top of page

SUCCESS STORIES

Modernising Australia’s Parliamentary Document Management System

2009

June

Challenge

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations needed to redevelop their Parliamentary Document Management System (PDMS) to create a holistic workflow solution for managing citizen inquiries and requests directed to the department and its minister. The existing system was outdated and lacked the flexibility and efficiency required to handle the complex workflows and high volume of communications effectively. There was a need for a modern, scalable solution that could streamline processes, improve user acceptance, and be suitable for adoption across multiple government departments.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Australian Government

Modernising Australia’s Parliamentary Document Management System

Canberra, Australia

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) was an Australian Government department from 2007 to 2013, responsible for national policies and programs in education, employment, and workplace relations.

Solution

As a Senior Developer and the initial Lead Developer for this SharePoint-based project, Peter played a pivotal role in designing and implementing the new PDMS. He helped architect a service-oriented solution built on custom business components, web services, and SharePoint technologies. The system utilised Microsoft Office Word and InfoPath as rich clients to enhance user interaction.


Peter provided expert advice on all SharePoint development and infrastructure matters, training the development team in essential SharePoint and .NET specifics. The project employed Visual Studio with Team Foundation Server within virtualised server environments, offering the necessary flexibility to manage the system’s complexity.


To ensure high levels of user acceptance, the project adopted Agile methodologies, involving users at the beginning of each iterative development cycle to focus on actual business needs. This approach allowed for more accurate alignment with the highly complex workflow requirements.


Due to the project’s success, the solution was scaled up to become a cross-departmental PDMS, later adopted by many other Australian Government departments. Peter contributed to designing and implementing core components of the PDMS Framework solution, replacing the former InfoPath client with a web client for improved performance and user experience.


He also managed a team within the Parliamentary Systems Section to design and implement accessibility support and general data archiving in PDMS, ensuring compliance with government standards and long-term data preservation.

Outcome

The redeveloped PDMS significantly improved the management of citizen inquiries and requests for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The modern, scalable solution streamlined workflows, increased efficiency, and enhanced user satisfaction. The Agile approach ensured the system met actual business needs, leading to high user acceptance.

The successful implementation led to the PDMS being adopted by multiple other departments within the Australian Government, demonstrating the solution’s effectiveness and adaptability. Peter’s contributions were instrumental in achieving a system that not only met the department’s immediate requirements but also provided a robust framework for broader governmental use.

Profile picture of Peter Taras

Facing a Similar Challenge in Your Business?

You can book a free consultation for up to 30 minutes.

Peter Taras looks forward to your enquiry!

We can tailor a solution to meet your needs.
Book a complimentary consultation and let us help you navigate your business challenges with our expertise.

bottom of page