Witzenberg Municipality has reinforced its reputation as an innovative, forward-thinking sphere of government by becoming the first council in SA to implement an electronic document and records management system.
The commercial, off-the-shelf system, TRIM, designed and implemented by document and records management specialist Metrofile, replaced a paper-based process of filing and managing hundreds of thousands of records, documents and correspondence.
Witzenberg Municipality has under its jurisdiction the towns of Ceres, Prince Alfred`s Hamlet, Tulbagh and Wolseley and a vast rural area. While the Witzenberg Municipality serves relatively small towns, it is renowned for its success in introducing pioneering approaches to improving the management of municipal issues.
The introduction of the TRIM system was in line with the requirements of the Electronic Communications and Transactions (ECT) Act and government`s efforts to use technology to deliver more efficient, effective service to taxpayers.
"There was an urgent need for electronic document management and workflow to manage the increasing volumes of incoming correspondence we were experiencing," says Deon Boshoff, former manager of corporate services at Witzenberg Municipality. "The traditional system was not only slow and cumbersome but made files difficult to track throughout the municipality`s five departments."
Typically, files require the attention of more than one head of department for comment. Physical files would have to remain on the desk of the relevant person until dealt with and passed on, a slow process that would often result in the temporary misplacement of files, delayed efficiencies and difficulties in document tracking.
The introduction of the electronic records management system, which went live in May, followed a three-month process of preparatory work, involving the multiple application classification, indexing, bulk scanning and electronic storage of most existing paper documentation.
The file plan had to be designed in conformance with the requirements of state archives. The scanned documents were imported directly into TRIM, providing the 35 users with a readily accessible electronic view of all files on record.
"TRIM has allowed us to progress from a comparatively inefficient paper-based process of handling municipal documentation to a sophisticated electronic records management system that enables the storage and immediate retrieval of vast volumes of paperwork," says Dana du Plessis, municipal manager at Witzenberg Municipality. "Documents can now be distributed and tracked electronically, which considerably speeds up service delivery."
The biggest challenge the Witzenberg team faced moving from a paper to electronic environment was computer illiteracy. As part of a carefully planned change management process, an intense skills development and computer literacy programme was introduced to familiarise staff with the workings of an electronic system, and most desktops were upgraded to accommodate Microsoft Windows as the operating system.
Improved monitoring mechanisms enabled by the system have allowed better utilisation of resources and enhanced performance management through the scheduling of work within specified time frames. The system requires rapid response to queries and ensures people are answerable to specific responsibilities. The efficiency of operations has eased the administration load, and decisions can be acted on quicker and with the support of extensive functionality.
"The Metrofile TRIM solution meets a number of challenges faced by South African municipalities," says Paul Mullon, sales and marketing director of Metrofile. "The first is the need to better manage files in a more cost effective and efficient manner. The solution needs to be cost effective to ensure quick return on investment. It should be able to incorporate the requirements of the National Archives and Records Service Act (NARS). It must accommodate both electronic and physical files and facilitate the migration from paper to digital. Lastly it must be easy enough to use so that relatively computer illiterate personnel can make the transition comfortably. Witzenberg proves that even relatively small government departments can derive considerable benefit from records management technology."
The system has been in operation for three months and we`re already seeing tangible benefits, confirms Du Plessis. "The savings on paper are considerable: a document can be distributed to 35 computers without 35 physical copies having to be made and distributed. Other advantages have included time savings, improved efficiencies and delivery, greater accessibility to information, better transparency and improved customer service."
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