UK Local Authority Demonstrates Legacy EDRM Replacement With Microsoft 365 and Filer

The Challenge

A UK local authority delivering essential services such as housing, education, social care, and environmental management required an alternative to its legacy document management system. The platform had become outdated and lacked sufficient support. The supplier’s proposed replacement, did not offer feature parity and had received negative feedback from other Councils.

As a result, the authority sought a new solution and expressed a strong interest in leveraging its existing Microsoft 365 investment as the foundation.

Project Objectives

• Demonstrate at least feature parity with legacy EDRM
• Demonstrate scalability and adaptability across all services and departments
• Reduce overall cost of the IT estate
• Ensure compliance with legislative requirements
• Minimise impact and change for users
• Identify and document opportunities to deploy Microsoft AI
• Reduce third-party reliance by using standards-based Microsoft technology

Technology Components

SharePoint Online
Provides a secure and scalable document repository, utilising existing storage capacity, single sign-on, and role-based access controls.

Power Apps
A model-driven app was developed to support decision-makers with process management, including work trays, activities, and status tracking.

Power Automate
Acts as the automation engine behind workflows and approvals powering the solution.

Encodian Flowr
The Power Automate connector enabled automatic letter generation and filing using the Word – Populate and Filer – Send Data actions.

Filer
Delivered a range of functionality to transform SharePoint into an enterprise-grade electronic document and records management system (EDRMS), detailed below.

Where Filer Adds Value

Document Indexing
Filer stores metadata and pre-configures document types, allowing users to quickly index new documents with metadata, permissions, and policies automatically populated.

Secure Records Archive
Filer provides an intuitive interface, structured search, and controls to ensure records are immutable and correctly saved. Built-in retention and disposition capabilities including configurable workflows with a ‘human in the loop’ for compliance.

Line of Business Integrations
Filer’s API offers a standards-based method for integrating with line-of-business systems. For example, integration with the housing management system enabled metadata enrichment and permission control using citizen and property data. In-context views were embedded to allow one-click access to relevant documents.

Power Automate Connector
Filer’s connector supports low-code workflows, enabling internal teams to build automated processes for various departments using existing skillsets.

Document Editing & Redaction
Users can collaborate, edit, and redact documents directly within Microsoft 365, reducing reliance on third-party tools and maintaining compliance within a controlled environment.

Outlook Add-in
Provides a simple and intuitive way to save and attach correspondence directly from Outlook into the secure Filer archive.

Key Benefits

• Removed a high-priority risk associated with an outdated legacy application
• Achieved significant cost savings by leveraging existing Microsoft investments
• Enabled fast user adoption through familiar and intuitive tools
• Reduced dependence on third-party vendors by using Power Platform features supported in-house
• Ensured full compliance with relevant legislation
• Delivered time savings through automated letter generation, classification, and workflows

“With Filer and Mizorix’s expertise, we’ve proven that our Microsoft 365 investment can fully support our EDRMS needs while increasing internal control”

 — IT Systems Manager