Critical success factors in electronic document and records management systems implementation at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Botswana

Abstract

The quest by the Government of Botswana to leverage the benefits brought about by the utilisation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the delivery of public services has seen an increase in the implementation of electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS) in the public sector. According to the Commonwealth of Australia (2011), an EDRMS is a software application that manages a range of digital information, including word-processed documents, spreadsheets, emails, images and scanned documents. It combines the features of an electronic records management system and an electronic document management system. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) implemented an EDRMS, called the document workflow management system (DWMS), for its electronic records. The literature on the implementation of EDRMS shows that certain factors are critical for the adoption of EDRMS, which are referred to as critical success factors. They include top management support, good recordkeeping awareness and practice, early development of a records classification scheme, adequate and ongoing training and support, and well thought through change management strategies. This paper reports on the findings of an empirical study that investigated factors affecting the adoption and use of DWMS by action officers and records officers at the MTI. Although the study was mainly positivistic in nature and was supplemented by an interpretivist approach, this paper reports only the findings from interviews and documentary reviews. The study revealed that change management was poorly handled; top management support was partially lacking; a functional records classification scheme was hastily developed and put to use as part of DWMS implementation; training of system users was inadequate, to mention just a few. This paper posits that the EDRMS implementation is not just about dealing with technological factors as there are other non-technological factors that are critical for its success and these need to be well understood and appreciated by organisations as they contribute to the success of EDRMS implementation.