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January 9, 2023

The Paperless Trail

In this new digital age where vehicles can be purchased online and delivered in as little as days, it begs the questions: why does processing registrations and titles for those vehicles still take so long and why are these documents still issued as paper when digital solutions are available?

These questions and others have filled the mind of Shane McRann Bigelow, CEO and co-Founder of CHAMPtitles, an Ohio-based technology startup. CHAMP is revolutionizing the historically paper-based titling industry with a first-of-its-kind SaaS software, Digital Title & Registration Suite (DTRS), that completely digitizes the title and registration process for state agencies. Similarly, these questions are on the dockets of state government officials. In West Virginia, they answered the call by rolling out Champ’s DTRS solution in 2022. Discussing the solution at a recent press conference, West Virginia’s Governor Jim Justice stated, “it is more secure, much faster, good for the environment, and it puts our citizens first, getting them out of line at the DMV.” According to Governor Justice, “The result is wildly improved efficiency for our citizens and our state.”

“The truth is today’s vehicle titling systems are antiquated and are in desperate need of a digital overhaul, one that would speed up the process of acquiring, transferring and updating vehicle titles and also do wonders for saving paper,” Bigelow said.

Global consumption of pulp and paper is expected to double from 2010 to 2060. And, as paper production increases, societies are putting more pressure on forests, which are already in a desperate state due to deforestation and manmade climate disasters. As it specifically relates to vehicle titling, an estimated average of 15 million sheets of paper are used annually at each state’s motor vehicle department for titling alone! Digital solutions, however, would eliminate waste and provide efficiencies for them by allowing the transfer of ownership of titles across the US in just days.

Powered by a security-first platform, CHAMP’s software is the first e-titling solution to address the entire ecosystem of vehicle titling. Some companies have tried their hands at deploying and implementing e-title programs and have had some success in addressing the paper waste and inefficiency problems, but they have only scratched the surface of the potential of a digital solution.

“By intentionally serving the entire title transaction ecosystem, our solution tracks the titling process, from a vehicle’s cradle to its grave, eliminating numerous touchpoints and paper documents while providing efficiencies in the system that include faster cycle times, lower exception rates and lower operational costs,” Bigelow said. “Our software ultimately aims to digitize the transfer of ownership of any movable asset throughout the world, creating an easier, more efficient, and ecofriendly experience for everyone.”

Beyond the waste of individual sheets of paper, there is a cost to managing paper and filing documents. Paperless software significantly reduces those expenses, which would inevitably translate to savings for states, vehicle dealerships, fleet operators, insurance providers and individuals involved with the vehicle titling process.

More importantly, software that truly reduces paper consumption also reduces the carbon footprint of all parties involved. While most people think of paper’s effect on forests, many do not realize the other negative environmental consequences associated with paper use. Paper represents 26% of waste dumped in landfills and when it degrades, it becomes toxic and emits methane gas. Paper that does not currently occupy landfills, still takes up valuable real estate when it sits in filing cabinets or is stored throughout offices. Further, cars that are waiting to be recycled in salvage yards leak fluids and destroy the earth, all because they sit and wait for a paper title to arrive so the cars can be sold.

CHAMP’s solution solves the paper waste issue that is so prevalent in the vehicle titling process, and it increases productivity by addressing the fragmented nature of vehicle titling from state to state where different laws and practices in each create significant complexity. The Champ DTRS solution is purpose-built to digitize and expedite title and registration systems without modifying existing government processes or increasing software operating costs. That said, the one process it does change is that it eliminates the need for consumers to have to drive to and then line up at DMVs to process paper titles and registrations – that can all move online, saving time for consumers and further reducing the carbon cost of title and registration.

Industries that deal with vehicles and their titles are also seeing big wins for their customers and their bottom lines. “CHAMP makes it easier to work with government systems. By digitizing a formerly paper process, we have seen material, time, and monetary savings,” Gary Thompson, Director of ENCOVA Insurance, said.

The state of West Virginia was an adopter of this innovative titling technology. “The improvements we have seen in the quality and efficiency of the DMV’s services to the dealers in West Virginia has been nothing short of amazing. The ability to digitally submit transactions and communicate with DMV title clerks in real time has allowed them to cut costs, decrease the use of paper, and receive titles in record time,” said Jared Wyrick, President of the West Virginia Auto Dealers Association.

“We need to reduce the time tax that each consumer pays as they wait in line to process paper and deal with DMVs. Because each state has unique systems, laws and procedures, a solution that can work with legacy systems but provide a powerful, flexible, and most important digital system of record is needed.” Bigelow said.

“The solution is clear: Champ’s DTRS. Yet most states still have a manual, paper-based process for registering, transferring and issuing titles,” Bigelow said. “And as long as the process remains manual, states will continue to see more waste in the form of paper, costs and overhead.”

To learn more about how CHAMP’s leading title technology supports sustainability through digitization, visit champtitles.com.

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