Shifting to cloud? Don't leave your documents behind

As adoption of cloud technology accelerates in both private and public sectors, hesitancy to house government information in the cloud is restricting government agencies’ access to the many benefits of cloud document and records management. But have we reached the tipping point?

This is no surprise when we consider the responsibility government agencies have to protect information. As custodians of sensitive information and the history of our nation, information managers have devoted their entire careers to maintaining and protecting the integrity of government documents and data on behalf of the government and its citizens. It’s no wonder, that shifting this information to the cloud, feels a bit risky.

However, we’re reaching a tipping point.

The maturity of cloud services and applications for government as well as the extent of uptake mean you’re no longer an early adopter carrying the associated risks of being a pioneer. And the benefits of cloud are so well accepted it’s difficult to ignore.

The Commonwealth government and every state in Australia have either published a strategy document or detailed a policy that actively encourages, and in some instances mandates, a cloud-first approach to ICT. All with a common goal of modernising infrastructure to foster innovation and agility, fulfilling the core outcome of driving better outcomes for citizens.

Provided the service or application meets appropriate security standards, then shifting to cloud makes a lot of sense.

Get started faster

Forget the days of kicking off a software project, by estimating memory usage, calculating disc space and running tests on existing workstations to ensure they support the new applications. Cloud means that you begin the project with software that is ready to go. While you may need to familiarise yourself with the app and configure it to your needs — there is no need to spend months getting the infrastructure right to simply switch it on. Also, you get quicker user adoption with limited training required, through a familiar browser-based interface.

Solutions that are always current

With Software as a Service (SaaS), the responsibility (and monotony and administrative headache) of backups and maintenance is shifted to your service provider. The IT teams are able to deliver value to the business rather than managing and maintaining applications, while users get immediate access to the latest features. It means you’ll never need to live through an upgrade project, ever again.

It’s financially responsible

While license costs are often the headline when it comes to IT spend, there is a large amount of infrastructure required to run on-premises solutions. From servers to rack-space, back-ups to desktop installs, there are always costs beyond the software to consider. By moving to the cloud, these costs are eliminated, delivering fiscal improvements for an agency.

Future proofed for the inevitable

It is a fact of life, that Machinery of Government (MOG) changes and restructures are the norm rather than exception in the public sector. When the time comes, the cloud removes the infrastructure blockages. Adding more users, migrating data or licensing new modules to support new processes is far easier in the cloud.

COVID has also driven home the need to offer our team members flexible working options. The ability for your team to be able to access the tools they use on a daily basis, no matter where they are, is imperative. The cloud makes that a reality.

Secure and always available

For most government agencies implementing onsite security processes and protocols is a costly endeavour. While having a server in your office may give a sense of well-being, it is opening up to risk. Unless you have your systems geo-replicated in real-time, with a 24/7 security team and strict protocols to remove human error or malicious acts, you are going to have issues. Cloud solutions delivered via reputable vendors means this is all taken care of for you. Cloud solutions also segment your systems from the workstations — one of the major entry points for phishing and email-borne threats.

Yes, but the Public sector is different…

When it comes to the public sector’s responsibility to manage information responsibly, there is always an increased burden for the public sector. Whether it is managing citizen centric records, policy documents or procurement contracts, there is an expectation of information security with detailed tracking to ensure transparency in each and every decision made. While the cloud sounds like a great idea, many of the solutions that are available today simply lack the depth of functionality to support the existing policies, procedures and processes that must be adhered to.

This lack of depth has always been an issue when selecting an effective SaaS based electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) for a government agency. An EDRMS is not just an archival system, it ensures your information is accessible by the people who need to use it; to then add value and contribute to informed decision-making.

Beyond delivering a document management experience that users will love, an EDRMS should include the features they need to work from anywhere at anytime, while recordkeeping obligations are automatically applied (whether the user is working in Microsoft Teams, Outlook or other applications). On top of that, there must be a robust information security and governance layer that protects information, provides complete visibility and offers all of the advanced records management features expected by today’s information managers.

Next generation SaaS information and process management is here

Objective Corporation, well known for its widely-used government-grade enterprise content management system, Objective ECM, has launched a complete software as service (SaaS) document, records and process management offering, Objective Nexus.

Cloud native, Objective Nexus is explicitly designed for government and regulated industries to improve how they create, collect, manage, and use one of their most valuable assets, information. It delivers all the features needed for enterprise information management at scale, compliant recordkeeping and process automation.

Document Management — a foundation to effectively and securely manage, organise and share information throughout its entire lifecycle of: creation; revision; review; approval; publishing; and disposal.

Records Management — comprehensive and standards-compliant controls for records managers while allowing business users the freedom to work as they choose. Not only does it help meet compliance obligations, it also functions as an intelligent business support system.

Automation — workflow technology, techniques and processes to improve the efficiency and reliability of classifying, accessing, managing and utilising your valuable information assets, from simple recordkeeping automation to end-to-end management of government processes.

External Collaboration — secure external file collaboration to protect information, when sharing it with anyone outside your organisation.

Integration — Line of Business Systems – a modern low code integration environment with visual logic and data mapping definitions supports your information governance practices across business applications.

Governance for Microsoft 365 — enhanced information governance for Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Exchange.

Objective Nexus is curated from more than 30 years’ experience building software for the public sector, where its products are widely used throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in organisations such as: the Australian Department of Defence, the whole of both the Scottish and Welsh Governments, Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Department of Treasury and Finance in South Australia, several Australian state Police Services, the Ministry of Social Development in New Zealand and a long list of councils including the City of Gold Coast, Glasgow City Council, Greater Dandenong City Council and many more.

Objective is well versed in delivering cloud-native products; including Objective Connect, Objective Keystone, Objective RegWorks, Objective Gov365 and now Objective Nexus; all used widely throughout the public sector.

As a SaaS provider, Objective has been deploying cloud products, managing, and supporting its customers’ hosted environments for more than 10 years; experience and know-how that will help any organisation transitioning to cloud-first EDRMS. Uniquely, Objective has teams of highly experienced consultants based right across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. So rather than outsourcing implementations and migrations, Objective’s team is continually deepening its insight into the specific needs of the public sector with every single engagement.

Today, Objective offers a complimentary Value Discovery Session which helps customer understand the value of a proposed solution aligned to their organisations’ goals and KPI’s. Find out more.

To learn more about Objective Nexus go to: https://www.objective.com/products/objective-nexus.

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