ECM Briefs

It seems environmental concerns have people making lifestyle changes big and small – whether people are opting for canvas bags over plastic, or trading in Hummers for Smart Cars; many have joined the quest to ensure the world is intact for our children’s children.

Organizations like South East Water, however, have been working towards environmental sustainability for decades. Providing water and sewerage services to more than a million people across 3,500 square kilometers in Melbourne, Australia, one of the organization’s goals is to secure a long-term water future in a world of changing climate.

In order to focus on this goal, South East Water had to get its documents and records in order. With five million documents in storage and a requirement to comply with Australia’s Public Records Act, the company knew it needed to switch its outdated and unsupported records system to a solution that would address the growing concern of electronic records.

The company was already using an enterprise content management system that provided enterprise-wide document and quality management, and an interface to the company’s billing, customer relationship management (CRM), contracts management, and GIS/Maps systems.

To address its requirements, South East Water added a records management component, which has helped it create a corporate document classification scheme to identify and group all records for retention and disposal, as well as detailed quality procedures to transfer records for permanent retention by the Public Records Office of Victoria. It also helped the company form a Vital Records Register and establish procedures for recording, maintenance and disposal of documents lodged under the Freedom of Information Act and the Whistleblowers Protection Act.

With its updated enterprise content management solution, South East Water is well on its way to successfully managing its records and information, giving the organization more time to focus on what’s most important: working to create new relationships between the community and water through its sustainability initiatives.

Read more about South East Water’s records management success here.