Minneapolis 311 Receives its 2 Millionth Call to Lagan-Powered Contact Center

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lagan, part of KANA Software and the global leader in government to citizen (G2C) technology, today announced that Minneapolis 311, the only number residents need to use for City information and services, has received its 2 millionth call.  

"Reaching this milestone demonstrates that the public has embraced 311 as the go-to source for information and services," said Don Stickney, Director, Minneapolis 311. "From graffiti and snow removal, to business permits and non-emergency response, agents handle a wide range of requests including—in the case of our 2 millionth call—a request to help reunite a stray cat with its owner. The flexibility of the Lagan Government CRM solution enables us to offer a growing list of services while creating efficiencies and fueling opportunities we could only have imagined a few years ago."

Lagan Government CRM enables Minneapolis to provide its resident base and visitors with enhanced, multi-channel access to city services and information. The city handles 1,100 – 2,500 inquiries a day through phone calls, email, self-service and online chat. First call resolution rates have risen from 60 percent to 85 percent. On average, 70 percent of callers are in search of information while 15 percent are requesting a service and 15 percent require a transfer to a departmental subject matter expert. The most frequently asked questions involve licenses and permits, followed by public safety, housing, residential property, and traffic and parking. Graffiti removal, property complaints, snow & ice issues and abandoned vehicles are the most common service requests.

Demonstrating the city's innovation when it comes to service delivery, Minneapolis 311 has been leveraged for many uses, including:

• As a disaster recovery tool during the I-35W bridge collapse in August 2007, offloading calls from 911 and providing accurate, timely information to a concerned public
• As a way to support a 311 Virtual Agent Program so that agents can handle calls from home, improving worker satisfaction, enhancing service delivery and reducing costs to government
• As a tourism and economic development tool to support the Republican National Convention in September 2008
• As a community policing tool for reports such as graffiti and suspicious activity, freeing up police to focus on true citizen emergencies and crime solving
• As a physical backup to 911, qualifying the city to receive a COPS grant

David Moody, VP of Solutions at KANA, said, "We are proud of our partnership with Minneapolis—a true pioneer when it comes to pushing the boundaries of government service delivery. Working together we've demonstrated the innovative ways government can enhance accessibility and responsiveness to residents, business owners and visitors."

About Lagan

Lagan Technologies, now part of KANA Software, Inc., is the global leader in G2C (government to citizen) technology connecting government and citizens worldwide. It enables governments and citizens to communicate online, on the phone and on the move. With 200 public sector customers worldwide, Lagan helps local governments serve the everyday interests of more than 60 million citizens.

Lagan's solutions for CRM and Enterprise Case Management (ECM) have been designed to streamline the service delivery functions of government, enabling improved efficiency and more citizen-centric public services. Lagan ECM manages the interactions between citizens and government and provides full CRM support for a wide variety of government service delivery processes. Lagan's solutions have proven utility for state and local governments and offer a range of flexible delivery methods: on-premise, on-demand and hosted.

For more information about Lagan, please visit http://www.lagan.com/ and contact us at [email protected].  Keep up with industry news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lagan_business.

About KANA Software, Inc.

KANA, the leader in Service Experience Management, provides solutions that deliver a customer-focused service experience that successfully balances customer interests with business goals. Service Experience Management uniquely unifies business process, case and knowledge management for customer service organizations. It leverages KANA's expertise in delivering consistent service across all communication channels, including email, chat, call centers, and Web self-service. KANA's Service Experience Management solutions allow companies to control every step within each customer interaction to deliver the ideal service experience. KANA's clients report double-digit increases in customer satisfaction, increased revenue growth while reducing contact center costs by an average of 20 percent. KANA's award-winning solutions are proven in more than 600 companies worldwide, including approximately half of the world's largest 100 companies.  KANA is backed by Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity investment firm.   For more information, visit http://www.KANA.com.

NOTE: KANA is a registered trademark of KANA Software, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Lagan