Overview
Verne users register and maintain business entity data via specific online business services that handle the submission and processing of prescribed forms. For example, the online system allows registered users to apply for incorporation, amendment or dissolution. The registered filer is sent email notifications of the status and outcome of their submissions, with the reason(s) for rejection stated in the notification, if an application has been rejected.
Where required, registry staff users will be able to review and approve, return for revision or reject submitted applications. Privileged internal users are able to correct registry data, with provision of the reason for change. Any change in data is audited, with the system recording ‘who did what when’.
Public users may search on companies on the online register and obtain emailed copies of the certificate of registration and company extracts.
The following describes the framework, standard rules and system behaviour developed in Verne to support the registration and maintenance of business entities, such as corporations or companies. Product configuration is used to define business services to handle registration of specific entity types within the registry.
A registered, logged in user may submit an application or change via an online function (e.g. application for incorporation). Each function will have its own set of rules for data capture, payment, review and system updates.
Online Data Capture and Validation
The user enters the data required for an application, depending on the entity type, e.g. company name and addresses, director details, shareholding details, contact details, etc.
The data contained in an application undergoes automated validation before a user can submit it:
- General data validation – focuses on checking for sufficient levels of data quality such as the presence of data in mandatory fields, correct data types, valid value ranges, appropriate selection from lists, address validation etc.)
- Business validation – focuses on checking that the application as a whole contains the correct elements to satisfy the needs of its associated legislation, and/or any downstream processing that will be undertaken against the application. This will be specific to each register.
- Third party validation (customisation required) – focuses on checking certain application data with third party agencies. The required third party validation will be specific to each register. Sample third-party validation:
- Check with a tax authority that the supplied Director tax number is valid;
- Check with a National Enforcement Unit that the supplied Director is not a Banned Person;
- Check with an Insolvency Service that Directors/Shareholders are not currently bankrupt;
Online Submission Workflow
The following attributes are pre-defined for each function and determine its online submission workflow:
- Wizard Approach – where a function requires intensive data entry, e.g. application for registration of a company, the various steps in the process are presented via a series of screens. Progress within the data entry process is indicated at the top of the page and the user navigates to subsequent screens until data entry has been completed and the application is ready for submission.
- Saving of Incomplete Data – selected applications may be saved by the user and data entry resumed in another web session. The user must correct any invalid data, e.g. invalid date format before saving an incomplete application. Previously entered data may still be changed or expanded, on resuming of data entry in a subsequent web session.
- Completion Period – specific functions must be completed within a set number of working days. The period can be configured to any value required. For example, existing implementations vary from 2 working days for a function that requires minimum data entry (e.g. application to change a company name) to 10 working days for an extensive form (e.g. application for registration of a company).
- Payment of Fee – where the submission incurs a fee, the user must complete the payment online before the transaction is accepted by the system. Several payment options are available:
- Credit Card Payment – integration with a third party payment gateway allows credit card transactions.
- Direct Debit – pre-approved users will be automatically invoiced monthly by the Register. Non-payment may result in de-activation of the account.
- Pre-paid account – an account balance is maintained per user account. This account balance is incremented online by an internal user, based on a payment receipt (transacted either at an authorised office, e.g. Registry Office, Ministry of Finance, or bank branches). There must be sufficient funds in the account to cover filing of a notice.
Reviewing a Draft
Within a business service, Verne provides a ‘Review’ page to allow a user to view the application details entered so far. The user may navigate to a specific section of the application to edit or correct data or submit the application where all details are complete.
Apart from the ‘Review’ page that is available at the end of a data capture process, as configured for a business service, Verne may implement confirmation prompts as required for an application, e.g. confirmation on removal of an officer.
Penalties
A two-tier penalty regime may be applied to late submissions of selected applications. The penalty schedule is configurable, depending on legislative requirements:
- 1st Tier – $xxx charged for failure to deliver a form to the Registrar within x working days after the time prescribed by the Act.
- 2nd Tier – $xxx charged for failure to deliver a form to the Registrar x working days after the time prescribed by the Act (a longer period than the 1st tier period).
Penalties will be configured within the workflow, however the workflow actions associated with the penalties may be configured and invoked from the workflow manager.
The Registrar (or an authorised internal user) may waive the partial or full penalty fee. This will be done on a case-by-case basis.
Once the application has been submitted by the user, it will be subject to the workflow configured within Verne for that entity type being created. This may include a manual review within the registry office.
Review, Acceptance, Rejection
Some business services will require an application review process, whereby the contents of an application and/or supporting documentation need to be checked visually for correctness and/or completeness. The subsequent workflow may alter based on the result of the review; On submission or re-submission of an application, the appropriate review task is created and assigned to the internal registry users’ work queue.
On an internal user’s approval of an application, the requested changes are applied to the register and the filer sent an email confirmation of the completion of the service.
On rejection of an application, an internal user specifies at least one rejection reason (dynamically presented as a list on the Review screen, depending on the form, along with a free-form text box in which other non-standard rejection reasons may be given). The filer receives an email notification of the rejection, with the reason(s) for rejection stated within the email.
Applications that do not require an internal review will be marked as registered on payment of the fees. The requested changes will be automatically applied to the Register at that point.
Re-submission
On rejection of an application, a filer may be allowed to rectify any errors and re-submit the application within a re-submission period. This period is defined per application that requires internal review. This states the number of days within which a filer must re-submit a rejected application, from the date of its rejection. After this period, the rejected application will no longer be available for re-submission. An internal user retains visibility of rejected applications via the company search functions.
Applications that cannot be re-submitted will remain in their final state of ‘Rejected’.
Registry Updates
The system can integrate with a Business Directory to obtain the Single Business Number, and can generate the identifier numbers for new entities.
Successfully completed transactions or approved applications will immediately update the Register with the requested registrations or changes.
The company’s filing history will record all submissions. Registered filings will be shown publicly while rejected ones will only be visible to internal users. Each filing entry will show details of the change, including data captured, user who submitted the change and the date/time of change.
A version of company data will be generated and associated with each registered filing.
Appropriate Articles of Incorporation and Letters Patent and company extracts will be emailed to the presenting user, as attachments to the notification email of a successful application.
Granting of company authority to the registering user to maintain the corporation details on the register – this means that once logged in, this registered user will have the authority to edit company details and submit other documents on behalf of the company.
Company Authority Management is a keystone security feature in Verne that grants authorised registered users such as Directors or Agents (e.g. lawyers and accountants) authority to maintain their company details on the register. Authority may be granted or revoked by Directors, Agents and the Registrar.
