The City of Bellevue, Wash., has been a Zasio customer for three decades. From the early days of Versatile for Windows (1994), and transitioning to Versatile Enterprise in 2001, the city needed a powerful tool for its records management program.

Today, the City manages 13,000 boxes in off-site storage.

“Before we had Versatile (Enterprise), we didn’t have an electronic system to manage our off-site records or retention – it was all paper-based,” Bellevue’s City Records and Information Manager, Danelle Court, said.

“Obviously, we are not as heavily paper-based as we used to be back in the late 1990s, or early 2000s,” Court said. “But (Versatile) still provides all that functionality for us and the reason we’ve kept going with it — it’s easy to use.”

Court added, “[We have to make] sure we have the right information, when we need it, where we should have it, and that we get rid of it when we no longer need it, and the software helps us perform those functions in a little bit more automated manner.”

Favorite Features

After more than thirteen years of working with Versatile, Court appreciates its consistency.

“It’s probably one of the most stable records management software solutions we’ve had – or that we’ve ever had – in terms of maintenance and just doing what it should do, and not having issues in terms of the technology,” Court said. “That’s why we got it. . . and why we keep using it and keep loving it.”

Sue Gunderson, the City’s Public Records Analyst, is a self-described Versatile power user. She uses the software to enter contract data, create new files, and ensure files are imported into the city’s SharePoint electronic records repository.

Gunderson’s favorite feature is Versatile’s search capabilities. It allows for simple and complex search requests.

“(We) get lots of research requests from the city attorney’s office that [can] involve really old records,” Gunderson said. “It’s a  very good tool, to be able to dig in, and try and find historical or old records for people that need to reference those.”

Employee Learning Curve

“The training is really pretty easy because it’s such a simple program to learn and use,” Gunderson said. “When I get a new user, I know it’s probably not going to be phone call after phone call saying, ‘I don’t understand,’ or ‘I don’t get it.’ Most people find they can navigate (Enterprise) with just one training.”

Practicality and Flexibility

Gunderson’s colleague, City Records Business Analyst, Suzanne LeDoux, boasts about Versatile’s functionality.

“I like how robust it is — you can customize and filter your search in a lot of different ways and still have the flexibility of using a keyword search,” LeDoux said. “You can do a very narrow scope search and then expand and broaden your search from there. It’s very versatile.”

World Class Technical Support

Reliable technical support is just as important to the City of Bellevue as Versatile’s features and functionality.

“The fact that we know people’s names and have a relationship with them,” Court said. “The support has always been great. Whenever we say ‘this is where we’d like to go’, there’s always been that partnership in helping us get there.”

Whenever there was a function the City of Bellevue needed, Zasio’s support team found a solution.

“…Zasio has been pretty responsive in getting (new functions) on the roadmap and making that happen,” Court said. “Just the fact that Zasio is in the industry and knows the challenges and the opportunities and where the industry is going, and actively participates and engages in that, makes a pretty strong partnership.”

Court cited Zasio’s webinars, attendance at conferences, and numerous staff with key professional certifications as evidence Zasio understands the IG industry.

Results

Versatile is a trustworthy and reliable physical records management tool for the City of Bellevue. It’s allowed the city to create a records management program the staff and the public can rely on.

“If we have trustworthy processes, and defensible processes, we can have trustworthy records and information for the public to trust their government,” Court said.

About Zasio

Zasio has over 35 years of service in information governance. We help businesses get started in records management and maintain top-of-the-line IG programs. To do this, we’ve recruited a team of expert software developers and technicians, legal experts, and highly-accomplished records analysts—all in-house!

Our highly trained team includes certified records managers, information governance professionals, and certified information privacy professionals who keep up with evolving IG trends and scale our Versatile solutions to meet our customers’ needs. It’s no wonder that thousands of organizations, including half of the top 20 Fortune 500 companies, have trusted our software solutions and expert consulting services to create world-class information governance programs.

To learn more about Versatile Enterprise, call 800-513-1000 opt. 1 or contact us.

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The City of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada has been a Zasio customer for over 25 years, starting in 1997 with Versatile Windows™, one of Zasio’s earliest solutions. In 2006, the City transitioned to Zasio’s Versatile Enterprise™ solution.

The City needed a powerful tool, like Versatile Enterprise, to help manage 37,000+ boxes at an off-site operations center.

“There’s a space management component we rely on to be able to find our records,” said the City’s Manager of Enterprise Information Management Services (EIMS) and City Archivist. “It’s about having an effective tool in place to find what you’re looking for with the large volume of records that we have.”

He added, “Versatile’s space management is second to none when it comes to other physical lifecycle management software. That’s a huge win for Versatile.”

Favorite Features

Located north of Toronto, the City manages roughly 270,000 files that include land development applications, building permits, human resource files, bylaws, and drawings, along with legal and finance documentation. To meet the EIMS Teams’ operational needs, the City required a solid system to track its 196 active users.

“The check-in/check-out manager (in Versatile Enterprise) is a huge benefit,” said the EIMS Manager. The City has staff who facilitate file requests from multiple records centers, so tracking down who’s got the record and when it was requested, including getting a history is key.”

The City’s Supervisor of EIMS and Deputy City Archivist appreciates Versatile Enterprise’s space management and disposition functions. Prior to using VE’s space management and disposition functions, staff members did everything manually.

Hand-typing barcodes that were 10-12 digits long was time-consuming and led to mistakes. Human error would also cost staff hours retrieving incorrectly keyed boxes and files, as well as protracted searches for missing records.

“We would go in and individually delete files and boxes, which was a pain,” the Deputy City Archivist commented. “Being able to actually have a record of what was targeted for destruction, track physical destruction dates, and have the approval, was a welcomed change.”

The City’s Human Resources department trusts Versatile Enterprise’s security features to ensure sensitive records are only seen by appropriate users.

“In the past, we’ve had new staff in HR who have been very concerned about what information goes into Versatile and who has access,” said the City’s Supervisor of EIMS. “With (Versatile Enterprise) you can assure staff that the proper security steps and private user groups are in place to prevent unauthorized access. Staff can rest assured that only their users have the ability to locate and see these files – no one out of their department can.”

Support

The City is equally enthusiastic about Zasio’s customer support.

In 2022, the team found improperly labeled boxes while temporarily transferring 3,000 boxes off-site to an external vendor. To correct this issue, the City was provided with a spreadsheet from the vendor with 3,000 new RFID tags.

“We were trying to figure out how we could get one system to talk to the other because inputting new data for 3,000 boxes would have been a very time-consuming and manual process. We didn’t want to run the risk of keying the wrong barcode ID and having future issues,” the EIMS Team said.

It turns out, they didn’t have to worry.

Zasio’s technical support team helped successfully import the data.

“All the numbers were accurate and it was a huge time saver for us,” the Deputy City Archivist said.

Support recently helped the City implement Zasio’s Versatile Mobile Package, which allows staff to make quick work of many records management tasks. This includes scanning bar codes and performing records searches from mobile devices.

“You guys are second to none — you set the bar for the City when it comes to support standards,” the Manager of EIMS said. “It’s instant, it’s consistent, it’s efficient. I haven’t come across this type of support or service with any other service or product.”

The EIMS Team says the superior customer support extends to the Zasio customer portal, which she describes as simply “amazing.” “You’ve got so many resources on there – It’s been a lifesaver.”

Results

The City said it will continue partnering with Zasio indefinitely. Reliable records management software solutions, combined with a team of solid subject matter experts and trustworthy support made this an easy decision.

About Zasio

Zasio has over 35 years of service in information governance. We help businesses get started in records management and maintain top-of-the-line IG programs. To do this, we’ve recruited a team of expert software developers and technicians, attorneys, along with highly-accomplished records analysts—all in-house!

Our highly trained team includes certified records managers, information governance professionals, and certified information privacy professionals who keep up with evolving IG trends and scale our Versatile solutions to meet our customers’ needs.

It’s no wonder that thousands of organizations, including half of the top 20 Fortune 500 companies, have trusted our software solutions and expert consulting services to create world-class information governance programs.

To learn more about Versatile Enterprise, call 800-513-1000 opt. 1 or contact us.

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The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences launched its records management program in 1994. The School was moving into a different building and needed to do something about the high volume of records that had built up over the years, so they hired a records manager, Susan Carlson, CRM. Susan reviewed the situation and determined the need for a records management solution to track records, and a retention schedule to identify what needed to be kept and what they could destroy. Susan interviewed different vendors and decided to implement Versatile for DOS™, Zasio’s original records management solution. Since the initial implementation in 1995, Versatile has grown with Susan and her team. From Versatile for DOS, they scaled up to Versatile Professional™, Zasio’s records management solution for small-to-mid-sized companies, and then to Versatile Enterprise™—their current, enterprise-level solution. “You rarely stay with a company for this long, but at every turn, Zasio helps us transition and continues to provide products that meet our needs. They grow with us,” said Susan.

Favorite Features

Versatile Enterprise is the solution of choice for Susan’s team because it’s a fully integrated system that does it all. “I wanted a seamless interface for our records tracking program and the ability to develop and manage our retention schedule. Versatile Enterprise allows us to do all of this,” said Susan. Versatile Enterprise comes with many state-of-the-art features, but Susan relies heavily upon its searchability, retention schedule, destruction capabilities, and Zasio’s customer support.

Searchability

Under Susan’s training, her team quickly learned to take advantage of Versatile Enterprise’s description feature to input information like keywords and report titles for easy, full-text searching. “It’s nice because people can search for things and find them without having to talk to the records team, and we’re not dependent on a single user or someone having to remember where things are,” said Susan. “People come and go and as they do, it’s so much easier to have a system where we can find things.”

Retention Schedule

Susan wanted to manage her retention schedule within her records management solution. With Versatile Enterprise, she can. “The retention schedule is our foundation and having it right in Versatile Enterprise is huge for us!” said Susan. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences has many record series that require different retention periods and retention calculations. To accommodate this, Zasio was able to customize Versatile Enterprise for them, adapting standard retention calculations to meet the specialized retention calculations necessary for a school of their caliber and the different types of medical records they come across.

Destruction

For Susan, the destruction feature is a key benefit. Initially, the School had a huge volume of records because, pre-Susan, staff had never received guidelines for retention management; they kept everything forever. Once the retention schedule was in place, Susan used the destruction feature to begin cleaning up the various departments. Today, her destruction process is simple. She sends an annual report to records coordinators identifying records eligible for destruction, they pull the records and destroy them, and she tracks it all right in the system. “My goal was to send fewer records to the University’s archive each year as we got through all of these various departments,” said Susan. “For a while, I was sending roughly 100 boxes to archive annually. Now, I’m down to about 30.”

Customer Service

Zasio is known for their outstanding customer service and Susan could not agree more. “The support team has been there for all of our major conversions. In the past, they’ve physically come onsite to offer help and training. Now with Zoom and Teams, we do it that way, but it’s great because they understand what we’re doing and what we’re about,” she said. “Being able to simply call when you need answers, talk to a live human, and get those answers in a few minutes is amazing. It’s so valuable.”

Add-Ons

One of Susan’s favorite parts about Zasio and the Versatile system is how it’s broken up into modular add-ons. “It’s a quality product separated into modules, but when you put them together, it’s fully integrated,” she said. The two main add-ons Susan’s team uses are Versatile Imaging™ and Versatile Electronic Records Management System™ (ERMS).

Versatile Imaging

The University added Versatile Imaging in 2014 before moving into a newly built facility. They wanted to save floor space and avoid clutter by turning their high-volume of student files into scanned files they could store as electronic records. With Imaging, they can easily scan files directly into Versatile Enterprise and manage them as records, applying the same retention and destruction policies as they would for a physical record.

Versatile ERMS™

Versatile ERMS is the latest add-on to the School’s suite of Versatile products. Initially, the records coordinators of the various departments were slow to adapt but when COVID-19 hit in 2020, people were forced to work at home and the need for electronic records became more apparent. To help with the implementation and adoption of ERMS, Zasio’s Support Team customized it, adding an automation process that would ensure consistency and familiarity in how the School manages its physical and electronic student records. “I offer training sessions on ERMS and at the end, people always say, “wow, it’s so easy!”’ said Susan. “It’s like a shared drive, people don’t have to think twice about how the records get in and they can easily find what they’re looking for.” She adds that it’s also nice to have processes in place to handle records that are delivered as an attachment via email or DocuSign because they can go right into ERMS. “I’m always explaining how so much information today comes in electronically, if we just capture it and manage it electronically in ERMS from the start, our lives will be so much easier,” said Susan.

Results

Since implementing Versatile, Susan and her records team have built a highly efficient records and information management program from scratch. Starting in the days of paper records, and transitioning into the high-speed pace of electronic records, Zasio’s Versatile product line has been there for them every step of the way. “I wanted a solution that would manage information from cradle-to-grave and apply retention times automatically, and I’ve found that and more with Versatile,” said Susan. “Having a state-of-the-art product that has not only kept up with our growth over the years but also continues to provide new technology solutions is truly amazing.”

About Zasio

Zasio has over three decades of service in Information Governance (IG). We focus on one thing, helping businesses get started in records management and maintain top-of-the-line IG programs. Since starting in the industry, we’ve recruited a team of experts, including software developers and technicians, attorneys, analysts, Certified Records Managers (CRMs), Information Governance Professionals (IGPs), and Certified Information Privacy Professionals (CIPPs)—all in-house—who keep up with evolving IG trends, and scale our Versatile solutions to meet demands of both customers new to records management and seasoned veterans. It’s no wonder why thousands of companies, including half of the top 20 Fortune 500, have trusted our software solutions and expert consulting services to implement world-class Information Governance programs.

To learn more about Versatile Retention or Zasio’s Consulting Services call 1-800-513-1000 opt. 1 or email sales@zasio.com.

The post Versatile Enterprise and Versatile ERMS Case Study: University of North Dakota, School of Medicine appeared first on Zasio.

Consolidated Natural Gas, which later merged into Dominion Energy, has been using Versatile™, Zasio’s enterprise-level records management software, for over 25 years. They started out with Versatile for Windows™ and upgraded to Versatile Enterprise ™ in 2000. When the records team at Consolidated Natural Gas initially began looking for a records management solution, they needed something to help them streamline their existing records management process, which was very manual. Not long after their search had begun, Consolidated Natural Gas decided to bring the record center data from their entire system under one management system, which meant merging the data from five different sub-companies’ records centers into one. These two factors were what initially pushed Don Campbell, Supervisor of Administrative Services at Dominion Energy, to implement Versatile, but over the years, it has been the scalability and flexibility that Versatile Enterprise provides, along with Zasio’s top-tier customer service, that has retained them as a customer for over two decades.

Why Versatile Enterprise?

Don originally saw Versatile Enterprise demonstrated at an ARMA International event. At the time, its speed was what stood out. “It was instantaneous. The data went right into the system. There was no waiting for processing to happen or needing to verify—it was just working,” Don said. Since then, the team has been through several versions of Versatile Enterprise, each update offering new and improved features.

Implementing Versatile Enterprise

When Consolidated Natural Gas originally implemented Versatile Enterprise in 2000, they said it was a straightforward transition. The majority of their records data was stored in Excel™ spreadsheets, so it simply needed to be imported into the Versatile Enterprise database. Zasio Support made the implementation painless. “It was great, we more or less just verified things and our Support Technician handled everything with our IT team,” Don recalls. “She would guide them along, they would ask her questions, she would provide more guidance; it was fantastic.” Of the whole implementation, Don and Dwayne agree the hardest part was barcoding all of their boxes. “It was very challenging to get all of the barcodes on all of the boxes and all of the shelves,” said Dwayne, “but the barcoding system and scanners from Zasio were really helpful. It was a big project. We had 35,000 to 40,000 boxes at our largest records center, and the scanners made it doable for just the two of us.”

Time-Saving Features

While the whole system is lined with unique features and functionality, two of the features that the Dominion Energy Team use most frequently are Destruction and Space Management.

Destruction

Don handles all of the destruction reviews. “The destruction reports I can build out of the system are fabulous,” he says, “it makes life so much easier for the customers (employees in other departments at Dominion) to be able to follow along, see what they have, read the record descriptions, and know when they’re up for review.” It has also been a timesaver. Don used to send out destruction reports monthly, but now he only needs to send them annually. “I can send a whole year’s worth of reports and get approvals and then just destroy records when the dates come up,” Don said. The actual destruction process is easy too. Dwayne Kieger, Sr. Records Analyst, manages this part. “We simply feed in spreadsheets and the system determines what should be destroyed.” We’re able to easily destroy an average of 5,000 to 6,000 boxes per year,” he says.

Space Management 

The Space Management feature allows the team to consolidate and organize their warehouse space on a regular basis, but it has also saved the team in two unique situations: when they moved their records offsite for a short time, and when they merged to become Dominion Energy. When the records were stored offsite, Don and Dwayne were still able to manage and control them within their system. “We could track them and know what was going on with them, which was wonderful because the offsite company made a lot of mistakes,” said Don. It also made it easy to bring them back in-house, once the time came. A few years later when Consolidated Natural Gas merged with Dominion Energy, the team was able to use the Space Management feature to reorganize the Dominion Energy record centers. “Dominion would use a location but put it under a temporary ID, so if ten boxes were on a shelf, all ten would have the same number, which made things really hard to find,” said Don. “They needed help and Space Management made this easier.”

Versatile Web Enterprise™

Versatile Web Enterprise, an add-on module for Versatile Enterprise, allows users in an organization to access and edit specific records, without needing access to the full Versatile Enterprise application. For Don and Dwayne, Versatile Web really helped during the initial merger with Dominion, which brought thousands of new customers into the system, and it continues to allow them to manage the entire organization’s customer base of over 20,000, with a small records team of only six or seven. “The customer base has grown exponentially over the years and because we use Versatile Web, it’s easy to manage,” said Don. Dwayne agreed, “the web add-on is very straightforward, our customers never seem to have any issues with it once we introduce it to them.” They’ve also noticed the quality of the information entered into the system has improved. “With Versatile Web, we get much better descriptions than we used to, and it’s not just because of our training, it’s because it’s easy to understand,” said Don.

The Customer Support

While impressed with Versatile Enterprise, Don and Dwayne can both say the biggest selling point for them in keeping their business with Zasio is the customer support. “It’s just wonderful, said Don. “It’s definitely worth the annual fee, and if I’m ever challenged on it, I can just show them. Look we’re managing all of these records and all of these people, and we never have issues, because we have support. When we need help, it’s right there.” With Dominion’s recent upgrade to Versatile Cloud™, Zasio’s new cloud hosting platform for Versatile Enterprise, Zasio Support plays an even larger role. “Now that we’re on the cloud, we can deal with Zasio Support directly and get answers,” said Dwayne. “Before we were tied to our IT group. It’s so much better working directly with people who know the system and let me tell you, they definitely know their stuff!” he said.

Results

Since 2000, Versatile Enterprise has saved the Dominion Energy team time in their daily tasks, helped them consolidate warehouse space, bridge mergers between companies, combine multiple data sets, and manage exponential customer growth. While their system looks completely different than it did when it was first implemented, the basis of their original decision to purchase Versatile Enterprise remains the same – it’s a scalable, versatile solution, that comes with great customer service. Today, it just has a modern look, with their data servers and applications now hosted off- premise in Versatile Cloud, and their move away from their old barcode scanners to the Versatile Mobile Package™, which allows all of their barcoding work to take place on their mobile iOS devices via the Versatile Records On-The-Go™ app. Both of these upgrades are still new, but the Dominion Team couldn’t be more excited to test them out and continue the relationship with Zasio.

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The University of Washington has had a records management program in place since 1965, with its formal records center opening in 1971. Since opening, the records Center had been through several changes, including the move to an automated system in the 80’s and transitioning through multiple solution providers during the 90’s. The University was unable to find a solution that could not only handle their large amount of data, but also provide easy, functional reporting on their data once it was in the system.

Barbara Benson, the University Records Officer, has been in records management for over 30 years and was at the forefront of the frustration with the University’s existing solution providers, dealing with difficulty in accessing data, wrong tables, poor data
mapping, and deficient reporting. She needed a solution that:

• Could manage the physical records and retention schedules for the University’s three campuses and 900+ departments all in one module
• Had an easy-to-use, customizable database for data management and reporting
• Was flexible and robust enough to grow with the University as their needs expanded or changed

Barbara had been aware of Zasio and their leading enterprise-level product, Versatile Enterprise, after it had come highly recommended from a colleague she served with at ARMA, but getting budget for a new solution had been a barrier.

Why Versatile Enterprise?

After enough bad experiences with their existing solution provider and a strong business case, Barbara was able to get the approval, and budget, to implement Versatile Enterprise. Some of the key factors highlighted in her business case that ultimately led to the approval were:

Data mapping and reporting capabilities. After so much frustration with poorly mapped data in other products, data organization and reporting were a priority. After walking through the database, mapping, and tables with the Zasio team, Barbara was very impressed. She said, “we were expecting to have to pay for a lot of architectural customizations but it was really all just cosmetic changes, everything else was out-of-the-box for us; we really were not expecting that, we had never seen that with another product.”

Customer support. As a state agency, the University of Washington must comply with all state regulations when it comes to records management. The state frequently imposes changes on reports and data collection so the University has to quickly operationalize and implement those changes, which often requires simple, but accessible customer support. “We’ve never gone to you with problems, but we go to you often for help and it’s phenomenal. Not only do we have an immediate response of someone picking up the phone and talking to us, but 90 percent of the time while we’re on the phone, you’re creating new tables, reports, or doing other backbone work. By the time we hang up the phone, it’s done!” said Barbara.

The Versatile Notification add-on. Being a world leader for medical research, the University of Washington has a lot of records that trigger when medical studies are closed. Before implementing Versatile Enterprise and adding the Versatile Notification add-on, Barbara’s team was wasting a lot of effort manually emailing disposition notices and trying to track changes to event-based disposition dates. With Zasio’s notification add-on, they’re able to automatically send out notifications to individual departments at the cadence they choose and confirm disposition information. “The time and effort saved has been absolutely phenomenal, these are problems we didn’t even know we had, but your product is so flexible, so well thought out, and understands our business so well, you’ve saved us a lot of time, money and aggravation,” said Barbara.

Implementing Versatile Enterprise

When it came time to implement Versatile Enterprise, Barbara said the most difficult piece was pinning down the details of the existing processes and strategies developed to work around the deficiencies of their old database. “You really have to understand your existing procedures so that you can implement them in an electronic environment,” she said. The Zasio team was able to help navigate these existing procedures and get the University’s information migrated over from their exiting solution, into Versatile Enterprise. “They understood what we were asking for and made everything so easy; I’ve been doing this since 1982 and it was absolutely the Zasio team that made this the easiest conversion or migration I’ve ever been through,” said Barbara.

Results

Since implementing Versatile Enterprise, Barbara says the database has really become invisible to her and her team, it’s fluidity and transparency has freed up a lot of their time so they’re able to spend more time on their customers—the three campuses and 900+ departments—and rely 100 percent on Versatile Enterprise to store and manage the intellectual control of documents for all of these departments, programs, and offices.

A lot has changed in the 12 years since the University of Washington first implemented Versatile Enterprise and will continue to change as things continue to shift digitally, but Barbara is confident that Versatile Enterprise will meet their needs. “The level of flexibility and understanding of what I and my customers need is the reason we’re still using Zasio’s product and services,” said Barbara. “Versatile Enterprise has allowed us to evolve, and when you’re in the public sector budgets are very small, and we’ve still been able to grow. You can’t ask for more than that.”

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Service Corporation International (SCI), North America’s largest provider of funeral and cemetery services, narrowly dodged a disaster after a tropical storm flooded
downtown Houston, Texas submerging all of the company records that were stored in the basement. The natural hazard prompted SCI to freeze-dry 2.3 million records and partner with Zasio Enterprises, a global expert in information governance and records management.

After a careful review of needs and objectives, the two industry leaders worked together on the implementation of Zasio’s flagship technology, Versatile Enterprise™, and a corresponding add-on, Versatile Imaging™. The result? A comprehensive and sound records and document management solution for SCI comprised of a full catalog of restored physical records along with corresponding digital replicas of each document.

Objectives

• Implement a secure, comprehensive and flexible technology solution to find, track, hold and legally destroy records
• Image, index and store the affected, freeze-dried records alongside new records in Versatile Enterprise™
• Prevent future losses of the same magnitude

Solution

To help SCI protect, secure and manage their physical and electronic records, the Zasio team:

• Implemented the Versatile Enterprise Records Management system with the Versatile Imaging add-on module
• Migrated legacy metadata into the Versatile database
• Trained users on day-to-day usage of the application
• Configured barcode readers for efficient location tracking
• Provided best-practice guidance for the imaging and quality checking of all restored and new records

Results

The partnership between SCI and Zasio has proven to be successful, providing:

• Disaster-proof redundancy of physical records in digital form
• Reduced cost of physical delivery now that records can be viewed online
• Timely and defensible destruction of physical records
• Confidence that vital corporate records are well managed

The post Versatile Enterprise™ Case Study: Service Corporation International appeared first on Zasio.

The Utah Division of Archives and Records Service assists all Utah government agencies with managing their records, preserving records of enduring value, and
providing quality access to public information.

Evaluating the Current Program

In 1991, Utah State Archives began using Zasio’s flagship records management solution, Versatile Enterprise. They took advantage of many of Versatile Enterprise’s features, such as records center management, but didn’t use the program to manage
retention schedules. Instead, they handled retention scheduling with a system known as APPX. To accurately apply transfer and disposition dates to boxes stored in Versatile, someone had to manually add the APPX record series into Versatile. Not only that, but they relied on a paper system to notify agencies when they should destroy records. This system worked for a while, but in November 2002, the State Archives decided to consolidate and streamline their records and information management program.

Creating a New Solution

Turning this vision into a reality required Utah State Archives to link Versatile’s records management features with APPX for organization-wide retention schedule integration. Zasio was up to the challenge, and their technicians got to work, collaborating with the Archives to determine technical requirements, design specifications, and develop a time frame for implementation. The Archives purchased a new server to handle the increased computing needs, and Zasio began to write the components necessary to allow the systems to communicate with each other.

Zasio upgraded Utah State Archives to Versatile Enterprise and integrated all three systems they already had in place into one program. Zasio coded Versatile so it could continue to manage both the temporary records that would eventually be destroyed, as well as their historically valuable permanent collection. It was no easy task to modify Versatile to use APPX retention schedules and customer information, but the result was well worth the effort to everyone involved.

Adding an Automated Records Center

Soon after the consolidation project was complete, the Division of Facilities Construction and Management determined that an automated, high-density records center would provide significant cost and space savings, plus it could reduce the risk of personal injury to employees. The vision included a fully automated process whereby users would search for a box in the records management application, and it would be retrieved with very little human interaction. To reach these goals, the Utah State Archives contracted with HK Systems to build and implement a robotic solution using triple-deep shelving and two robots to store and retrieve boxes efficiently.

In response to this innovation, Zasio needed to interface not only with APPX but also with the HK Systems robots. Luckily, Versatile’s built-in box checkout process was well-suited to the workflow necessary to integrate with the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS). After considerable discussion, a viable plan was developed for the technical details and workflow required to link Versatile to the ASRS.

Zasio worked to enhance the Versatile search process so requests for boxes in the archives storage room commanded ASRS to retrieve the boxes. Upon successful retrieval, the ASRS sent a response to Versatile to complete the cycle while the boxes were being delivered to the user. All the while, the checkout manager tracked each request and delivery and informed administrators when boxes were overdue.

The seamless integration of three separate systems required a great deal of coordination and effort by multiple parties, but the resulting efficiencies are long-lasting and widespread throughout the State of Utah.

The post Versatile Enterprise™ Case Study: Utah Division of Archives and Records Service appeared first on Zasio.

The featured company works across a variety of industries from oil and gas, power, and refining, to real estate, ranching, and infrastructure. Therefore, they needed
to find a solution to help them create a records and information management program capable of managing their records and retention with the same scope and flexibility as their business.

Creating a Digital Records Management Program

In 1991, there was no solution in place to manage the lifecycle of records at the company. Those working on the records team weren’t using barcodes, and their recordkeeping procedures were almost entirely manual. In fact, they used handwritten ledgers which made it difficult to manage and maintain records held in secondary storage. They wanted to change that; they wanted to create a records management program that could centralize their program and make it easier to manage. The thought of continuing with their paper-based system was out of the question. With that in mind, they reached out to Zasio to find a comprehensive solution.

Finding the Right Solution in Zasio’s Suite of Versatile Products

In 1993, after working with Zasio, the company chose to implement Versatile for Windows, an early-generation Versatile program that could solve all of the company’s needs. Zasio’s sales team and support staff worked with the company to install the program, migrate all of their legacy data into the software, and train their employees on best practices with the software and records management programs. The company was so impressed with Zasio’s software that they decided to maintain their partnership with Zasio for over 25 years. Over the years, they’ve implemented Zasio products as technology changed, upgrading to Versatile Enterprise and then again to Versatile Enterprise LE.

Results

The use of Versatile has made the company’s entire records management process a highly productive and progressively functional activity for both active and secondary records achieving the following results:

• • A 25-year partnership including three different versions of Versatile Records Management software
  • Consolidated physical records from five warehouse locations down to one
  • Offered the company the ability to implement barcode technology, manage inventory, track movement of records, search centrally, generate reports, and maintain record metadata.
  • Allowed the company to manage the “creation to destruction” lifecycle of their records in a single database.
  • Migrated 40,000 records into Versatile Enterprise LE to help manage 750 legal clients on top of all of their electronic and physical records.

The post Versatile Enterprise™ Case Study: How a Global Leader in Oil Exploration and Production Streamlined Their Records and Information Governance Program appeared first on Zasio.

Established as a state agency in 1907, the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) is an extraordinary system of cultural and historical resources, including the Idaho
State Archives and the State Record Center. These programs deliver essential state services by providing critical storage and preservation needs of government
records to 80 state agencies, 44 counties, and 230 cities.

ISHS recognized that their three unsupported, unintegrated legacy records management systems needed to be replaced. They knew they needed a single, long-term sustainable solution that could meet the varying needs of their diverse customer base. The former resources were increasingly unreliable, lacked proper technical support, and didn’t meet current operational needs. Zasio was awarded the state contract through the RFP process and a statewide implementation of the new database was completed within a year.

Objectives

• • Implement a single, long-term sustainable records management software solution to replace three essentially unsupported legacy systems that were unable to communicate with each other
  • Update information management workflow
  • Allow the ability to meet the varying needs of a diverse customer base
  • Offer the ability to handle both public and confidential records management in more than one physical location
  • Provide a robust accounting system for the State Record Center’s cost recovery program

Solution

Efficiency. ISHS sought to replace their outdated records management workflow with a single system. Zasio had the answer with Versatile Enterprise, its flagship records management solution. Of course, data in the legacy systems still had to get into Enterprise. To eliminate the need for busy ISHS employees to re-enter records, Zasio merged metadata fields from the three legacy systems and imported the records into Enterprise. Zasio was careful to ensure both completeness and accuracy of the migrated data. With all their records management needs now available in one application, ISHS was empowered with more control over their records and better reporting analysis.

Automation. Another issue ISHS faced with their old systems was that they lacked a way to efficiently bill for records management operations. The solution? Versatile Enterprise’s built-in chargeback system, which allowed them to bill for file check out, box check out, and records storage. This permitted them to automate the cost of circulating their records and easily track inventory.

Convenience. Most businesses don’t have time for extensive training sessions on new software and ISHS was no exception. To get everyone in the organization up-and-running quickly with the new system, Zasio employed Versatile Web Enterprise, which allows authorized users to access records using a web browser. With an intuitive user interface and the ability to send electronic requests to check out records and submit file or box creation requests, ISHS employees could access all of their records information from anywhere, any time.

Communication. To ensure the new information management workflow was communicated to key stakeholders, Zasio implemented Versatile Notification System so users would receive automated email notifications when files or boxes are added or when comments on these items are made. Because notifications can be customized, ISHS can add more notifications in the future as their needs grow.

Peace of Mind. Now that ISHS has a supported and maintained records management product, they have the ability to expand their records management capabilities with future releases and feel at-ease knowing the solution to any question about their software is only a phone call or email away.

Results

ISHS saw the following positive results:

• • Modernized information management of government records data
  • A seamless and secure records management interface to carry out statutory obligation to preserve Idaho historic resources and provide records management services
  • A single access point for statewide employees to manage government records at the Idaho State Archives and the State Record Center for the first time in the State of Idaho
  • Improved intellectual control of current holdings at ISHS
  • Significantly augmented audit trail—ISHS now knows more about their historical data than ever before
  • Migrated 86,000 boxes and 450,000 files from three legacy systems into a single, intuitive systemv

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The City of Kodiak serves more than 6,000 residents in Kodiak, Alaska. In 2003, the City Clerk started to work on a comprehensive management system at the direction of the City Council. They were in need of a solution that could consolidate processes and manage their electronic and physical records efficiently. In 2005, an independent consultant working with the City Clerk recommended Zasio for the company’s robust technology solution offerings that addressed each of the outlined needs. Since the start of the partnership, the two entities have implemented a solution that takes into consideration the intricate needs of the growing City.

Objectives

• • Routinely update the records retention schedule
  • Consolidate the process and needs for managing content across all departments
  • Implement a technology solution that would be simple to use for the varying levels of technical knowledge within the different departments
  • Capture all records, including electronic documents and emails
  • Easily organize and track location of physical records in multiple buildings and locations

“As a records manager I have used and trained other staff to become users of Versatile Enterprise and Versatile Electronic Records Management System (ERMS). The document management system is a wonderful tool. I have been very impressed with many aspects of the software. The electronic records management component is integrated well with Versatile Enterprise. The ability to manage each paper and electronic record’s lifecycle from creation to destruction is phenomenal! If you need a document management system, I highly recommend using Versatile Enterprise and Versatile ERMS.”

 -Michelle Shuravloff-Nelson, CMC Deputy Clerk/Records Manager at The City of Kodiak

Solution

To address the immediate needs of the City, Zasio recommended and implemented Versatile Enterprise™. The leading records and document management solution was the perfect tool to take on all of the information stored in electronic and physical form by each department, as well as create a dynamic retention schedule that was both streamlined and easy to use. Versatile Enterprise’s intuitive user interface and functionality allowed the City to use minimal technology resources and ensured that users with varying degrees of experience and ability to interact with technology software felt comfortable with the new system. Zasio’s team of experts worked with key City personnel, including the City Clerk’s office, Information Systems, and other departments to ensure:

• • Smooth implementation
  • Accurate migration of legacy information
  • Thorough training
  • Efficiency and consistency across the organization

Results

In partnering with Zasio, the City of Kodiak saw impressive results, including:

• • The ability to track over 100,000 physical records in one technology solution
  • Easily searchable 324GB electronic file storage database, providing quick access to all electronic records
  • A consistent records retention schedule across all City departments
  • Ability to work in all user environments utilized across the City’s infrastructure
  • Flexibility for growth as the City’s use and needs expanded
  • Confidence with a solution that provided all the physical requirements along with a support team that would be there for future guidance

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