Today, the citizen response system is up and running with 12 of thecity's 15 operating departments using it to handle 9,000 calls a monthand automate processes previously managed with Post-it notes. Thesystem provides a standardised way to take a complaint, store it in acentral database accessible by any city worker and track the status ofthe associated task. It also generates automatic alerts for follow-upaction and offers the capability to analyse the data for reports. Infact, the system was named one of the 10 most significant CRMimplementations of 2001 by consultancy Aberdeen Group. But one of thebest indications that Armstrong has tamed his tough users is the factthat the police department has agreed to let Armstrong and his teamtake over responsibility for its information systems. It signed on fora US$5 million to US$7 million IT upgrade covering everything from 911systems and electronic records management to mobile data systems andradio improvements.