HP wins $1m contract to deploy TOWER software

Based on TOWER Software’s TRIM Context solution, HP will provide improved knowledge management, search capabilities and information re-use for the department’s 4,000 corporate staff, with future plans to provide a solution for up to 36,000 staff in 785 state schools.

The deal, for a total of 9,000 users, also covers TAFEWA, a network of 10 TAFE colleges providing vocational education at more than 50 campuses around Western Australia.

The contract was negotiated under the WA Government’s 3-year preferred supplier panel, Common Use Arrangement (CUA) 8005 and will replace DET’s previous records management solution.

HP acquired TOWER Software, an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution this year, to strengthen its information management portfolio.

According to John Kay, DET’s manager, Information Management & Corporate Systems, the new system brings the department into the digital age.

He claims that as more information becomes digital, the use of hard copy files and traditional records has declined and this has lead to a proliferation of corporate information on non-compliant network drives, local drives, email inboxes and lever arch files.

“We designed the TRIM Context solution for the users, not the records managers,” said Kay. “We had to deliver some ‘what’s in it for me’ focusing on the key functions – capture, search and sharing.”

While digital information was a driver for the solution, the department realised it would only benefit staff if it was as simple as saving a document or email as it was before.

Users can now create their own documents and files in TRIM using plain speak and classification keywords.

“Staff can now search any document format from a single repository. Previously people couldn’t search both email and networks drives at the same time. TRIM Context also provides more powerful searches, including deep searches into email attachments,” said Kay.

“The new system provides better re-use of information by breaking down the silos of information that previously existed and making it easier to find information. A few months ago we captured about 2,000 records a day, now it is 4,000.”

The Records Management Unit no longer owns and administers the system, each member of staff has now become an end user.

For example, the solution has been integrated with its PeopleSoft HR system to reuse staff and non-employee details for its information security.

It has developed an online phone book containing details for all 40,000 staff, and integrated the Traineeship Records Management System.

A backup issue for network drives was also a major IT issue.

Kay said: “Our backups used to run from Friday night into Saturday morning, then Saturday afternoon. There was no information lifecycle management.

“IT were keen to delete information from the network but found it difficult knowing what could be deleted. By using TRIM we are now classifying the information and retention and disposal schedules are automatically applied so we can see which records are at the end of their lifecycle.”

In the next implementation phase, TRIM Context will be integrated into a new Complaints Management System and the department will look at how it can simplify hardcopy and electronic information management for schools, which currently uses the Oracle Web mail system.

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