County court provides instant access to collaborating agencies, reducing time and costs
The Challenge
For nearly a decade, Hill County, Texas, has used OnBase, an enterprise content management solution created by Hyland Software, to manage content and automate and streamline processes. Some county business requires staff to work outside of the actual courthouse while still needing access to files and documents. Unfortunately, this often requires traveling to the courthouse to retrieve and review the information, and that access could only take place when the courthouse was open between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
If staff needed additional time with documents they had to copy the original files for use outside the courthouse, adding more time and cost into an already-arduous process. Court hearing preparation had to be done at the courthouse to ensure client confidentiality and file security. Judges had to review their dockets and case pleadings on site, as did the attorneys needing access to files held in the courthouse. This included attorneys from the State of Texas who reside in Austin, a 120-mile trip.
Like many small counties, Hill County wanted to find a technology solution for this challenge, but also needed to maximize existing investments, looking for tools within its owned technology.
Sharon Camarillo, the county’s IT director, turned to Hyland to capitalize on the software developer’s knowledge of cost-effective, security-based collaboration. During Hyland’s annual user conference, Camarillo learned of Hyland’s newest initiative: ShareBase.
The Solution
With ShareBase, Hill County provides timely access to critical documents from outside of the courthouse. Staff, attorneys and others are no longer burdened by needless travel time, paper files, or even the need to physically be in the courthouse to access documents. Says Camarillo, "It's been a positive initiative for Hill County to provide this information because it saves time, streamlines processes, and the Custodian of the Record authorizes who will have access to the content. Since the authorized users do not have to contact the office for information, efficiencies are gained by the user and the County Office.”