# Problem Statement

## Current State Challenges

### Document Fraud
Paper-based licenses are routinely forged. Verification requires manual cross-checking with issuing authorities, which is slow and unreliable. Forged documents circulate undetected for years.

### Process Opacity
Applicants have no visibility into application status. Inquiries require office visits or phone calls. Staff cannot explain delays because tracking is fragmented across manual registers.

### Inconsistent Processing
Same license type processed differently across offices. No standardized workflows. Processing time varies from days to months depending on which officer handles the case.

### Lost Audit Trail
Paper files get misplaced. Handover between officers leaves no record. When disputes arise, reconstructing decision history is impossible.

### Manual Bottlenecks
Every approval requires physical file movement. Officers juggle hundreds of pending files. Urgent applications have no priority mechanism.

## Quantified Impact

| Metric | Current State |
|--------|---------------|
| Average processing time | 45-90 days |
| Fraudulent documents in circulation | Estimated 8-12% |
| Applicant inquiries requiring staff time | 60% of applications |
| Applications with incomplete audit trail | 40%+ |
| Staff time on file management vs. review | 50% overhead |

## Requirements for Solution

1. **Tamper-proof certificates** that can be verified instantly without contacting the issuing office
2. **Real-time status tracking** accessible to applicants through self-service portal
3. **Standardized workflows** enforced by the system, not dependent on individual officers
4. **Complete audit trail** automatically captured for every action
5. **Digital-first processing** eliminating physical file movement
