Asylum Court, Austria
FACTS AND FUNCTIONALITIES
- Cross-organisational workflow with other central offices and agencies
- Over 100,000 SAP transactions since introduction in 2008
- Transparency and speeding up of administrative processes
- Fulfilment of ISO 9001 quality management requirements through ELAK light
TASK
The Austrian Asylum Court has the task of examining the legal compliance and appropriate implementation of applicable rulings concerning official administrative actions in first instance asylum proceedings (rulings by the Federal Asylum Office) and began its work on 1 July 2008. It is the supreme court in Austria and thus the court of last instance for asylum matters. Some 23,000 open cases were taken on from the previous organisation with the aim of processing them cost-effectively and quickly.
SOLUTION
To ensure the prompt handling of a large number of court cases it was also necessary to support the main working process with regard to infrastructure through efficient workflow processes in the administration sector. The Austrian Asylum Court has been working with the electronic file (ELAK) since 2008. The decision was taken in 2010 to change over to the less expensive model "ELAK light". All administrative processes are to be shown in ELAK light. The basic version, with reduced functional scope and a simpler user interface, enables even more efficient work and also covers quality management requirements in line with the ISO 9001 standard.
IMPLEMENTATION
The decision in favour of ELAK light enabled the Asylum Court to access an out-of-the-box product solution. The ELAK light system merely had to accept the initial data, e.g. users, file plan and structural organisation. Cross-organisational processes such as orders, (fee) accounting and internal assessments are forwarded via workflow to all the people involved. Collaboration with the Linz office, the Federal Chancellery and other agencies is likewise handled via workflow in ELAK light.
SAP- interface
The standard SAP interface in ELAK light automates (among other things) the accounting for interpreter and expert invoices. An invoice for services provided that has been authorised in ELAK light is transferred automatically to the SAP system and paid. The period from receipt to payment is thus considerably shorter at the Asylum Court than in other organisations. This professional approach in particular has been highly appreciated in the market. Additionally, all the data is stored in ELAK light, making the process both transparent and clear.
Top-level quality management
The Asylum Court attaches great importance to the quality of the administrative processes and efficiency in handling cases. All administrative processes are documented in ELAK light so they are transparent and clear. The Austrian Asylum Court was the first court in Europe to be awarded the international quality management certificate ISO 9001 in 2009. ELAK light is an integral part of this. Besides the technical requirements, organisational adaptations also had to be carried out in office management, for example. Previously, there were no possibilities of recording incoming documents electronically, for example. Furthermore, there are plans to integrate ELAK light in the ISO-compliant communication concept.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Despite the larger circle of users the total operating costs have been reduced through the changeover to ELAK light. Thanks to the introduction of ELAK light the Asylum Court has a simple and efficient tool for modern court and administration management at its disposal. Staff can now concentrate on their important day-to-day business.