SOLTECH Helps WeTheCitizens Transform World of Political Campaigns
By SOLTECH
Complex project uses social networking schema; Governor Perdue among current users
Using the person-to-person connection principles underlying popular social networking technology websites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com, SOLTECH (an Atlanta-based developer of custom software solutions) has helped WeTheCitizens, LLC launch Revolution2 – a political campaign software system that its founder says is already changing how campaigns are being run across the country.
“Many companies saw us only for the immediate sale. SOLTECH really grasped the vision of what we’re trying to accomplish, the changes we’re trying to bring to politics, and had the technical talent we needed to supplement our team,” said WeTheCitizens CEO Caleb Clark. “They viewed working with us as a long-term relationship and really proved to have a project management process that was flexible and adaptable to our needs.”
Clark, a veteran political campaign worker, explained that many times running a campaign is like driving through a fog. Assumptions and guesswork are the norm. A campaign’s primary technology is spreadsheets and word processing programs. Thanks to the collaboration between SOLTECH and the WeTheCitizens team, Revolution2 brings a more organized, data-driven approach to the organizational issues facing campaigns by applying a combination of social networking technology, data analysis, task management and data mining.
“Building this was quite a challenge because of tight deadlines, the enormous amount of data being managed and the fact that it was being rolled out to active political campaigns as we were developing it,” said Tim Smith, President and Co-Founder of SOLTECH. “But we loved working on it because we could see how the vision and the resulting product would affect people for years to come. This is a system that really focuses on the hard working volunteers and how they help politicians win campaigns. It was a great opportunity to bring it into being. “
According to Smith of SOLTECH, Revolution2 uses social networking technology to let campaign volunteers and staff connect to each other in mini networks. The system tracks basic information such as addresses, phone numbers, subject interest areas and interpersonal connections of the various volunteers. Then as tasks come up needing volunteer help, the networks can be easily tapped for appropriate assistance.
For example, a group of 10 volunteers may be connected in a mini network because of shared interests in particular issues or because they live in the same zip code. Five of those network members may have indicated in their online profiles that they are interested in putting up yard signs. One day the campaign staff realizes they need yard signs put up in a particular county.
Revolution2 analyzes the volunteer networks, determines that the five are perfect for the task, contacts them and automatically “assigns” the yard signs. The volunteers go online to accept the assignment. Once their task is complete, they log back into Revolution2 and indicate that the work is done. This task tracking is only one piece of the turn-key system that comprises Revolution2, handling everything from automating phone banking activities to campaign mailings.
At the core of their system is a patent-pending technology for tracking the true impact of individual volunteers across the length of the campaign. “In the past, campaigns only judged a person’s value based on monetary donations,” explained Clark. “With our Personal Impact technology we can measure and quantify every task a volunteer completes and see who is really making a difference and going the extra mile for the campaign. It lets the candidates acknowledge who is really winning the campaigns for them and can be a real morale booster for the grassroots workers.”
There are also database tools for sharing information among campaigns, mobilizing volunteers for special outreach efforts, generating call lists and tracking budgets and materials.
Revolution2 is already being used in a number of state and federal campaigns by both Democrats and Republicans. In Georgia, Governor Sonny Perdue’s re-election team is using the software.
To SOLTECH’s Smith, giving Clark and his team the freedom to focus on marketing Revolution2 and grow the company is one of the main reasons for using SOLTECH.
“Entrepreneurs and visionaries shouldn’t get hung up on writing software,” said Smith. “As a leading provider of custom software applications for businesses, it’s our job to turn their ideas into reality.”
“Our relationship with SOLTECH will definitely continue over time and I’m confident they will continue to adapt to our needs,” said Clark.
About SOLTECH
SOLTECH helps companies fulfill visions of success and goals for growth through custom software development, strategic technology consulting, system integration, application and infrastructure support, and staff augmentation. Using proven, structured methodologies to ensure outstanding deliverables, SOLTECH provides a quality alternative to high-priced consulting firms.
SOLTECH’s promise to its staff and clients: to be honest, to stay focused on core services, and to remain committed to delivering high-quality results.
To find out more about how SOLTECH can turn your company’s ideas into reality now and as you grow, call 404-601-6000 or visit them at www.soltech.net.
