“I’ve looked at a variety of software applications, so I can say that the way CommunityPoint 5.0 presents taxonomy makes more sense than any other in a public website environment.”
- John Boyle, former Community Resources Coordinator for Trident United Way South Carolina
South Carolina 2-1-1TM successfully used ServicePoint® and CallPoint to create a statewide call center database, which expanded rapidly in 2009 when the organization received a Department of Social Services grant to complete the statewide project. Recently, United Way Association of South Carolina 2-1-1 Project Leader Richard Shick reported that participating agencies have begun adding another service delivery dimension with the implementation of the latest version of CommunityPoint, CommunityPoint 5.0. "We continue to explore ways to  reach more people in need and to do it in the most efficient way possible," said Shick.
Using CommunityPoint 5.0, organizations of any size can provide instant access to vital agency and program information via the statewide resource web site [www.sc211.org]. The user-friendly site is easy for consumers to understand and simple for agencies to update and customize, according to John Boyle, former Community Resources Coordinator for Trident United Way in South Carolina. The website’s searchable interface also works well using the browser function in all mobile devices, which allows end users take the website with them and service providers to use a mobile device to submit update requests for their resource listings.
"I've looked at a variety of software applications, so I can say that the way CommunityPoint 5.0 presents taxonomy makes more sense than any other in a public website environment," explained Boyle. "It is arranged logically and is one of the best search engines with taxonomy involved."
Boyle also noted that once information is displayed, there are several easy options for getting the information to the client. "For example, you can send it in an email or forward it to a cell phone with just the click of a button," said Boyle.
Stephanie Derrick, Resource Manager for Aiken Help Line 2-1-1TM, agrees. "I like being able to send a text message to a cell phone because so many times the person you are speaking with is driving down the road and doesn't have a pen on hand," added Derrick. "In Aiken, we also use CommunityPoint 5.0 to show agencies what their profiles look like. I can point them to www.SC211.org and have them look at their profile. Then they can call us with any updates instead of trying to mail or fax it. In this latest version the agency has the ability to provide multiple addresses, phone numbers and contacts, each with a specific description."
Derrick added that CommunityPoint summarizes and displays key information concisely for those needing help. "The fact that services are organized by type of service also makes it much easier to zoom out to a higher level," explained Derrick. "This is important when looking at a common need such as financial assistance." 
Columbia Call Center 2-1-1 Manager Melina Favor is also excited about her agency's CommunityPoint 5.0 implementation. "We're still in a transition phase, but I can already tell you that Google Maps is a tremendous feature for people trying to get to an agency," said Favor. "So often people can't find the agency where they have made an appointment, and they call us for help."
Boyle said that South Carolina's exploration of how to use Bowman Systems® software suite creatively to meet emerging needs is not stopping with the CommunityPoint 5.0 implementation. "We are developing Community Information Management (CIM)," explained Boyle.
Many United Way agencies across the country are partnering on the project with the University of Missouri to create the CIM that includes some information exported from ServicePoint and CallPoint. "Essentially, it is a visual representation of database layers folded on top of each other," said Boyle. "This will allow us to do things like take income information and lay it over clinic locations. It will be highly beneficial for research and for identifying holes in our service provider areas."
South Carolina has also maximized their use of CommunityPoint by creating an entire website with the content management system hosted by Bowman Systems. This has proven to be a cost-efficient strategy by eliminating the need for a separately hosted main website, as CommunityPoint includes the ability to include content, news, and additional web pages on the site.
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