Challenges
As internet usage and acceptance of online self-service facilities surged, the user base of the Register began to shift from professionals, such as lawyers and accountants, to business owners. These infrequent users required an instinctive, user-friendly system with no formal training necessary. Foster Moore and the New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development (NZMED) embarked on a mission to develop a replacement for the original online Register in 2008, aiming to enhance user interface, usability, and back-office efficiency.
The revamp is intended to minimize support calls from the public and increase the range of functions available to external users. The Companies Office aimed to streamline its operations and cut costs by transferring more responsibilities to users. NZMED targeted an annual saving of over $2 million through these efficiencies.
Solution
In collaboration with NZMED, Foster Moore completed the 24-month project, launching the updated New Zealand Companies Register in May 2010. With the application of Foster Moore's registry platform, the system was built around legal forms that mimic their paper counterparts. This forms-based definition allows for specific activities to be automatically triggered upon changes to specific fields.
The key features of the updated New Zealand Companies Register include company incorporation and maintenance, director searching, online annual return filing, compliance assessment, payment and refund processing, and role-based security. An integrated workflow between the public users and registry staff enables a seamless flow of activities.
