Victoria installs CRM system to lift bushfire defence
Victoria installs CRM system to lift bushfire defence
1 December 2009
published by www.theaustralian.com.au
Australia — Victoria’s Country Fire Authority will use SAP technology to transform it into a comprehensive fire prevention service.
The authority has flicked the switch on a SAP customer relationship management system that will form the basis of its interaction with the community.
The software will give the CFA better insights into the effectiveness of its outreach campaigns, especially community meetings, according to chief information officer Michael Foreshew.
Residents will receive email updates on fire preparedness and risk status. More than 100 meetings are taking place to collect residents’ details.
The project, carried out by Fujitsu Australia, cost less than $1 million, Mr Foreshew said.
The organisation will no longer have to manually update electronic spreadsheets of information on residents.
The system will speed up handling of queries on the telephone. “While we will still have our face-to-face meetings, the community is used to getting information in different ways,” Mr Foreshew said.
“(So) people will be able to book meetings online and get an updated calendar of events from our website. This frees CFA members from answering the same questions over the phone regarding session times.
“In future, they will be able to download a presenter’s notes and fire danger templates.”
Information gathered on residents allows the CFA to create a risk profile.
Over time it hopes to use the CRM system to judge a campaign’s effectiveness in reducing the number of fires in an area.