Customer Overview

The South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) is a quasi-judicial tribunal in South Australia. SACAT serves the public by providing fair, impartial, and accessible adjudication and resolution of disputes across a wide range of areas, including housing, guardianship, mental health, and administrative reviews.

SACAT operates under a legislative mandate to deliver timely and effective justice while maintaining high standards of transparency, accountability, and compliance with legal requirements.               

The Challenge

SACAT faced significant logistical and operational hurdles in managing and distributing legal documents securely and efficiently.

SACAT identified five major challenges in their document management processes:

1. Large file transmission: Email systems frequently rejected or failed to download emails with attachments larger than 25 MB, particularly evident in complex cases like health practitioner reviews.
2. Lack of traceability: Ensuring that legal documents were received and accessed, meeting regulatory requirements for document delivery and compliance.
3. Integration with new systems: Implementing My Cases Online Lodgement System ensuring seamless document access and tracking.
4. Storage footprint: Managing significant volumes of digital documents, particularly from high-volume clients like real estate agents.
5. Mailbox storage limits: Addressing mailbox storage limitations caused by cumulative volumes of sent and received emails.

The Solution

SACAT partnered with ReadyTech to expand the use of its leading case management solution, Ready Case.

 “The implementation of Ready Case’s Secure File Link has fundamentally transformed our document management processes,” said Daniel Cook, Business Manager at SACAT.

“The new system utilises encrypted, secure links for transmitting large email attachments, which has effectively mitigated issues related to email rejections due to size limitations.”

In addition to solving this critical issue, the Secure File Link has also enhanced traceability and regulatory compliance for the tribunal, by enabling precise tracking of document access, including detailed records of IP addresses and timestamps.

The secure file link system seamlessly integrates with SACAT’s outbound email system and the ‘My Cases’ online portal.

“It facilitates real-time tracking of document access and enables timely updates to case files,” Mr Cook said. “By eliminating large email attachments and centralising storage within a secure database server, the solution has significantly reduced the storage strain on our mailbox servers.”

This optimisation has not only enhanced storage management, but ensured better compliance with records retention policies, Mr Cook added. “The level of transparency and accountability has helped SACAT uphold its regulatory obligations more efficiently,” he said.

Furthermore, SACAT's upgrade to the new version of Electronic Tribunal File (ETF) feature has bolstered its capability to manage complex cases. The new ETF supports versioning, which Mr Cook explained as “allowing the creation of multiple saved versions of case files, crucial for cases involving multiple hearings and panel members.” The upgrade also introduced configurable cover pages, enabling the inclusion of pertinent details such as party information and case summaries, thus conforming to both old and new administrative requirements.

The enhanced ETF improves document visibility and accessibility through tabular categorisation and comprehensive search functionality, making it easier for users to retrieve relevant documents. To support large and intricate cases, the ETF includes sequential file numbering, which aids in the organisation and efficient retrieval of documents.

“These enhancements collectively ensure SACAT’s document management system is robust, user-friendly, and capable of handling the demands of complex case management,” Mr Cook said.

The Outcome

The integrated approach using Ready Case’s Secure File Link and advanced ETF features has significantly elevated SACAT’s document management capabilities. By addressing key logistical challenges and enhancing traceability, SACAT successfully streamlined its operations, reduced storage demands, and improved compliance with legal requirements.

Looking forward, SACAT remains focused on refining data entry processes, enhancing user interfaces, and expanding the use of mobile solutions for document access, aiming to further optimise their system.