Objective tops Tower for SA Health deal

By: Liam Tung

ASX-listed software company Objective has won a new electronic document and records management (EDRMS) contract with SA Health, leaving rival firm, Hewlett-Packard-owned Tower Software, eating its dust.

"Objective will deliver an enterprise-wide EDRMS to underpin SA Health's key business processes, improve business efficiencies and assist with legislative compliance," the vendor said in a statement today.

The system currently in use by SA Health currently consists of a range of databases housed on various local systems. Under the new system to be implemented by Objective in the coming months, users will access a centralised records database via a Web page.

"Objective Corporation has been selected from across the government EDRMS Panel after a rigorous evaluation process. It was determined that Objective's electronic content management solution offered the greatest capacity to meet the SA Health's current and future needs for records and document management," John O'Connor, executive director of SA Health's finance and administration said in a statement.

Objective CEO, Tony Walls

The roll out of systems and new business rules for records will occur in three stages, first targeting paper records, followed later by a replacement of the agency's electronic records system. The system will initially be rolled out to 800 staff at SA Health's central office, followed by the remainder of staff at other offices.

Two document and records management vendors competed for the work, according to a spokesperson for Objective. It is understood the other competitor for the work was incumbent records management system provider, HP-owned Tower Software. SA Health's panel of approved EDRMS suppliers consists only of Objective and Tower. The panel is set to be reviewed in 2009.

The value of the deal has not been disclosed.