Client:
Australian Electoral Commission
Problem:
Processing 1.9 million enrolment forms annually, permanently retaining paper forms under the Archives Act 1983, and developing a system to track and report throughout digitisation.
Services:
End-to-end digitisation processes, including reporting and secure data handling.
Background
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is a Commonwealth agency responsible for federal elections, referendums, and managing the Commonwealth electoral roll. Key responsibilities include electoral research, raising community awareness, and supporting approved international elections.
- Network scope: Over 150 electoral divisions across six states and two territories with offices spread geographically, including a national office in Canberra.
- Challenge: While the AEC had processes for document capture, strict compliance with guidelines for accurate record-keeping was an ongoing issue.
The challenge
To meet legislative and operational demands, the AEC required an Information Management Services provider for the following key tasks
- Volume: Processing over 1,900,000 enrolment forms annually.
- Compliance: Permanent retention of paper-based enrolment forms under the Archives Act 1983.
- Cost-effectiveness & transparency: Development of a system to record and report on each enrolment form throughout the digitisation lifecycle.
The solution
Grace Information Management was appointed due to its industry-leading expertise and tailored Management Information System (MIS) implementation. The solution encompassed end-to-end digitisation processes, including reporting and secure data handling.
Key solution features:
- Receipt & preparation Dedicated ACT mailroom to receive and sort inbound mail per agreed business rules.
- Capture Preparing mail batches for digitisation in accordance with National Archives of Australia guidelines.
- Control – Ensuring a secure chain of custody with exclusively Grace-operated vehicles. – Capturing data from more than 30 form types and providing Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) facilities for secure data transfer.
- Storage – Secure physical storage across Grace’s national network of secure document storage facilities. – Digital records hosted securely on a Grace closed-hosted platform.
- Access – Daily file deliveries, with options for priority and urgent requests. – Digital access provided through the Grace Gateway and ELO Digital Office.
- Disposal Secure and certified destruction of records upon reaching their retention date.
Results
By outsourcing the digital mailroom process to Grace, the AEC achieved the following benefits:
Enhanced transparency Streamlined records management with traceability for each enrolment form, from the originating divisional office to its processing stage.
Cost savings Reduction in reporting costs owing to complete process automation. Eliminated the need for extensive in-house resources and infrastructure.
Operational efficiency Utilisation of Grace’s technology, expertise, and MIS for optimised processes and complete compliance. Grace Information Management provided an all-encompassing, secure, and cost-efficient solution that empowered the AEC to meet its operational goals while adhering to strict legislative requirements.
Enhanced transparency Streamlined records management with traceability for each enrolment form, from the originating divisional office to its processing stage.
Cost savings Reduction in reporting costs owing to complete process automation. Eliminated the need for extensive in-house resources and infrastructure.
Operational efficiency Utilisation of Grace’s technology, expertise, and MIS for optimised processes and complete compliance. Grace Information Management provided an all-encompassing, secure, and cost-efficient solution that empowered the AEC to meet its operational goals while adhering to strict legislative requirements.
