The Nelson Mandela Metro in Port Elizabeth (PE) is implementing a call management system that developers are hailing as "world-class".
Residents will soon be able to phone the municipality with routine enquiries, lodge complaints, pay accounts, or request the delivery of municipal documents. Callers will also be able to leave recorded voice information, such as a change of address for updating account details.
The Workflow Manager system was designed in conjunction with PE-based IT company e-Technik, and installed by Engineering Advice and Services (EAS).
According to Peter Wilson, corporate interactive voice response project owner at the Nelson Mandela Metro, the new system was designed with local ratepayers in mind. "We wanted to simplify the process of communication with them. Municipalities around the globe are using these systems and we felt that the Metro residents should have the same world-class benefits."
Until now, there was no centralised contact number for residents in the area, says EAS partner Tim Jones. "Say for example a resident wanted to report a burst pipe, they would actually have to seek out a number for the water board and contact them with the problem. There never was a number you could dial regarding all complaints."
Jones says the flexibility of the Workflow Manager system means it could be possible to implement the system in other government departments. "Definitely. That`s the whole idea - we would like to have all the management units in the PE area using this system," says Jones, adding that the system can be easily updated without having to shut it down.
Although the new system will only be publicly launched in a few months, Jones expects it to be well received. "We are still busy implementing it, but we don`t anticipate any real problems. From the people who have seen it, the system has been well received."
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