Victorian OPP implements new case management system

The Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) has implemented a new criminal case management system, Amicus, which has been built on the Appian AI Process Platform. Amicus leverages Appian’s data fabric and process automation technology to accelerate prosecutions, with the platforming promising a productivity gain of over 10% annually.

The OPP, Victoria’s largest criminal legal practice, has been pursuing a digital transformation agenda to enhance productivity and optimise service delivery. As part of these aims, the company initially conducted a current state discovery phase which revealed that its workforce was spending up to 30% of its time on manual administrative tasks.

Based on these findings, the OPP decided to implement robotic process automation to cut down on time spent on administrative tasks. The project has also unified multiple legacy systems into a streamlined, single-pane-of-glass experience to allow for even more efficient ways of working.

The project has overcome many of the challenges involved with the use of the previous .NET-based case management system, including the previous high maintenance costs, security risks, data fragmentation and lack of scalability, according to OPP Executive Director Sam Jones.

“We’re working to solve a significant challenge: bringing a unified experience to our users while dealing with increasingly complex cases," he said. "Over the last few years — including through the pandemic — cases have grown increasingly complex, especially considering the amount of multimedia evidence produced and the legislative environment in which we operate. It’s become a real struggle to keep up. We need a system that ensures seamless data flow.

“While Appian’s technology is robust, the real success of the project lay in the trust and partnership with the vendor, and our ability to adjust quickly to evolving needs. Our approach — avoiding blame and focusing on consistent effort — kept us on time and budget, delivering beyond expectations.”

Image credit: iStock.com/weareadventurers