Challenge
Tasked with handling cases for more than 38,000 families, the County processes massive volumes of information – including millions of hard-copy pages and several types of electronic documents, including PDFs, e-mails and computer files. To accurately track and process all case files — from the initial filing and docketing to the court hearing and intake into the County system — the Domestic Relations Office relied on an outdated paper-based process.
As Thomas Stoehr, Deputy Director, Office of Domestic Relations, Bucks County, explained, “We relied on dozens of employees to spend the majority of their day physically moving paperwork. As a result, large amounts of information were missing and misfiled. In addition, with a satellite facility 25 miles away in Bristol, we relied on a courier and the fax to deliver needed information to the appropriate location at great effort and expense.”
Often, dozens of County employees may need to be involved in a single case and this presented a logistical challenge for the agency. Sharing information often required hand-delivering files to the caseworker who required them – whether the employee was on another floor in the same building or working from the satellite facility in Bristol. This constant movement of files increased the possibility that paperwork could be damaged or even lost permanently.
Solution
Bucks County turned to Quality Associates Inc. (QAI), a systems integrator with a strong track record in developing customized electronic document management (IIM) systems for numerous counties and government agencies. QAI worked directly with County staff to develop a hardware and software solution to meet its specific requirements. Accuracy and quality were major factors.