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Cobb County, Ga., part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, has contracted with Rockville, Md.-based Lagan to provide OnDemand Customer Relationship Management (CRM) contact center software for transparency in and across county departments. Cobb County plans to initially deploy the solution as a trial across three departments, including Parks and Recreation, Animal Control and Transportation.

A service request form in a Lagan Customer Relationship Management contact center software

The tool centralizes the non-emergency call intake process, so residents can access a single contact center for service requests or information. Common service requests are preconfigured with the aid of the tool's knowledge base, helping contact center agents to quickly and consistently respond to and resolve queries.

"In an age where transparency is more critical than ever before, we needed a solution which would enable us to have a clear view in and across departments in the county for strategic planning, decision-making and accountability with established service level agreements," said Tara Crisp, Cobb County's Technology Programs manager. "Cobb County sought a solution that's designed to get us up and running quickly. A software as a service (SaaS) solution has broad appeal at a time when our demand for a CRM solution is immediate and our budget is limited."

The web-based software is available through a subscription license and hosted on secure cloud servers. Municipalities can track service requests from creation to completion, and pre-configured reports and dynamic visual dashboards support performance management.

Parks and recreation applications

The Hampton, Va., Parks & Recreation Department is integrated with the city's Lagan-powered 311 contact center (also known as Hampton 311) to share information about the department's community-related events. The CRM tool's knowledge base, which is a frequently asked questions database, houses Parks & Recreation information from summer concerts at the beach to yoga classes at the local community center, summer camps and after school programs for kids. Residents can either find the information on Hampton 311's website, or they can call 311 to speak with a customer service agent. Additionally, residents can create service requests through Hampton 311 for Parks & Recreation-related inquiries, including mowing and grounds maintenance requests for city property or emptying trash in the parks.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, residents can use the city's 311 contact center to find out about the city's athletic fields, wedding ceremony sites, public pools or picnic shelters. Additionally, they can book golf tee times for city-owned and managed golf courses, and create service requests for park maintenance, the condition of a field or litter problems. They can also register for leisure guide programs, book ice skating lessons or secure picnic areas for birthday parties or corporate events.

Local governments in San Francisco, Boston, Minneapolis and other North American communities have adopted the product. The company has nearly 200 public sector customers worldwide. "In difficult economic times, Lagan OnDemand is ripe for local governments with budget challenges who are faced with an immediate need for a trusted CRM solution that's been built on best practices for increased efficiency and enhanced service," said Des Speed, CEO of Lagan.

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