Introduction
The Digital Social Dossier (DSD) started in 2016 as a co-creation project with several Belgian municipalities, including Mechelen, Koksijde, Hasselt, Genk, Turnhout, and Brasschaat. Since then, the DSD has evolved into a model of collaboration and digital transformation within public administrations. With over 50,000 social dossiers already created in various municipalities across the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg, the DSD has led to a real transformation from traditional paper flows to a real-time, digitally connected web portal.
Digital Evolution
The transition from traditional paper files to a digital version is accelerating with the availability of the DSD on Office 365 (O365). Since most public administrations have already adopted Office 365, the DSD follows this logical evolution. It provides a digital workspace fully integrated with the existing infrastructure and processes of municipalities.
Remote Accessibility
With DSD on O365, social dossiers are available in real-time from any device, with an adaptive display for mobile devices. As remote work becomes the norm and employees need access to accurate information at all times, DSD guarantees data access whenever needed. This flexibility allows efficient work regardless of the employee’s location.
Enhanced Features
The capabilities of the DSD have been further expanded in this version with features that make it even easier for users to manage their dossiers. These new functionalities include:
- Drag-and-drop functionality for multiple documents, with the automatic opening of the tagging screen.
- Archiving function to move documents to an archive page.
- Separate inspection module used by government agencies POD-MI and VDAB.
- Access for members of the social services committee to documents with a specific tag.
Automated Integration
The Ometa framework ensures the automatic creation of dossiers in O365 when dossiers are added or modified in the back-office application. For large volumes of paper, integration with Arco scanning is also available, allowing scanned documents to be delivered to the correct dossier and relevant section via a QR code. This minimizes manual efforts and prevents errors in document handling.
Structured Documentation
All documents are now organized according to a standardized metadata set. This approach ensures that every document follows a consistent structure, which significantly enhances the efficiency of data retrieval. By applying a uniform metadata framework, each document is categorized and tagged in a predictable manner, making it easy for users to locate and access information quickly. This systematic organization reduces ambiguity and improves data management across all departments, facilitating faster and more accurate searches and streamlining workflows.
An Indispensable Tool for Ditigital Operations
The DSD on O365 has become an indispensable tool for transitioning to digital operations within public administrations. The integration with O365 enables the seamless handling of digital dossiers, making processes more efficient and transparent. Moreover, the DSD continues to innovate, such as integration with the Flemish Digital Archive, to provide maximum support to users in their daily work.
Real-time Data Access Management
The DSD solution allows both social workers and external users, such as federal government inspectors and council members, to easily access the dossiers of various clients in real-time. All data is sourced from the back-office system, such as Neptunus or Sierra 2.0, managed by Cipal Schaubroeck. When a new dossier is created in this back-office system, the Ometa framework is triggered to automatically create a digital social dossier in Office 365 according to a template.
Future Developments & Roadmap
The DSD will continue to expand its functionality and integration capabilities. Initially available only on local SharePoint on-premises environments, it now fully supports Office 365. Paper dossiers will be accessible from any device, easily shareable, and automatically structured — creating the new digital workplace for any city that wants to be “smart.”
Furthermore, the project’s roadmap is set by the cities themselves. They have the opportunity to propose new ideas, which will then be reviewed and discussed by the steering committee.
Interested?
If you would like more information about the operation of the DSD, please do not hesitate to contact Isabelle Dehond at Isabelle.Dehond@Cipalschaubroeck.be.
