Silkeborg Municipality, Denmark’s ninth-largest municipality, located in central Jutland, has recently signed an agreement with Formpipe to deliver a new ESM system, replacing their existing solution.

The agreement follows a long and intensive procurement process that began in autumn 2021. Now the contract is in place, and implementation can begin.

The agreement extends until 2030.

The starting point for the entire process was a thorough market analysis, during which all major ESM providers were evaluated. Henrik Willumsen, IT and Digitalization Manager at Silkeborg Municipality since the municipal reform in 2007, with a background in the Danish Armed Forces' IT department and extensive experience with ECMsystems, explains:

“When it comes to ECM systems, I work based on three core principles:

• The system must comply with the law.
• The system must be able to store information correctly.
• The system must make it easy to retrieve the information later.”

Although these principles may seem relatively simple, many systems focus more on peripheral features. According to Willumsen, a solution must simplify case management while also effectively supporting the administrative processes, all within the framework of administrative law. Managing archiving, whether in a local §7 archive or directly to the National Archives, requires in-depth expertise in this discipline.

With the choice of Acadre, Willumsen believes the municipality will gain an ESM system that meets their core requirements and makes everyday tasks simpler and more automated for the municipality’s approximately 4,000 users.

According to Knudsen, an ESM system can only meet all requirements if the supplier truly understands the municipal sector and its challenges, tasks, and complexities. She explains:

“The people behind Acadre know what they’re talking about. It’s impressive that Formpipe genuinely understands municipal operations. Whenever you discuss something with them, there’s no doubt that Formpipe has a clear opinion and approach to the topic.”

Having prior experience with Acadre, Silkeborg Municipality looked forward to seeing how the system has evolved over the years—and their expectations are high. Knudsen says:

“Our expectations are clear: we want a solution that users are genuinely happy with and want to use. We also don’t want to spend time on unnecessary technical details. It should be easy for us to train users and ensure they receive guidance within the solution itself.”

This represents a win-win for all parties. Knudsen and her IT colleagues expect to spend less time training users and guiding the municipality’s approximately 4,000 employees in the future. Additionally, they hope to reduce the risk of errors in case processing.

It should always be clear how to create a case, and users should never have to wonder what happens during the case's progression. The procurement materials highlighted that Formpipe excels at supporting users and guiding them within the solution, which was a key selection criterion.

When asked what he is most looking forward to with the implementation of Acadre, Willumsen answers without hesitation: accessibility.

“It will be a massive advantage to have an ESM system that we can access—no matter where we are,” he says, highlighting that Acadre is web-based and accessible from any platform or browser.

This provides a high degree of flexibility and makes it significantly easier for each user to log in, regardless of where they work.

Both Silkeborg Municipality and Formpipe look forward to the final implementation in late November, with current efforts focused on assembling the right team with the necessary skills for the implementation process.

Name: Henrik Willumsen

Position: IT Manager since 2007 and IT and Digitalization Manager

Workplace: Silkeborg Municipality

Previous Career: Technical officer in the Air Force and Section Manager in the Armed Forces’ IT Services, responsible for coordinating and developing IT across 130 agencies under the Ministry of Defence.

Acadre is our electronic case and document management system, designed to ensure efficient digitalization, accurate record-keeping, and organized data management. The system helps organizations reap the digital benefits of ESM work and ensures smooth data sharing within the organization, across other systems, agencies, and citizens – all with confidence at every step.

The system is tailored to municipalities and public organizations. Our customers decide the workflows and features of the solution, while we ensure that the system is always updated to meet current requirements and needs. This allows customers to directly influence how their resources are used and prioritized.

In early 2022, we launched the latest version of Acadre, featuring numerous new modules tailored to our customers' needs and in line with ongoing digitalization.

Learn more about Acadre here.

Pictures: Morten Degn Frandsen

(Note that the individuals interviewed in this case study may no longer be employed by the company. We strive to present accurate information but cannot guarantee that all details are up to date.)