City of Allen’s Transformation of Records Management with Gimmal Physical™
Allen is a city in Collin County in the U.S. state of Texas, and a northern suburb in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to the 2020 U.S. census its population was 104,627, up from 84,246 in 2010.
"Everybody loves Gimmal Physical™. One thing I really like about it is it’s customizable for me, and how you made it so simple. We heard about Gimmal through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. I thought, if it’s good for the state, then it must be good for local government, too.”
Reggie Searles
Records management specialist, city of allen
Challenge
When Reggie Searles stepped into his role as the Records Management Specialist at the City of Allen two years ago, he was faced with a substantial challenge. The city had been using a disjointed system called RCAMS, which was proving to be a major hurdle in effective records management. This system was not centralized and consisted of three different types of software, making it a burdensome process to input and locate records.
The problem escalated when RCAMS started shutting down every other day for three weeks straight. Despite their best efforts, the company couldn't fix the bug that plagued the software, significantly impacting Reggie's work and the departments relying on it, including Parks and Recreation and Community Services. Reggie's extensive experience of eight years in Records Management was put to a real test.
Solution
To address this ongoing problem, Reggie sought a new solution. He discovered Gimmal Physical™ through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and was intrigued. The City of Allen reached out to Gimmal, and after Reggie and his boss completed a demo, they were sold on its capabilities. An added bonus was that its cost fit into the annual budget of the city's IT department. The decision to switch to Gimmal was also influenced by the success Dallas County had experienced after transitioning from their system, GAIN, to Gimmal.
Reggie appreciated the user-friendly interface of Gimmal Physical™ and its robust Help menu, which allowed him to navigate and troubleshoot any issues independently. Additionally, the prompt assistance from Marcia and Cindy at Gimmal further eased the transition process.
This new system was implemented across all 20-25 departments of the City of Allen, from the police department to building and permits, each having an admin assistant for support. The transition to Gimmal Physical™ also made the process of managing records more streamlined and centralized, a stark contrast to the previous system.
Results
The adoption of Gimmal Physical™ resulted in a significant transformation for the City of Allen's approach to Records Management for their 3,000 boxes. Reggie expressed his satisfaction with Gimmal, stating that it was "super easy" to work with, and he could "count on it to work," which was precisely what they needed.
In addition to being reliable, Gimmal Physical™ also proved to be a time-saving tool. Reggie noted that he was able to "shave off years of work" compared to his predecessor, making the system an asset in efficiency. Furthermore, it was easy to train users on Gimmal, and the system remained reliable even if they returned to it months down the line.
Gimmal Physical™ has not only transformed the City of Allen's approach to Records Management but also empowered the staff across all departments. By centralizing and streamlining the records management process, Gimmal has made it easier for end users and significantly improved the efficiency of the entire City of Allen's operations.
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