Digitisation of claims records at the Road Accident Fund in South Africa

Abstract

This study is an extract of a master's study titled An exploration into the current records management practices of the Road Accident Fund in South Africa. The aim of the study was to investigate how the Road Accident Fund has been digitising its claims records. The study followed a qualitative research approach and used a case study design. Data were collected using document analysis, supplemented by observation. The population involved in this study was comprised of 766 permanent employees in the Road Accident Fund Pretoria Regional Office. The target population for this study was the 69 employees in the Correspondence and Document Management Services at the Pretoria Regional Office, and the sample consisted of a management team of 17 managers. The findings revealed that the Road Accident Fund has been trying to digitise its claims records since 2002 through scanning. However, the organisation scanned paper-based claims records without properly understanding database management concepts, file and document tracking, imaging and scanning technologies, electronic document management, workflow and electronic records management. As a result, scanned claims records cannot be retrieved. This results in more service delivery problems for the organisation than the traditional use of paper-based records.