State Motor Vehicle Agencies are Rapidly Moving Onto the Information Superhighway Ramp to Deliver Services, Accenture Study Finds
Washington, D.C., May 21, 2001 – The American public increasingly has the opportunity to take a new route to their local motor vehicle agency – the Information Superhighway, according to a new study conducted by Accenture. Enjoying a rapid proliferation of web-based motor vehicle services over the past year, drivers are being introduced to a word not commonly associated with these agencies – convenience.
The study shows that almost four times as many motor vehicle agencies have made the Internet a preferred vehicle for serving the public; compared with a study Accenture conducted last year. While the 2001 study provides an updated picture of the creation of eDepartments of Motor Vehicle services, trends also emerged, which parallel findings in the firm’s recently released report, Rhetoric vs. Reality – Closing the Gap.
“Here too we find reality catching up with the rhetoric as state motor vehicle departments extended the ‘three C’s’ of web-based services – choice, convenience and control – to stretch taxpayer dollars further and raise customer satisfaction levels, as 83 percent of citizens surveyed last year told us creating online government services should be a ‘priority,’” said Rob Berton, Accenture partner, Government. “In addition to publishing information on their web sites, motor vehicle agencies are interacting electronically with citizens, responding to requests for forms and increasingly making it possible for citizens to transact business with the state motor vehicle agency via the Internet.”
| Online Services Offered by Motor Vehicle Agencies | Dec. 1999 | Jan. 2001 |
| Only information and downloadable forms | 70% | 39% |
| At least one other service | 25% | 59% |
| At least two other services | 8% | 29% |
| Most common service: vehicle registration renewal | 18% | 40% |
“This dramatic uptake of eMotor Vehicle services among the 50 states is indicative of the major changes that await Americans as eGovernment realizes its potential,” said Berton. “At the same time, the study shines a spotlight on the untapped opportunities that remain for governments to bring their motor vehicle department services on line.”
Massachusetts and Virginia are taking the lead by extending the most services – seven each – to the Web. Online, both states offer general information, form downloads, vehicle registration, license plate orders, driver’s license applications and change of address services. Massachusetts also offers online citation payment, but not online transaction inquiries.
Some states are even finding more creative uses for the Web, enabling customer services that were never before possible. In Alaska, residents wanting to avoid extended waits at their local motor vehicle office can go online to see a photo of the office’s queue lines, updated every five minutes. Maryland residents can go online to view a live video cam of traffic conditions, and Indiana offers a Dealer Information Bulletin section that includes dealership registration policies and seminar events. Six percent of states now offer residents the ability to e-mail or complete an online form if they have questions.
Two potential growth areas that are still widely unavailable today are the ability to pay traffic citations and renew drivers’ licenses online. The study showed that only 2 percent of states permit residents to pay citations online – unchanged from a year ago. Ten percent of states now allow residents to renew their driver’s licenses online, up from 4 percent in the earlier study. Vision testing remains the primary challenge to this online service.
As rapidly as motor vehicle services are moving online, however, the vast majority of states remain in the earliest of the four stages of eCommerce sophistication – with 70 percent offering only general information and downloading of forms on their motor vehicle agencies’ web sites. As the agencies evolve from the publishing stage to the interacting stages, they begin offering services such as online user surveys and form submission. Few agencies have moved into the third stage, offering actual one-stop transactions, and none are in the fourth and final stage of fully integrating Web services into the agency’s routine way of doing business. This would include e-mailing proactive reminders for vehicle or license renewals and changes of address.
Data was collected for this report was collected for this report in January 2001 by Accenture researchers.
About Accenture
Accenture is the world’s leading provider of management and technology consulting services and solutions, with more than 70,000 people in 46 countries delivering a wide range of specialized capabilities and solutions to clients across all industries. Accenture operates globally with one common brand and business model designed to enable the company to serve its clients on a consistent basis around the world. Under its strategy, Accenture is building a network of businesses to meet the full range of any organization’s needs -- consulting, technology, outsourcing, alliances and venture capital. The company generated revenues of $9.75 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000 and $5.71 billion for the six months ended February 28, 2001. Its home page is http://www.accenture.com.
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Barbara Hohbach
+1 (703) 947 1838
barbara.d.hohbach@accenture.com
Jaleh Allameh
+1 (703) 947-3450