Making a difference...

with TRIM

TRIM is the electronic document management system that everyone at Treasury is now using. The process of setting up the new system, then transferring all our information and training more than 300 staff, was complex. We have already found that TRIM has made it much easier for us to file, store, share and secure our information. Security has always been an important issue at Treasury because many of the documents we look after are confidential and we also have to meet legal obligations for archiving and auditing. In addition, our project work often involves people from different parts of the Department working in teams. TRIM makes it possible for all members of a team to have ongoing access to project files without breaching any of our security requirements.

During the years leading up to 2004 we realised that our records-management system was no longer meeting our information-management needs. In 2004 the decision was made to invest in an electronic system. A project was initiated in December and Michael Adams joined us as Project Manager. He researched the available systems, established our requirements and organised a tender process. That's when we found that TRIM would answer our needs. The system was set up during 2005 and 2006 and, after completing a pilot project, we organised a staged process of implementation. It took 15 months for all our employees to be trained and for all branches to be converted to TRIM. By 30 June 2008, as planned, the entire staff was using TRIM to manage departmental information.

Michael Adams: We knew that making the change would be a major undertaking, as our workforce of over 300 people had to learn a completely new business process. We first made sure that everyone understood why there was a need to change and that, while there might be some ups and downs, in the end the new system would make their work easier. We were very conscious that the technology had to fit our business, not the business fit the technology. Jo Spencer, our training and change manager, developed customised training manuals and set up two implementation teams to work with branch staff. We really focused on the need for our training teams to have a strong understanding of TRIM so that everyone could respond flexibly to the different needs of the various branches in Treasury.

Jo Spencer: It was having that flexibility that made a real difference. It meant that when branch staff had a particular problem we could adapt the system and make sure it worked for them. During the training process we focused on people as individuals and gave them personal support - face to face wherever possible. Members of the team were encouraged to share their training experiences, and this helped us to be more effective when it came to advising users who found the change challenging. It also made it easier to help those who wanted to take advantage of the advanced features of TRIM.

Assistant Director Economic Reform, Greg Philp, and Director of the Office of the Secretary, Jane Hyland, both found that the new system made a real difference to the way that they could work.

Greg Philp: It has been a great initiative. The project team listened to what we said and adapted the system to work in line with the needs of our business. A good example of where TRIM has made a difference is in helping us to meet the strict timeframes for responding to correspondence. I now use TRIM to manage these timeframes for my work unit because it shows what correspondence is due and when, and who is responsible for its completion.

Jane Hyland: I've found that the search function is fantastic. You can find information quickly. It is also great to be able to share information so easily and to know that you are seeing the most up-to-date version of a document. It has now become routine to keep business emails in a way that is organised and searchable.

Michael Adams: Before TRIM there were about 400 to 500 business emails a year being saved on paper files. With TRIM we are now saving about 25 000. Previously emailed information was fragmented and difficult to search and share with staff in other branches. In addition to the emails, staff are saving an average of 250 new documents each day. I can see that the longer we use TRIM, the more the benefits will become apparent.