to control the business process. Matter dashboards can be configured to provide an at-a-glance summary of the case. If you need to track additional information, quickly add another property anywhere needed without programming using SimpleForms.
Business Process Management
Not to be confused with Valence Workflow, BPM refers to where items are in a Business process and who is working on them. Filings, Registrations, Matters, Orders (and other data records) all allow Client-defined statuses. Statuses can show where items are within a defined business process. Valence supports several work assignment mechanisms, including Pending Actions and Staff Assignments. These can be manually assigned or assigned using Valence Workflow. Individual Dashboards can be configured to display staff work assignments; management dashboards can be configured to show staff productivity and key performance indicators.
Online Filing
Powered by Valence Workflow and SimpleForms, Valence provides a powerful and intuitive online filing experience.
Valence SimpleForms are web-based and responsive, allowing clients to file online using their mobile (or any) device. Valence online filings support the ability of the filer to upload required documents. These documents are bundled with the submitted form(s) and routed through BPM as a package.
Our configurable validations ensure the filing data is complete and accurate, resulting in high approval rates. Configurable fee schedules allow Valence to correctly calculate Filing fees, even when said fees are dependent on the information provided on the submitted Form. Filing fees can be paid online or mailed and subsequently linked to the Filing using a Tracking number.
Revenue Tracking
Valence includes a revenue module to generate and track fees, payments, deposit batches, allocations, revenue codes, and reconciliation. Valence integrates with multiple payment gateways, including NIC Common Checkout, used by many states. Valence provides standard reports for collections, revenue distribution, daily deposits, and a slick financial dashboard. Standard NSF processing is supplied out of the box but can be expanded using the Valence workflow. Invoices can be generated that support payment plans and can be paid online.
Document Management
Document Management within Valence allows electronic documents to be associated with contacts, registrations, licenses, complaints, investigations, hearings, correspondences, payments and other types of data records. The electronic documents are shared easily among Valence users and remove the burden of dealing with paper files. Valence document management supports full-text indexing and searching. As with most data records in Valence, documents can be locked down using security levels. Specified document types can be made available on the public web site.
Reporting
Reporting within Valence allows customers to report on any data stored within their data. Valence has a library of standard reports and supports the ability to add additional custom reports as part of implementation. All configured reports can be exported to PDF, Word, Excel or HTML and reports can be scheduled to run automatically with multiple delivery methods supported. Valence also supports ad-hoc reporting through our Advanced Find Tool and those results to can be exported to Excel. Additionally, Valence supports the configuration of interactive, custom dashboards.
Notifications
Valence can send notifications to Licensees, Mailing Lists and Matter Service Lists. Notifications can be triggered by a workflow event (i.e. a Document has been filed in a Matter) or based on a Schedule Job (i.e. Renewal Notices). Notifications can be sent in the form of an Email or SMS Text Message. All notifications can be saved in the Correspondence History for a Matter or Registration/License.
Systems Integration
In today's connected world it has become more and more important for your software system to integrate seamlessly with external applications. Valence Workflow has out-of-box functionality allowing it to connect to any RESTful or SOAP Webservice or FTP endpoint exposed by external applications. Conversely, Valence provides a configurable RESTful Api which allows external systems to retrieve data from Valence or push data into Valence through defined secure endpoints. For non-tech heads, Valence can be configured to play nice with other applications.
Responsive Design
More people than ever conduct business on their Mobile devices. Valence is web-based, meaning the application can be accessed from anywhere on any device. Valence leverages Bootstrap to support devices of all sizes and popular desktop browsers (google, firefox, microsoft edge, etc.).
Responsive Design also means Valence supports the browser zoom functionality and adjusts its layout appropriately with larger text.
Valence Workflow
Valence has a powerful workflow engine built into the application. Workflow automates and enforces business rules and processes.
Workflows are designed like flowcharts and perform work by executing activities.
Workflows are configured per client and stored in client-specific repositories, allowing our analysts to modify/add business processes without changing system code.
Tasks that Valence Workflow can perform
Drive online users through a filing process, display appropriate SimpleForms based on Filing Type and perform validations to ensure consistent and accurate filings.
Connect to external systems to pull or push data to ensure synchronicity between Valence and the external systems. Workflow can also call an external system to validate data inputted into SimpleForms.
Process requests from external systems through our configurable API. For one implementation, we used workflow to implement an API to support an existing iPhone and Android Mobile app with no required changes to the existing applications. Users were unaware that the underlying database management system had been upgraded.
Auto-generate commonly used documents such as Licenses, Certificates, Orders, Approval Letters, Rejection Letters, Deficiency Letters, Demand Letters, Renewal Reminders, etc.
Track document status and location and move documents through the office without needing emails or paper.
Automatically posts documents to the web in appropriate locations
Simple Forms
Valence features a user-definable forms engine; we call it SimpleForms. Users can utilize the page and forms designer built into the Valence application to craft and preview Forms.
Forms are a critical part of any online submission application.
Combining SimpleForms with the Valence Workflow allows Valence to address any eGovernment/Business online submission scenario.
SimpleForms can also be used to extend the properties of Core Valence objects, such as Contacts, Matters, Filings, Orders, Hearings, etc. Each “Type” (filing type, registration type, matter type, contact type, etc.) can be configured to have different SimpleForm extended properties.
Simple Forms Samples
(click images below)
Custom Actions
An Event in the system may trigger a Valence workflow (Filing Created, Matter Created, Pending Action Closed, etc...
However, sometimes there is a need to allow end-users to initiate workflows manually from a menu item or by clicking a button on a Dashboard, Portal Page, or Grid Row. Valence supports this using a feature we call Custom Actions.
These configurable menu items/buttons trigger the execution of a specified workflow.
Each “Type” (filing type, registration type, matter type, contact type, etc.) can be configured to have different custom actions.
