URL: www.rcocweb.org
Project Type: Web Design & Content Management System
Duration: 10 weeks

CHALLENGE

The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) needed to streamline their operations and provide their customers with improved tools for communication and information sharing.

The Web site contained a wealth of information about the Road Commission (how it’s governed and funded, its mission statement, challenges, etc.), road projects, and a wide variety of Road Commission activities, such as pothole patching, snow plowing, gravel road maintenance, etc.

“We originally launched the Web site in 1998,” noted RCOC Managing Director Brent Bair. “After four years, it was time to update the site with a new look and streamlined operations. We think the changes to the site make it more ‘user-friendly,’ which helps us better reach our goal of meeting the information needs of our ‘customers,’ the motorists using the county roads.”

SOLUTION

WIT provided the RCOC with a new Web design and universal navigation to allow for easy access to critical information. Additionally, the site allows visitors to send questions or concerns to RCOC’s Department of Citizen Services via e-mail, which treat the messages the same as a phone call, including providing a response to the question or issue.

RCOC staff, using nothing more than an Internet browser, control 100% of the new Web site content. WIT specifically designed and developed the content management system (CMS) according to RCOC’s business-operation rules in order to maximize permission-based content editing (text and photos) and ease of use.

Other dynamically controlled features of the site include a schedule of upcoming RCOC meetings, downloadable versions of RCOC brochures and other publications, all the latest RCOC press releases, a list of questions (and their answers) frequently asked of the Road Commission, information about RCOC permits and environmental practices (including downloadable permit guidelines and applications) and current RCOC job postings.

Each section of the Web site is maintained exclusively by stakeholders and business managers for each department. Thus, permission-based roles are established within the CMS that will allow the HR department to manage job postings, communications to manage press releases, etc.

RESULT

With flexible, easy-to-use content management systems in place, RCOC keeps information on their Web site updated daily; without burdening internal IT resources or relying on third party Web vendors for time-critical changes.

“You can’t expect to improve communication and (hence) relations with your constituents without putting the most current, relevant information on your website,” explains Craig Bryson, Public Information Officer for the Road Commission for Oakland County, Beverly Hills, MI, “Dynamic content management tools allow us to keep in touch with our audience 24-hours a day with a more cost-effective model than ten years ago.”

Awards
The RCOC website won the 2003 award for “Best Use of the Internet” by the Troy Chamber of Commerce.