100s of Hours Saved at Regulatory Body: Lessons from CMLTO

Outdated management software and manual processes can be major obstacles for regulatory bodies. Staff have to spend time rectifying issues and sending communications individually to registrants.

College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO), the regulatory body for medical laboratory technologists in Ontario, faced these challenges. But they transformed their regulatory body with automation, a consolidated and searchable Public Register, secure portals, and simplified registrant management overall. CMLTO saw incredible results:

• 100+ hours of administrative time saved

• Improved registrant interface with organization

• 95% fewer payment issues during registration renewal

About CMLTO: The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) is the regulatory body for medical laboratory technologists in Ontario. Its mandate is to protect the public by ensuring that all practicing technologists meet rigorous standards through registration, quality assurance, and professional conduct programs. With nearly 7,000 registrants, CMLTO plays a critical role in maintaining safe and competent medical lab practice across the province.

Here’s how they did it, and how your regulatory body can achieve similar results.

CMLTO accepts a Great Things Award for New Implementation at the 2025 iNNOVATIONS Conference.

❌ The Problem: Manual Tasks and Outdated Systems Frustrated Staff and Members

The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO) relied on a manual, developer-dependent platform that made everyday tasks inefficient and difficult to manage.

Staff had to navigate multi-step processes, send individual communications, and
use SQL coding to access basic data. Frequent issues, such as the 21 payment
errors during the 2024 renewal cycle, added to the administrative burden.

Applicants were unable to submit documents securely, and the Public Register was outdated and difficult for the public to navigate. Overall, the system limited efficiency, created risk during peak periods, and made it harder for both staff and Registrants to complete essential tasks.

Tedious admin work

Outdated Public Register

Payment errors

Risk during peak periods

✅ Solution: Simplified Internal Processes and Enhanced Registrant Experience

CMLTO implemented regulatory management software that gave them a streamlined, automated system to meet its regulatory needs. Staff now manage the system in-house, reducing reliance on developers and improving operational flexibility

This platform was the launchpad that allowed CMLTO to improve the staff and member experience. Here's what they did:

1. Launched new, secure portals for applicants, registrants, and staff

In nine months, they launched new portals for applicants, registrants, and staff. These secure portals streamlined key workflows and improved the user experience.

Previously, applicants were unable to submit documents securely. Not only did these new portals provide a better experience, they reduced risk for the regulatory body.

Want to create personalized member and registrant portals? Get started with our guide, Delivering an Unforgettable Web Experience. 

2. Automated acknowledgements, approval letters, and surveys

CMLTO automated acknowledgements, approval letters, and surveys. This replaced manual tasks and has saved hundreds of administrative hours with automation.

Registrants get information faster and staff spend less time on tedious tasks. It was a win for everyone involved.

Want to automate your processes?

The first step is assessing one of your current processes. Go through each step to understand its purpose. And no, "this is just how it's done" is not a valid reason to keep a process in place. Note any tedious steps or friction areas.

For example, here are some good questions to ask if you want to automate membership renewals:

• What are all the steps involved for staff users and for members? Can we automate, remove, or simplify any steps?

• Why doesn’t our membership organization accept direct debit or email transfer for payment?

• How would it benefit our members and staff if we added a new option, like automatic, recurring payments?

• Have any members or staff complained about the payment process?

See all 6 steps in our article, Streamline and Automate Your Membership Management.

3. Made it easier for registrants to use the Public Register

Previously, the Public Register was outdated and difficult for the public to navigate. So CMLTO modernized the Public Register to improve its usability and accuracy.

The consolidated and searchable Public Register made it easier for Ontarians to
find accurate information about their healthcare providers.

What Can Your Regulatory Body Do Next?

CMLTO's success shows how streamlining technology and processes will benefit both staff and registrants.

 To get started: 

1. Identify your bottlenecks. Are renewals, registrations, or reporting consuming too much time? These might be good automation opportunities.
2. Unify your data with regulatory management software. A Single Source of Truth helps you uncover insights and improve decision-making.
   
3. Prioritize the member and registrant experience. Easy-to-navigate portals and resources mean that registrants are more likely to engage with your regulatory body.

📘 Read the full CMLTO success story.

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