2018-003 Citizen Request SoftwareDate: January 5, 2018 Report No. 2018-003
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Overview and update on citizen relationship management (CRM) software.
BACKGROUND:
As a part of the 2016-2017 Strategic Plan, implementation of an interim CRM module was a key
action step. A form-based system was implemented on the City’s website in January 2017 during
the website update to allow citizens to submit requests electronically. Currently, requests are
submitted through the website and are then manually routed by staff through emails. This manual
process results in service delivery delays for customers and lacks automatic routing, reporting,
and escalation.
A supplemental request was approved through the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget for the purchase
of a CRM software solution. This type of software would provide citizens with a user-friendly
solution and single place to request services from their city government.
DISCUSSION:
A small working group of representatives from departments was assembled and surveyed in
August to create software requirements to describe a base level of capabilities required from
potential software vendors. Some of the top recommendations that were identified are:
An app so that the citizens could easily access the software from their mobile device.
Automatic routing to ensure the request reaches the correct department as soon as it is
submitted and escalation to ensure that requests are being completed in the appropriate
timeframe.
Reporting capabilities that have dashboards and printer friendly displays to allow staff to
present the data that is accessible and easily consumable.
Integration with the City’s ESRI GIS software to assist with the routing of requests
and ensure it reaches the correct department or governmental organization.
Anonymous request functionality so the requests would not be displayed publicly if the
requestor wished to keep it private.
Staff contacted four vendors for proposals and software demonstrations, and responses were
received from three of those vendors. Proposals were requested based on the predetermined
software requirements. The functionality of the software between all the proposals was similar
with only a few minor differences. Staff contacted other cities currently using the different
software to gather feedback from their experiences.
Staff plans to accept the proposal from CitySourced due to the software meeting all of the
requirements, receiving positive feedback from other cities (Longview, Frisco, Chicago, Los
Angeles), the software having a user-friendly interface, and integration with the City’s ESRI
software. Screenshots and examples of the software can be found in Attachment 1 or online at
http://www.citysourced.com/.
Date: January 5, 2018 Report No. 2018-003
BUDGET:
The Fiscal Year 2017-18 adopted budget included $40,000 for the purchase of a CRM solution.
The proposal from CitySourced is a for a one-time setup fee of $3,500 and annual cost of
$17,750 for a total Year 1 cost of $21,250. The ongoing annual cost for the software will be
$17,750.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:
Staff proposes a phased implementation approach to ensure that citizens have a positive user
experience by working through implementation challenges and monitoring a smaller number of
requests initially. After the first year, the program will be reviewed to look at expanding the
request types and/or including additional integration.
Phase 1: February- April
o 8 to 12 week implementation timeframe
o Initial launch of web portal and mobile application
o Provide training for staff
Phase 2: April- July
o Marketing
o Work with limited frequent request types
o Integration with ESRI software
Phase 3: July- September
o Increase request types
o Provide additional staff training
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Screenshots/Examples from other cities
STAFF CONTACT:
Charlie Rosendahl
Management Analyst
Charles.Rosendahl@cityofdenton.com
940-349-8433
Sarah Kuechler
Director of Public Affairs
Sarah.Kuechler@cityofdenton.com
940-349-8356
Examples from other cities
Examples from other cities
Examples from other cities