SmartPortals aggregates portals of 14 municipalities of Central Alentejo, giving a new impetus to the region
The implementation of Create IT solution allows to centralize information, gain autonomy, streamline processes, optimize resources, promote information sharing and leverage the entire Central Alentejo region.
The Challenge
CIMAC - Intermunicipal Community of Central Alentejo is the organization responsible for the Alentejo Central Region, in Portugal, and covers the municipalities of Alandroal, Arraiolos, Borba, Estremoz, Évora, Montemor-o-Novo, Mora, Mourão, Portel, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Vendas Novas, Viana do Alentejo and Vila Viçosa. To achieve a centralized and efficient management of the region, the tourism and the existing resources, CIMAC wanted to aggregate in a single platform the portals of all municipalities and entities that promote their modernization and development (CIMAC and ADRAL - Regional Development Agency of Alentejo).
The intention was to start a new paradigm to develop the region through cooperation between cities, organizations, entrepreneurs and citizens and where innovation was the engine for growth. As Nuno Miguel Guerra, CEO of Create IT, highlights "The challenge was to create a solution that would allow local and regional entities to network faster and more effectively." Rui Barroso, General Director of ADRAL and Technology Coordinator of CIMAC, adds: "We needed a new milestone of digital presence and communication with the citizen, resident or visitor, promoting autonomy in its management."
The Solution
To meet CIMAC challenges, Create IT developed SmartPortals - a web platform that supports the creation of multiple integrated portals. Based on Microsoft technology, SmartPortals stands out for its cross-sectional search to the portals, ability to share information between portals, manage visibility of search results and associated metadata. More than a search, it provides a truly interactive experience.
The main features of the implemented solution include:
- Sharing and importing content between portals - each portal can share content pages with all the other portals inserted in the platform. Any portal can import or reference these contents, streamlining configuration, management and maintenance
- Advanced Search - allows to search by several dimensions and levels of complexity. Through refined searches, visitors have access to targeted information to their specific needs
- Free search - search responds in a personalized and intelligent way, allowing a preview of the contents
- Location-based content filtering - dynamic searches by geographical areas with related information, an authentic geo-referencing guide
The Results
With a joint, iterative and close effort between Create IT, CIMAC, ADRAL and municipalities, the central Alentejo region gained competitiveness, proximity, efficiency, agility, flexibility and mobility, and is recognized both by the residents and visitors as an example to follow. And this is the success that everyone wants in a project.
The benefits of implementing SmartPortals are:
- Autonomy and fast availability of new digital channels
- Centralized, flexible and agile management, increasing productivity and eliminating duplication of effort
- Optimization of resources and consequent efficiency gains and cost savings
- Scalability, ready for growth
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Custom look & feel - built on a common platform, each portal has its own domain, design, architecture and content
- Day-to-day simplification - agile, easy to use backoffice (by the business areas - users without technical profile), anytime anywhere
- Usability - the solution is focused on providing an excellent user experience, enabling rapid and efficient access to the required information
- Economic and social initiatives with greater visibility, impact and results
- Promotion of the region in its various dimensions: culture, history, tourism, gastronomy, traditions, news and events
Rui Barroso, General Director of ADRAL, highlights the results achieved "SmartPortals user experience for ADRAL promotes investment, business and natural resources, establishing close relationships between companies and entrepreneurs. At the same time it provides the leaders of the cities the generation of business opportunities and initiatives that promote the region."
Currently, Create IT supports CIMAC on the evolution of the platform, continues fully committed to its success and monitors how Central Alentejo has changed and is now a national success story. The future vision is to enhance and improve the efficiency of the multiple entities that already enjoy an European award-winning platform.
"The SmartPortals for 14 city councils is changing the way cities are connected to citizens, engaging and empowering people, improving business processes, promoting culture, history and local resources. An innovative strategy that shares infrastructure and information between city councils and citizens, to better serve the society in a constant digital evolution.", concludes Hortênsia Menino, President of the Intermunicipal Board of CIMAC, President of the Municipal Board of ADRAL and Mayor of Montemor-o-Novo
Our teams are fully available for any information and/or meeting.