Index is modular and easily expandable as a community becomes more familiar with its capabilities and wants to add more features. The communities customize Index for their own particular needs. They install their own specific data, verify the relationships among the elements to suit themselves, and decide what they want to measure to monitor their progress toward their goals. Additional data and features can be turned on to look at new specific project areas. It is a transparent program as opposed to a 'black box', which scares many planners.
Some local governments are slow to utilize the Web as a working tool.
Technical drawbacks, equipment hurdles, worker training and the time to learn can all be seen as obstacles. The Florida Department of Management Services connected its 450 employees into the Internet several years ago and encouraged them to use it. Since then, there have only been a few reprimands for mis-use while management feels the benefits far outweigh the few abuses. Community Interaction FDI has concentrated on building Web tools that are quickly usable. Local communities in the Network are encouraged to use the resources on the Web site and evaluate their usefulness.