designing and developing effective and efficient municipal websites

Designing & Developing Effective & Efficient Municipal Websites

1By Rami Kassab, CEO & Co-Founder of Typethink

IntroductionsRami Kassab (rami@typethink.com)Bachelors in Computer Science with minors in Multimedia and Business from OSU - Go Beavs!

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Business 101... Seriously?Yup :)You run a businessSpending 40k employing someone to accomplish a task you could automate with 10kFor 50k, you could automate that task and reallocate your talentDecisions, decisions

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Resource ReallocationSimply increase spending and ignore the efficiency of our internal operations?I think not... hospitals anyone?Idea! Lean up and focus your talent on what's importantExamples...

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Payment AccountingInputting utility payment records into an accounting system... manuallyFull-time job that the residents of a city are completely indifferent toEffective use of tax payer dollars?Automate and reallocate!

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Form ProcessingResidents download and fill out a PDF formFax or mail it inManual form processing introducing errorsWhy can't this be done online again?Efficient? Green? Cost Effective?Automate and reallocate!

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Dynamic Form GenerationProvide functional interface for putting together a usable formSpecify validation rules to ensure data cleanlinessTie to a workflow...

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Form WorkflowsCity of St. Helens park reservationsSpecial conditions coded into the formTriggers for calling other workflowsThe list goes on...Weʼve been doing this for years, come on people!

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Ouch! My Eyes!A usable website is a useful websiteNavigation needs to be compact and succinctSearch has to work and work very wellContent rich but not heavyPleasing to the eye

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Open Source BabyGovernment of the people, by the peopleCitizens can change government... why not the technology?Municipalities need to adopt open platforms conducive to change by the public

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Social BeingsPeople are socialShouldn't government be too?City Hall used to be effective but it's now 2010Time for a new approachGuide the process of open citizen interaction

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Virtualize the MassesGovernment provides a physical place to discuss, but only a fraction of us use itWe are busy people, what do you expect?No problem interacting on social networksVirtual City Hall anyone?

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The Bottom LineGovernment is a businessBut WE are the employees and the stakeholdersOur business is technologically inefficient and wasteful, unnecessarilyThe public can help if we are given a means

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The Word

Automation != TerminationBUT

Resource Reallocation = Optimization

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Introduce efficiency, cut costs, optimize operations, and spend money wisely.

Didnʼt all of our parents teach us that?

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Utilize your available talent in the most effective means possible. Software can

certainly help you achieve that.

Reallocation!

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Appeal to those you serve... the people. Give them a means to collaborate productively. Provide an inviting

atmosphere.

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Fin.

Thank You!

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