Managing Our Information Assets

Our current Recordkeeping Plan, valid until August 2021, provides overarching guidance concerning our record-keeping systems, policies, practices, processes and disposal arrangements, in line with the changing needs of our workforce and how we do business.

Customers are central to everything we do and AS ISO 15489:2016 Records Management guides best practice recordkeeping in combination with using the State Records Commission (SRC) standards and principles. System upgrade considerations are underpinned by ISO 16175:2011 Principles and Functional Requirements for Records in Electronic Office Environments.

It is used to consider needs for our records management system TRIM RM8.3, our bulk scanning and document processing system KOFAX TA7 and the development and integration of all corporate business applications. Additionally, record management processes have been externally audited and recertified to ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management until June 2022 as a component of our Integrated Management System.

Our Services

Services provided to our people and customers are delivered over a complex state-wide network consisting of approximately 2,350 personal computers, 1,777 servers, a voice (IP) network and wireless connectivity storing 290 terabytes of data.

We completed the remaining actions on our TRIM Roadmap 2016-18 including a minor review of the Business Classification Scheme to simplify file creation, implementation of Follow-Me-Print to enable confidential secure printing from anywhere across Main Roads and use of SharePoint for large document transfer.

Progress towards our next system upgrade from TRIM RM8.3 to TRIM CM9.3, including future use of Office 365 and the TRIM web client by general users is well advanced.

Our system of capture KOFAX TA7 provides bulk scanning and document processing utilising machine learning to automate the capture and storage of information to TRIM for further processing. All forms of incoming correspondence received go through KOFAX TA7 and this year 46,558 items have been processed and stored to TRIM. In accordance with the General Disposal Authority for Source Records, day-boxed scanned hardcopies have been legally destroyed.

In addition to business-as-usual operations, the following initiatives to support best practice recordkeeping include:

• subscribed to Springer E-books providing access to approximately 24,000 publications consisting of academic textbooks, research findings and conference proceedings. We made this available to the Transport Portfolio for download DRM free to any device for work or personal use.
• conducted Derby and Kununurra Archiving Projects to register the combined contents of 1,600 boxes of records and 90 photo albums and store offsite
• implemented a new State Archiving Strategy
• developed a range of user test plans for the Trim Upgrade.
• progressed offsite scanning of 9,000 Main Roads Planning Reports
• implemented use of Annual Destruction Reports for aged Finance and HR records
• developed and implemented a Registration and Indexing Manual to standardise capture
• developed online training courses to load into our new corporate Learning Management System, together with historical course completion records

Our Record Keeping Code of Practice for the Management of Contract Records guides compliance with SRC Standard 6 that applies to outsourcing. Under this Code, contract companies are required to submit a recordkeeping plan within 28 days for approval. Contract RKP reviews are conducted by a records practitioner prior to sign off. During the year, four reviews have been completed.

All records management operations are supported by our TRIM Support Help Desk who dealt with 5,941 customer enquiries with 98 per cent of enquiries resolved within 24 hours.

Representing a turnaround in file creation since 2015-16 there were 546 hardcopy and 3,896 electronic corporate files created this year.

There continues to be a steady ongoing increase in records stored and audit logs show that nearly 84 per cent of employees regularly use TRIM.

2018/2019

1,320,828

2018/2019

2017/2018

1,295,801

2016/2017

62,461

2016/2017

Our Training Program

Cultivating and consolidating employee knowledge of best practice recordkeeping is paramount in preserving our corporate memory. To achieve this we offer a range of training courses and materials including:

• induction training for all new employees, contractors and consultants; training that addresses recordkeeping responsibilities and compliance with our Record Keeping Plan
• online recordkeeping awareness and TRIM courses to support the capture of records. Course completion is monitored monthly and escalated to management for remediation where needed. Combined completion rates have dramatically improved and usually range from 52 per cent to 99 per cent over a six month period
• regular full-day, hands-on TRIM training offered on a classroom or one-on-one basis including support through remote online assistance
• customised, intensive hands-on TRIM training delivered to business areas on request
• one-hour intensive short courses regularly run to deliver records system training direct to the desktop throughout our offices. The range of standard courses available has increased from 13 to 20
• regularly updated records policies, procedures, quick reference guides, FAQs, news items, available services and contacts on our intranet site.

Participation in the records-training program is shown below:

During the year we were honoured to present at ‘Becoming Better Leaders’ which was part of the inForum 2018 Conference, an annual international convention run by the Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia.

Our Response to Future Trends

The suitability and dependability of information systems is important to the success of the business when addressing future directions.

This year, a Main Roads Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Strategy has been developed against a backdrop of significant disruptive change in the transport and technology sector, driven by rapidly evolving customer expectations, the impact of digital technologies, and imperatives from government to be more efficient, effective and collaborative in the provision of services to the public.

As technology evolves, it is clear that Main Roads is becoming critically dependent on the use of optimised digital services that will fundamentally change the way we operate over the next few years. This in turn requires radical new ways of working, the implementation of a new digital technology platform to deliver digital services together with more effective ways of leveraging critical information assets.

Following extensive consultation across the organisation, the following recommendations have been agreed with Corporate Executive: 

1. Establish an Enterprise Architecture Office to drive innovation and collaboration.
2. Expedite Cloud Technologies to improve agility and deliver cost efficiencies.
3. Develop an enterprise approach to Data Management.
4. Develop advanced Data Analytics Capability.
5. Develop a holistic approach to Security Threat Management.
6. Transform the Main Roads Customer Experience.
7. Implement a contemporary Information Management Branch Services Model.

A business plan, consistent with Main Roads’ overarching strategy and Corporate Business Plan, that highlights initiatives and focus areas is being pursued. These areas of focus include:

• improving overall cohesion of ICT services to the organisation, including levels of support for Directorate initiatives
• improving the visibility of ICT initiatives and spending across the organisation
• addressing a need for better business understanding and interaction for achieving business outcomes
• providing improved enterprise-wide frameworks, procedures and standards to guide the development of new ICT capabilities across different areas of the organisation.

These initiatives are enhancing our ability to respond to ever-changing customer and business need.