In today’s world of smart cities and e-governance, facilitating open communication between citizens and their local governments is more important than ever before. This is where CitySourced comes in - a pioneering civic engagement platform that seamlessly bridges the gap between residents and municipal services.
Launched in 2009 at the prestigious TechCrunch50 conference, CitySourced was born out of the vision to empower citizens to directly report neighborhood issues and service requests to their City Hall. What started as a simple mobile app has evolved into a powerful SaaS platform used by over 125 customers across 8 countries.
At its core, CitySourced provides user-friendly HTML5, iOS, and Android apps that allow residents to submit geotagged reports about problems like potholes, graffiti, illicit dumping and more. But it’s much more than a glorified 311 app. The real power lies in the dedicated CRM and service management back-end tailored specifically for government use.
This centralized system receives and intelligently routes every resident report to the proper department and personnel based on issue type, location and criticality. The two-way communication flow enables city staff to collaborate seamlessly, gather more details, and keep the resident updated until the issue is resolved satisfactorily. No more running around with clipboards or dealing with illegible handwritten notes.
For cities, the platform translates into major cost savings on customer service logistics. Gordon Bruce of Honolulu estimates their 311 app has reduced per-complaint costs from $6 down to just 60 cents. Los Angeles Unified School District cut maintenance processing expenses by 75% within 8 months. Government inefficiency continues to be a major burden, but tools like CitySourced are paving the way for leaner, smarter municipal operations.
But the benefits extend far beyond internal efficiencies. CitySourced empowers proactive civic engagement and gives residents a direct line for having their voices heard. As former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti stated, the technology connects “people and their government through smart technologies that improve efficiency, communication and engagement.”
The platform offers powerful analytics capabilities to analyze service performance, identify recurring issues, and allocate resources more strategically based on data-driven insights. Customizable communication tools also allow cities to broadcast important messages and updates to their entire population with ease.
For residents, having a direct line to report issues improves responsiveness and accountability. For cities, it boosts satisfaction while optimizing operations. It’s a win-win platform for strengthening the crucial feedback loop between citizens and the services they fund through taxes.
From an initial novel app idea back in 2009, CitySourced has evolved into an indispensable tool for any forward-thinking city prioritizing civic engagement and digital transformation. As smart city initiatives ramp up globally, platforms facilitating two-way communication and data-driven decisions will only grow in importance. CitySourced appears to be at the forefront of that evolution, empowering more responsive and collaborative local governance.