Citizen Request Management

The Novo Citizens Request Manager (CRM) web-based request tracking software facilitates communication across your entire municipality, eliminating redundant processes and providing assurance that issues are being resolved quickly and efficiently.

The CRM is built upon a  powerful knowledge base tool, which can be used for citizens and agents alike.  Flexible permission settings allow you to display selected information to selected users.  The Request Management component of the CRM system can be set up strictly for agents, or for both agents and citizens - storing all internal and external citizen requests in the same system.

The Novo Citizen Request Manager aids with responding to time consuming, common issues such as:

• Street & Road Issues (potholes, sidewalk repair, street sweeping, etc.)
• Traffic Signal Issues (damaged signage, traffic signals outages, etc.)
• Trash Collection & Recycling (collection schedules, missed collections, etc.)
• Public Landscape Issues (fallen trees, overgrowth, etc.)
• General Complaints (graffiti, rodents, etc.)

Essentially, any type of issue or complaint can be logged and tracked within the system. And because our software is fully web-based, implementation takes place within weeks not months. Once deployed on your website, citizens can begin making requests online with it's easy to use, intuitive interface.

With the Novo Citizen Request Manager:

• Citizens can easily request city services 24/7 from any Internet connection- if enabled they can also track the progress of their request. An auto-generated email even lets them know how and when the issue is resolved.
• Powerful Public knowledge base allows citizens to look up information instead of calling in for answers.
• Built-in workflow technology allows you to assign responsibilities, increase accountability and implement streamlined processes to help your team respond quickly and accurately to each request.
• Creating customized request forms is a breeze so you can tailor forms to meet your specifications.
• Improve inter-departmental coordination and ensure consistent answers are being provided with web access as well as email and phone responses.  
• Easily create customized reports on-demand with the Novo Custom Report Writer.

Citizen Request Manager Features:

Select a Feature To View, or Scroll to View All. Easy Configuration/Web Based Operation Select Request Mgt Features Powerful Admin Dashboard Automatic Email Notifications Customer Request Submission Attachments Flexible User Roles Configurable Request Queue Work Flow System Time Management Tracking User Defined Fields Powerful Knowledge Base  Business Rules Asset Mgt. Integration MS Active Directory Integration Flexible Reporting Automatic Email to Request Processing Internationalization Web Services (API) Database Support SLA/Request Escalation Accessibility/USA Section 508

• Completely Web Based Citizen Request Software - only a Web Browser is needed to administer & use the system 

• Easily Accessible on your Intranet or citizen facing website

• Industry Standard Architecture (Microsoft SQL Server, ASP/ASP.Net)

• In-House & Hosted Editions available

• Utilizes Existing IT skills with minimal need for re-training

Powerful Admin Dashboard

• Admin Dashboard - fully customizable portal dashboard for at-a-glance viewing of lists and managing reports. Drag and drop components allow you to quickly and easily arrange and sort the dashboard to each administrator's personal  preferences. 

• Search Knowledge Base Articles - allows citizens to search Knowledge Base articles before submitting a request 

• Submit Requests - allows citizens to submit
  a request directly into the Request Queue (with email notifications - see below)

• Manage Requests - allows citizens to review request status, add notes and attachments and close requests

• User Roles Management - allows customizable user roles so you can define what your users can and cannot do

• Multi-Department Request Management - allows citizen requests to be managed at the department level.  Each department can create and manage their own requests.

The Work Flow Module is available in specialized Knowledge Base and Request Tracking versions.  The versions may be purchased exclusively or combined as needed.

Knowledge Base Workflow:

• Use & Benefit: In certain cases, Knowledge Base articles that have been added or changed require multiple people in various departments to approve the new or changed article. The Novo Work Flow System provides a flexible method for automating AND keeping track of these approval tasks. The benefit is improved quality and sharing of Knowledge Base articles.

• Predefined & "On the Fly" Work flows: Ability to create  flexible work flows from a list of predefined tasks you setup or "on the fly" as Knowledge Base articles are being created.

• Completion/Approval Paths: Ability to define work flows with various completion/approval paths.

• Rules Based Auto Assignment: Ability to automatically assign predefined work flows to Knowledge Base articles based on flexible business rules (i.e. when an article is added to a particular category).

• Auto Email notifications: Email notifications are automatically sent to the appropriate person or group when tasks are completed or rejected.

• Work Flow Task "Queue": Empowers managers to view pending task status, assignment, predecessor relationships and deadlines (with color coded due dates for past due, current, future).

• Company-wide Work Flow Tasks – ability to involve admin users, end users and even external partners in Work Flow Tasks. 
  Note: In some cases the Automatic Email to Request module below may be required (i.e. for end users/partners that do not have web access to the software)

   

Request Workflow:

• Use & Benefit: Many requests require multiple people in various departments to either approve the request (i.e. a change to a server configuration) and/or complete specific tasks related to the request (i.e. tasks related to hiring a new employee). The Novo Work Flow System provides a flexible method for automating AND keeping track of these tasks. Results are improvement in quality and control of information systems (Change Management), improved response time to requests involving multiple people, and reduction of time spent keeping track of multi-step requests.
  

• Predefined & "On the Fly" Work flows: Ability to create  flexible work flows from a list of predefined tasks you setup or "on the fly" as requests are being added.

• Completion/Approval Paths: Ability to define work flows with various completion/approval paths.

• Rules Based Auto Assignment: Ability to automatically assign predefined work flows to requests based on flexible business rules (i.e. when a request is added to a particular category).

• Auto Email notifications: Email notifications are automatically sent to the appropriate person or group when tasks are completed or rejected.

• Work Flow Task "Queue": Empowers managers to view pending task status, assignment, predecessor relationship and deadlines (with color coded due dates for past due, current, future).

• Empowers Managers with the ability to customize fields available in a request form to their specific needs. Allows multiple categorizations of Knowledge Base Articles

• Provides the ability to add  fields and determine their position on the request form.

• Improves customer response times (agents have more information and are able to resolve issues faster). 

• Improved reporting capabilities that result in better problem analysis.

• Ability to add  fields to Requests, Articles, Accounts and Contacts

• Flexible Business Rules - for auto assignment of requests, auto notifications, etc.

• Multiple AND/OR Conditions & Actions - ability to configure rules based on various field dependencies and perform multiple actions (i.e. update status, reassign, email alerts, etc.)

• Rules Logging - ability to configure log events for each rule

• Ability to Route Inbound Emails to a Particular Support Queue (requires the optional Automatic Email to Request Module below) – automatically route incoming emails to different support teams or departmental “queues” based on the email address it was sent to (i.e. hr@... goes to the HR Queue, it@... goes to the IT Help Desk queue, etc.)

• Monitors an email account and automatically adds/updates a request from the email message.

• Support for Multiple Email Accounts – POP, IMAP and Microsoft Exchange

• Work Flow Task Management (Requires optional Novo Request Management Work Flow Module) – ability to complete Tasks via email

• Remote Mobile Technician Support – ability for support technicians to be able to update requests via Email Smart Tags

•  Integrate Novo software with 3rd party software applications allows our software to be integrated with your existing software

• Business Rules - Create service level related business rules for difference categories of Service Requests

• Escalation - Auto escalate/re-assign requests to another person or team

• Notifications - Auto email notifications (i.e. to a pager/mobile phone) to appropriate personnel/management if a request is not responded to or closed within the defined time period.

• Logging/Reporting - Define service level log events as informational, warning or failure allowing report generation on failures and near failures. Generate charts of SLA performance

Select Request Management Features (Enterprise Edition)

• Request Templates/Forms - create custom Request Templates, allowing you to create simple to complex request entry forms.

• Request Copy - ability to copy/save a request and its related information

• Memorized Requests - ability to memorize repeatedly used requests to speed request entry

• Recurring Scheduled Requests - ability to schedule memorized requests to automatically generate requests for routine tasks

• Confirmation Receipt To Customers/End Users/ - an email is sent back to the customer/end user that submitted the request to confirm its receipt.

• New Request Submissions - Customer support software users can be notified via email of new requests submitted by customers/end users.

• Re-routing of Requests - Support staff are notified when a request is re-assigned to them.  A link in the email takes them right to the request. 

• SLA Failure - when the time to review a request has passed without action, notifications are sent to the appropriate management/supervisory personnel.

• Quick Attachments - easily add attachments (i.e. screen shots of error messages, etc.) to an online customer support software request.

• Flexible Request Queue - Easily enable/disable columns to display

• Priority Colors - Priorities are associated with a color making prioritization quick and easy.

• Request Filtering - each user can define their own preferred view of the requests by applying multiple filters

• Clean, Straightforward Layout - for ease of use 

• Punch In/Punch Out Request Time Tracking - the software tracks cumulative time spent on a request.

• Request Due Date - due date feature shows deadlines for request completion.

• Business Hours & Holidays - ability to define business hours to be used in request management
  

• Customer/End User Self Help - provides a web self help system to customers/end users allowing them to answer their own questions, which reduces call volume.

• Quick and Easy Knowledge Capture - intuitive interface allows Customer Support and other staff to quickly create a formatted and categorized Knowledge Base article.

• Quick Knowledge Base Search on Request/Problem - 1 click problem/issue search of the Knowledge Base as a Request is being added/edited.

• Knowledge Base Article to Request Linker - with just 3 clicks you can link a Knowledge Base article to a citizen request.  This is then available to customers/end users and/or other support representatives to reduce response time - it shows the articles that have already been reviewed.

• Request to Knowledge Base Article Creation - allows you to quickly create a Knowledge Base article from a Request Description/Resolution.

• Metrics On Demand - ability to configure drill down charts and graphs

• Built-in Reports - numerous standard pre-built reports included 

• Flexible Reporting capability - Our Citizen Request Software identifies monthly/yearly trends by various metrics and facilitates root cause analysis (identifying problem areas)
  
  
  

• Multi-Lingual Support - supports the ability to add/manage customer support requests in different languages.  Utilizes the same system for providing global customer support.

• Time Zone Configuration - allows customer support representatives in different time zones to add/view request dates/times adjusted for their time zone.  

• Navigation via keyboard

• Capability for screen readers