Managing content can be complex. This is why many government organisations have relied on Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Document Management Systems for years. The recent shift to hosted and cloud environments has introduced complexity in capturing these business-critical documents.
But what if it didn’t have to be complex? What if we could streamline the capture of emails and documents from within the native application and increase efficiencies?
We spoke to Corangamite Shire Council, which implemented RedOffice. They currently operate ECM and have 165 active ECM users, with many requiring remote access.
We explore how gaining management buy-in, creating a clearly defined business case, and working together to boost user adoption rates contributed to a 20% increase in Document Registration. The Benefits of RedOffice Add-In While Corangamite Shire Council was experiencing the many benefits of ECM, they were looking for a solution that gave them more control and flexibility. Staff felt checking out documents to a network shared drive was cumbersome and downloading files to local drives were becoming confusing - they needed an easier way to make it work.
Here are some of the benefits Council staff are now experiencing.
Complete Information Capture: From registering new documents to checking documents in and out - staff could now correctly capture, edit, and save documents instantly, without having to navigate out of their office applications. This was a significant advantage of the RedOffice Add-In as it provided more flexibility and ease of use. All information was captured and saved correctly, and it streamlined processes across the Council.
Getting the right information at the right time: Accessing information with ease can become problematic as an organisation grows. The RedOffice Add-In allows staff to retrieve accurate documents with a few simple clicks, reducing time and increasing efficiencies and compliance. The ability to save emails directly from Outlook and auto-link customers means users enter the ECM Doc Set ID info in the subject line of emails for easy reference. The solution then identifies what has been registered into the ECM and identifies the relevant customer based on their email address.
Reducing the need to recreate: Recreating documents from scratch can become time-consuming. One of the many advantages of the RedOffice Add-in is cloning and editing documents with the same metadata and properties. If you are working on a document in ECM, you click create a copy. This function then creates and registers a cloned record with the same properties, allowing users to edit and save from within their current Office application.
Speeding up the document creation process: Templates are one of those things that make life easier. Users now can auto-populate content using existing ECM templates, reducing the requirement to enter information manually. The add-in’s dynamic merge fields expose existing ECM data making it possible to auto-populate based on metadata and indexes. This speeds up the document creation process while reducing human error.
Gaining Management Buy-in - The Business Case Introducing new software to any organisation can take quite a bit of planning. With time, budgets, and resources involved in the process, it’s essential that managers and decision-makers understand the value and promote the need for change.
With some preparation and a clearly articulated business case, you can provide enough details to eliminate any hesitation, gain buy-in and start solving your challenges. A business case will allow you to frame the issues your staff is experiencing demonstrate the reasons for change and the financial investment required.
Once Corangamite Shire Council discovered the RedOffice Add-In, they created a business case to outline the value they would receive from the solution.
Here are three tips to help you create a compelling business case for software implementation. Communicate Productivity Savings Once you’ve outlined the solution, benefits, and costs involved, it’s essential to identify the productivity savings - what is the measurable impact on the business? And how will it save your staff time? This should be communicated clearly, and if possible, provide a tangible outcome. For Corangamite Shire Council, a vital component of the RedOffice Add-In was the time the solution would save their staff and its impact. Their current software required four clicks before they could start entering document properties, whereas the RedOffice Add-In provided a one-click solution within Outlook. The ability to make the registration process quicker and be able to check-in and check-out documents entirely out with Office applications formed a large part of the business case. It’s clear, simple, and well-received by key stakeholders and decision-makers.
Outline the Implementation Process Understanding what is required during the implementation phase is essential. Ensure you communicate who needs to be involved in the process, the duration, and how it will be managed. The ease of installation of RedOffice proved to be a substantial benefit for Corangamite Shire Council. The simple MSI installer, which the IT department could manage, combined with complete server setup, meant that minimal effort was required on the Council’s end to get up and running quickly.
Once the implementation process is defined, provide a brief overview of the maintenance required. It’s all well and good to have high-performing software installed, but who will be responsible for regular updates, and how often will they need to be actioned?
Present your Strategies and Goals Communicating what you aim to achieve and how you plan to get there will illustrate your commitment to the project. Define a few success metrics that will impact the broader organisation, and be sure to provide a way to measure them along the journey easily. For Corangamite Shire Council, the goal was to make it easier for staff and reduce inefficiencies. With a clear objective, they were able to measure a 20% increase in document registration post-rollout. This was achieved despite the impact of COVID-19, which resulted in training disruptions across the teams. Gaining Organisation-wide Adoption The success of any software implementation relies heavily on its usage within the wider organisation. More often than not, poor communication, inadequate training, and a lack of feedback loops result in poor adoption. Here are three ways to increase the adoption rate and ensure new software is utilised universally. Set Objectives and Celebrate Wins If you mandate that your entire team uses a new tool, they need to understand why they’re doing it and what it is achieving. Ensure they are across your goals and objectives from the beginning and communicate regularly to show improvement and measure success. Once you start seeing minor improvements, celebrate the small victories to retain motivation and keep the momentum going.
Take Advantage of Training Sessions and User Guides Training and onboarding are an essential part of any rollout. Not only do regular sessions provide best practice tips on using the software, but they also allow for questions from users and advice from experienced vendors.
Corangamite Shire Council contributes a large part of its success to the training and information provided during the implementation phase. A steering group of key users was created, and staff attended one-on-one training sessions to learn the new processes. These sessions were held across one day, and teams could choose which session they wanted to participate in. This, combined with clear and easy-to-read user guides, resulted in a smooth transition and quick adoption rate.
Store Information and Feedback in one Central Location Throughout the implementation process and beyond, continual feedback from users is critical to keep the momentum going. Creating an online location to centralise information and feedback will allow staff to access, learn, and share their experiences effortlessly. Corangamite Shire Council also continues to provide regular updates and quick tips through their Knowledge and Records Newsletter to keep staff informed and notified of any updates.
Ready to simplify and streamline working with emails and office documents? Discover the RedOffice Add-In for TechnologyOne ECM here