1. Workshop of "Best practices exchanges" 1st/2nd April 2008
Istat Centre
Web System for the treatment of computerised and standardised requests concerning on-line statistical dissemination data
Workshop of "Best practices exchanges" 1st/2nd April 2008

2. Present access to Istat’s services via e-mail: a multiplicity of addresses
Dissemination Direction Offices
addresses
Centro diffusione dati
Richieste di elaborazioni complesse
e collezioni campionarie di dati individuali
European Statistical Data Support Biblioteca Abbonamenti e vendita pubblicazioni
addressses of other Istat Directions Offices
Ufficio della comunicazione
Gestione del sito
Richieste degli studenti
Laboratorio Adele
Centri regionali di informazione statistica:19 caselle

3. Problems with the current system
Often users direct their requests to many or all addresses using the "addressee unknown" in the hope of obtaining a faster or more complete reply. The answers provided, usually at different times, may not be harmonised. In addition to a waste of resources (more structures involved in the treatment of the same request) the current system does not allow the monitoring of requests received by Istat, due to the lack of a single database of users and the answers

4. Repetitivness of requests: a problem under study
The improper use of the tool, due to its simplicity and affordability, has led many institutions to replace addresses with a web-form on line The system allows the elimination of repetitive and spam messages and the constant monitoring of the various types of requests, which can be used for the analysis of customer satisfaction.

5. A further development: the knowledge database
Many countries who take part in the European Statistical System already have an on line form for the reception of requests
Eurostat has presented a new computerized system for processing requests, which should replace the current organization, based on the simple
compilation of the special form (one for each Member State)
The system will allow, in addition to setting up a single database, quality
control of the replies aimed at greater standardisation of these (knowledge
database). The users can also follow at any time the status of their request (transparency of the service)

6. The Istat Cont@ct Centre System
Web system for the collection and processing of requests for online statistical data includes: Front office internet subsystem for the formulation of the requests for data required by the registered web users service) and unregistered requests for
easy requests Info) Back office intranet subsystem (Contact office) for the treatment of requests and for the management of the FAQs by the relevant employees The workflow on which is based the functioning of both subsystems is connected by an automated dispatch between the different actors of the system for the various stages of the treatment of the requests.

7. Characteristics of the undersystem Cont@ct Office (Back-office)
The staff involved in the treatment of requests within the subsystem are classified in organisational structures to which requests are addressed according to their type and special selections by the web users.
The actors operating in the subsystems Office are as follows:
Administrator (takes care of the management system e.g. the creation and editing utilities and the creation and modification of organizational areas where the operators are classified)
Sector Manager-Responsible (assignment, submission, treatment and tracking of the requests directed to a single sector)
Operator Plus (can deal with all the requirements of their sector without the
intervention of the manager)
Operator (processing of the requests assigned to them)

8. Technical characteristics of the Istat Cont@ct System
Category: Web based information system made up of the internet front-end and an intranet back-office Application Development environment: PHP ver RDBMS: Oracle ver Data Security: Encryption of passwords by user protocol md5 (not decipherable therefore only known by the end user); User sessions are managed at the server side (not using cookies) Using the https protocol for encryption of data between client and server
Istat responsible: Mr. Alessio Cardacino

9. Advantages of the Istat Contact Center system
Single access point for the formulation of requests for required statistical data from web users: simpler for end users and less dispersive for treating operators Operators no longer contactable directly by end users via personal Standardization in the formulation and treatment of requests (creation, wherever possible of reply / pattern models) Possibility of tracking requests during their lifecycle Transparency in the management of requests with the opportunity for end users to view at any time the status of treatment Possibility to automatically classify registered users and the types of request

10. Access page to all the services offered by Istat (provisional)

11. Form for non registered users (simple requests, assistance in finding the data)

12. Form for the registration to the ‘added value’ services (tailor made services, historical search, set of anonymous microdata files)

13. Back office – Archive of the registered and treated requests

14. Back office- conservation of all the treatment stages