The CIO of the City of Cambridge, Mass., developed an iPhone and Android app that citizens can use to report potholes, vandalism and other issues and track that they are being fixed. To report a pothole that could be harmful to your car in the city of Cambridge, Mass., citizens used to have to call city hall and then navigate a series of steps to be connected with the department or person responsible for fixing the issue.Trouble was, the average caller didn’t know who they needed to reach and often ended up speaking with the wrong person, leaving the problem unresolved. CIO Mary Hart knew citizens needed an easier way to report their concerns. Hart met with her internal strategy team to brainstorm ideas and then partnered with mobile app developer iSite to create an app for iPhone and Android. The Cambridge iReport app allows smartphone users to report issues in real time and in fewer steps. Hart first piloted Cambridge iReport through the city’s website to see how much activity it would get. She received 80 reports within the first month and made the decision to skip a pilot of the mobile version and go straight into development. Rolled out in October 2011, Cambridge iReport can be downloaded for free through the iPhone or Android app store. Hart said she chose to deploy the app on the most popular smartphones and plans to include others, excluding BlackBerry, depending on how much activity the app generates. The app lets citizens include photos of potholes, burned-out street lights, graffiti and rodent problems, or just send text descriptions. Google Maps marks the location of the issue, and if it’s within six miles of Cambridge, it gets pulled into the city’s work-order system. From there, it’s assigned to the proper city worker. To close the loop, the citizen who submitted the issue will get a confirmation email saying her complaint was received and can later check on the progress of the problem.The city spent about $45,000 developing the app and has gotten nearly 500 iPhone downloads and 139 Android downloads through the end of February 2012. In this time, 478 tickets were submitted and 429 of them have been resolved. Hart has been working to market the app to encourage more users to download it. The city is also looking to allow citizens to report more types of issues, such as missing street signs or excessive noise. Follow Editorial Assistant Lauren Brousell on Twitter: @lbrousell. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP Innovative integration drives automotive group to SAP awards Using SAP Build Process Automation, China Grand Automotive Services Group Co., Ltd. accelerated and streamlined processes for its 700+ dealerships, saving time and costs while earning recognition for its innovation. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 11, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation news Concerns remain even as the EU reaches a landmark deal to govern AI Experts believe the new regulation would add a significant compliance burden on businesses as some argue it could even stifle the growth of the rapidly developing technology. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 11, 2023 7 mins Regulation Artificial Intelligence feature CIOs grapple with the ethics of implementing AI With ethical considerations around AI use increasingly top of mind, IT leaders are developing governance frameworks, establishing review boards, and coming to terms with the difficult discussions and decisions ahead. By Esther Shein Dec 11, 2023 13 mins Generative AI Data Governance IT Governance feature Reed Smith turns to AI for lawyer staffing solution The legal firm’s Smart Resourcing tool helps balance workloads and ensure partners find associates with the right skills and experience, while empowering employees to make connections across the firm’s global footprint. By Sarah K. White Dec 11, 2023 8 mins CIO 100 Legal Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe