Is your records management solution compliant?

Across local government, Microsoft SharePoint has become the default place to store and share documents. It’s familiar, accessible, and already part of most councils’ day-to-day operations.

But here’s the catch: SharePoint as an electronic Document and Records Management System (eDRMS) alone doesn’t make your records management compliant.

Without the right compliance layer in place, councils are left with gaps. Things like retention schedules, disposal rules, and defensible audit trails don’t come built into SharePoint. 

And when those elements are missing, councils face real risks: from failing an audit, to struggling with FOI requests, or falling short of state records legislation.

That’s why it’s time to set the record straight.

Why this matters for councils

Records obligations are increasing. Councils must respond to audits and Freedom of Information requests on time. They must also show that records are kept, found, and managed in line with state rules.

That is hard to do when information sits across shared drives, inboxes, and older systems. Teams waste time searching, with important emails being missed. Disposal is unclear and risk grows.

A practical approach should:

• Make compliance part of everyday work;

• Help staff find the right record quickly;

• Keep rules current as regulations change.

Most councils already work in Microsoft every day. The goal is to bring compliance into that familiar workspace, so staff keep working as usual while the right controls run quietly in the background.

The SharePoint gap

It’s true that SharePoint has its strengths. It makes collaboration easy, it stores documents in one place, and most council staff are already familiar with it. For day-to-day work, it does the job well.

But when it comes to records management, SharePoint falls short. It doesn’t classify records, apply retention schedules, or manage lawful disposal. It doesn’t provide the audit trail councils need to prove compliance.

Some councils try to fill these gaps by customising SharePoint. That can work in the short term, but it also creates an ongoing risk. Custom builds are expensive to maintain, hard to keep current, and rely on specialist knowledge. Over time, the cost and complexity outweigh the benefits.

The reality is simple: SharePoint was never designed to be a full records management system. And without the right compliance layer, councils remain exposed.

CouncilFirst Records: compliance built into Microsoft

CouncilFirst Records was built to close this gap. It’s a modern, cloud-based records management system designed specifically for local government. 

The solution keeps the familiar Microsoft experience that staff already know, while adding the compliance controls that SharePoint alone does not provide. 

Built on Microsoft Azure, CouncilFirst combines security, scalability, and ease of use with the records governance councils need. It also introduces dedicated repositories with unified search, so records live in the right place and can be found across the system.

Hence, with CouncilFirst Records, councils can work in the same tools they use every day, like Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, while knowing that retention, disposal, and compliance rules are running in the background. 

The result is a single, trusted system for managing records without adding extra layers of complexity.

Benefits of CouncilFirst Records for councils

The shift to CouncilFirst Records gives councils more than just a new system. It delivers clear, measurable benefits that improve day-to-day work and compliance.

Lower cost:

Fewer systems to maintain, no need for extra storage or duplicate drives.

Faster FOI and discovery:

Unified search helps locate and produce records quickly for FOI and Information Access requests.

Compliance confidence:

Retention and disposal rules are automated and kept up to date as legislation changes. Councils don’t need to chase updates themselves.

Ease of adoption:

The Microsoft look and feel makes it simple for staff to learn and use.

Consistent operations:

Updates roll out in the background without disrupting daily work.

Scalable design:

Modules can be added as council needs grow, avoiding the need for another system change later.

In other words, CouncilFirst Records reduces risk, lowers overheads, and supports compliance while fitting into the way councils already work.

The three core components

CouncilFirst Records is made up of three key parts that work together to deliver a complete, compliant records system inside Microsoft:

SharePoint as the front end

Staff access records through SharePoint, which most are already familiar with. This keeps the experience intuitive and helps councils avoid steep training curves when moving away from legacy systems.

Office Connect for Outlook and Office

Much of council business still happens through email. 

Office Connect captures and files emails directly from Outlook, so important conversations are not lost in individual inboxes. It also links into Word and other Microsoft apps, making it easy to save documents into the records system as part of normal work.

The compliance software layer

This is what turns SharePoint into a compliant records solution. It applies retention and disposal schedules in line with state legislation. It classifies records, enforces policy rules, and creates audit trails that stand up to external review. 

The compliance layer is maintained and updated as rules change, so councils are not left to manage these updates themselves.

Together, these three components give councils a system that feels like Microsoft on the surface but has the compliance depth of a purpose-built eDRMS.

Integrations and ecosystem of CouncilFirst Records

Council staff work across many systems each day. A records solution only works if it connects into that environment rather than standing apart from it.

With CouncilFirst Records, staff can access and manage records directly from Microsoft Teams. This means they can stay in the tools they already use for collaboration while still meeting records obligations.

The system also integrates with council-specific applications such as InfoCouncil and Doc Assembler. These connections reduce double handling and create a smoother flow of information across different areas of council business.

Because the solution is cloud-based, councils do not need to maintain separate backups or worry about infrastructure. Updates happen in the background, keeping the system current without disruption. 

The result is a connected ecosystem that reduces silos and makes compliance part of everyday work.

Migration to a single source of truth

Many councils have records spread across legacy eDRMS, shared network drives, and email inboxes. Moving this information into one place is essential for compliance and day-to-day work.

CouncilFirst Records supports migration from older systems and shared drives into a secure, compliant repository. The process is structured to minimise effort for council staff, so teams can stay focused on service delivery while the transition occurs.

Once migrated, records sit in a single, governed environment. Duplication reduces, version control improves, and risk drops. Staff no longer need to check multiple locations or guess which folder is correct. A single source of truth makes retrieval faster and audit responses more straightforward.

Customer use case: Shire of Dumbleyung

The Shire of Dumbleyung in Western Australia faced the same challenges many councils know well. Its on-premises records system was outdated, hard to use, and not aligned with current disposal and retention rules. Staff struggled to find information, important emails were missed, and there was no structured way to dispose of records.

The Shire moved to CouncilFirst Records to modernise its approach. With support through migration, dashboard design, and training, staff were able to adopt the system quickly.

The results were clear:

• A structured disposal program was implemented for the first time, meeting WA’s General Retention and Disposal Authority;

• Emails and conversation threads are now captured and stored properly;

• Staff can find records in seconds using search, rather than digging through folders;

• A standardised filing system has reduced duplication and confusion;

• Employees describe the system as intuitive and far more user-friendly than before.

As Danika Watkins, Director of Corporate Services at the Shire, put it:

Final thoughts

Records management should feel simple, dependable, and compliant. CouncilFirst Records brings those pieces together inside the Microsoft tools councils already use, so staff can work as usual while the right controls stay in place.

There’s so much more we could say about the unique features of our Records solution, but we don’t want to give all our secrets away just yet.

Take the next step

Learn more about CouncilFirst Records: book a short demo to see how it supports compliance and everyday work.