Turning Insight into Action: How Lawrence Leveled Up Resident Engagement and Service Delivery with SeeClickFix 311 CRM

Overview

The City of Lawrence, Kansas, home to the University of Kansas and known for its vibrant, engaged community, has always prided itself on civic participation. With over 150 community committees and a highly vocal and active population, the city government has placed strategic focus on civic participation and has continued to explore how to better engage their citizens. As a result, streamlining communication between residents and government departments has been both a priority and a challenge .

In 2019, the City of Lawrence implemented CivicPlus’ SeeClickFix 311 CRM to improve how residents reported non-emergency issues and create operational efficiencies across city departments. Following a temporary pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city successfully relaunched in early 2024 with refined workflows, department alignment, and a new focus on internal collaboration and citizen satisfaction.

Challenges

Before adopting SeeClickFix 311 CRM, Lawrence relied on a disjointed system of online forms embedded across the city website.

“We had a lot of forms that were on our on our city website for people if they wanted to request trash service or for a stop sign to be added, but those forms residents filled out would go off into a group or an individual’s e-mail address that may or may not still be valid. On the resident’s end, a lot of those probably went off into a black hole and that affected trust.” – Clint Miller, GIS Supervisor, City of Lawrence, KS

Compounding the problem, Lawrence’s internal systems were fragmented. Departments operated in multiple asset and work order management platforms. With no centralized way to manage and triage requests, city staff struggled to route issues to the correct departments and track resolutions. Also, despite the integration capabilities available to them Brandon Bayless, Systems Analyst, explained, “It’s been a little bit challenging because we’re having to deal with these external software vendors.”

When COVID-19 hit shortly after the initial SeeClickFix 311 CRM launch, the city faced a surge in resident requests but lacked the staff capacity and internal alignment to manage the volume effectively.

Solution

In 2024, the City of Lawrence relaunched SeeClickFix 311 CRM with a renewed and strategic approach designed to ensure long-term success. The first step was refining internal workflows by focusing on process development before reintroducing the software.

Additionally, Bayless acknowledged the value CivicPlus provided as a partner,

City leaders defined clear departmental roles, responsibilities, and workflows to create a strong operational foundation. Lawrence also prioritized building internal champions by empowering departments that were already motivated to improve their service processes, using their buy-in to encourage broader adoption across the organization.

To avoid overwhelming users, the city adopted a phased feature rollout strategy. New functionalities were introduced gradually and supported by coordinated communications and press releases, allowing both staff and residents to adapt and engage at a sustainable pace. “What’s been super helpful has been the communication initiative being rolled out in phases as we create new request types, so we can highlight that we’re releasing a new category, share an article with additional information, and promote understanding that leads to lasting engagement.”

Lawrence leveraged its multi-system environment by taking advantage of SeeClickFix 311 CRM’s integration capabilities, connecting it with their asset management, work order management, and code enforcement systems. This created seamless workflows that automatically routed service requests to the appropriate teams, ensuring efficient and timely resolution.

Impact

Resident Communication and Transparency: Same-Day Resident Request Responses

The relaunch of SeeClickFix 311 CRM enabled Lawrence to deliver on its goal of implementing a full-circle communication system.

Residents who submit requests now receive timely updates, acknowledgments, and resolutions directly through the app in less than a day. By providing real-time status updates and standardized responses, the city has improved trust and transparency.

• Results:
  • Implemented a 360-degree, end-to-end feedback communication system
  • 0.5 days average resident request response time

Improved Community Outreach and Engagement

With the City’s communications team involved in every phase of the relaunch, resident adoption has increased. Campaigns have included:

• Press releases/social content timed with new request types
• In-app notices during storms and snow events
• Strategic guidance for using the app during specific city initiatives
• Skill trainings for City staff on customer/community member response

To manage expectations and improve transparency, the City of Lawrence uses SeeClickFix 311 CRM to provide residents with clear responses and direct links to services, such as the steps required to request the installation of a new stop sign. This not only educates the public but also helps reduce confusion and frustration. By setting expectations early, the city avoids letting unresolved requests linger indefinitely, fostering greater trust and accountability with residents.

Residents now understand when and how to use the app, leading to more accurate reporting and better data.

• Results:
  • Increased adoption and engagement: Quarterly request submissions increased 49% from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025
  • Improved public education & transparency with clear responses and expectations

Data-Driven Decision Making

A key focus for the City of Lawrence has been using SeeClickFix 311 CRM to drive data-informed decision-making. Leadership across departments continually asks, “What do we want to see? What metrics are important to the city manager? What insights do department directors need?” One of the most impactful examples has been the city’s use of pothole reporting data. Potholes, particularly after winter, consistently rank as the city’s top resident-reported issue. Crews now log GPS points when filling potholes, enabling the creation of heat maps that identify service hotspots. These heat maps are used to set up zone maintenance areas and prioritize streets and intersections for the city’s mill and overlay program, supplementing annual Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). The real-time insights from SeeClickFix not only help allocate in-house and CIP funding more strategically but also reflect Lawrence’s broader mission of making data-driven decisions. By better understanding incoming service requests and leveraging system integrations, city staff are more aware, proactive, and efficient, creating a more responsive government for residents.

Lawrence leverages SeeClickFix 311 CRM data and GIS integrations to inform operational planning. The city uses heatmaps generated from request data to:

• Identify pothole hotspots
• Prioritize mill-and-overlay street maintenance
• Guide Capital Improvement Planning (CIP)

By tying resident input directly to long-term planning and budget decisions, SeeClickFix 311 CRM has become a critical piece of the city’s data infrastructure.

• Results:
  • Improved decision-making using data and real-time insights and heatmaps

Organizational Efficiencies: Time-savings and Collaboration

Thanks to seamless integration with the city’s existing platforms, SeeClickFix reduced the number of steps required to process service requests. Staff can now work within their existing tools, while SeeClickFix 311 CRM handles the front-end communication with residents. This has alleviated call volumes and reduced manual email routing, freeing up valuable time for city employees.

The SeeClickFix 311 CRM relaunch has served as more than just a technology upgrade. It has fostered a stronger culture of collaboration among departments. Staff from different divisions now meet regularly, align on common goals, and coordinate around shared metrics and outcomes. In many cases, SeeClickFix 311 CRM introduced colleagues who hadn’t worked together before and inspired cross-functional problem solving.

“When they met with all of our crews, individually and asked what they wanted to get out of it, many of their answers were the same,” Bayless explained, “We’re all working together to try and accomplish the same goal as a city, as a community. I think sometimes it helps people to realize that they are a part of something bigger. We have people connecting for the first time, even though we’re all working for the same city, we are building a community of people and a culture of collaboration. A shared mission gives people purpose, and it makes them think of how they can contribute to the overarching goal of the city.

• Results:
  • Improved time to close requests to an average of 7.1 days for 2025 compared to an average of 57 days in 2024
  • Reduced number of steps needed to process service requests
  • Reduced call volumes and manual email routing
  • Improved cross-functional collaboration

Conclusion

Lessons Learned and Advice

Local governments considering implementing SeeClickFix 311 CRM or any government technology should first, identify the stakeholders that are committed to improving their process and focus on how they can accomplish their unique goals.

“The key is, what are we trying to resolve, or what benefit are we trying to provide with this software? Because sometimes, again, it’s not necessarily the software itself, it’s a larger initiative, and can use a software or brand to kind of sell something that motivates people. If they can have a SeeClickFix brand or the CivicPlus brand to look out for, if I put that on a communication and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to do something, and this is how it’s going to benefit us.’ If people can focus on that, I think it gives them something to look forward to if it’s on the website. That motivates people to be engaged. It’s local government saying to residents, ‘Let’s all be a team and let’s focus on a goal that’s bigger than ourselves.’ I think in a lot of ways that’s what our experience has been,” says Bayless.

Bayless emphasized that software alone doesn’t solve problems—well-defined workflows and people do. The platform succeeds because it reflects the city’s clearly articulated operational and community impact goals.

Key advice to other municipalities includes:

• Start with departments that are open to change and build momentum from their success.
• Define success metrics and desired outcomes early.
• Use the brand (e.g., SeeClickFix) as a rallying point for change.
• Be transparent with residents about what they can expect when submitting requests.

Expanding the Platform’s Role

Lawrence plans to continue to extend the SeeClickFix app beyond issue reporting and serve as a mobile gateway to city services, linking residents directly to:

• Online bill pay portals
• Parks and Rec class signups
• Parking fine payments
• City surveys and service pages

This mobile hub will continue to elevate the city’s digital presence and make it easier for residents to access services on the go.

Final Word

The City of Lawrence has transformed SeeClickFix 311 CRM into a cornerstone of its resident engagement and service delivery strategy. With improved communication, streamlined operations, and data-informed planning, the platform helps Lawrence deliver smarter, more transparent government services all while strengthening community trust and collaboration.

SeeClickFix 311 CRM isn’t just a tool for Lawrence. It’s a symbol of what’s possible when a city rethinks how it connects with its people.