The Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) has implemented a new matter management system, 'Amicus', on the Appian AI Process Platform. The solution leverages Appian's data fabric and process automation technology suite to accelerate prosecutions. Using Appian, the OPP anticipates a productivity gain of over 10% annually.

The OPP is Victoria's largest criminal legal practice, responsible for preparing and conducting serious criminal cases, providing advice to external agencies, litigating proceeds of crime, contributing to law reform, and supporting victims and witnesses during the court process, all on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The development of Amicus on the Appian Platform marks a pivotal step in the OPP's digital transformation journey by bringing together previously siloed legacy systems. The solution drives efficiency to improve the prosecution process experience for OPP staff. By streamlining operations, reducing administrative burdens, and automating processes, the OPP will be well-positioned to enhance productivity and optimise its service delivery.

Sam Jones Executive Director at the OPP emphasised the strategic approach that underpins the organisation's transformation. "Our initial step was to conduct a current-state discovery phase, which revealed that a substantial portion of our workforce's time—20 to 30%—was being drained by manual administrative tasks. By leveraging robotic process automation (RPA) we have achieved substantial savings in administrative tasks, enabling staff to concentrate on higher value work." 

Unifying multiple legacy systems into a streamlined 'single pane of glass' experience has dramatically enhanced usability and enabled even more intuitive and efficient ways of working. "As we continue to develop and improve functionality, we anticipate Appian will save a huge amount of time for our team, enabling them to focus on value-driven activities and improving mental wellbeing by reducing burnout risks," said Jones.

The previous case management system on .NET presented multiple challenges for the OPP, including high maintenance costs, security risks, limited integration capabilities, fragmented data, and a lack of scalability for future growth. Seamless integration with other OPP tools and platforms, including the records management system, was a key criterion in selecting a replacement system.

"We're working to solve a significant challenge: bringing a unified experience to our users while dealing with increasingly complex cases. Over the last few years, including through the pandemic, cases have grown increasingly complex, especially considering the amount of multimedia evidence produced and the legislative environment in which we operate. It's become a real struggle to keep up. We need a system that ensures seamless data flow," explained Jones.

"Appian enables the OPP to advance its strategic plan for digital transformation, modernising architecture and driving seamless integration with diverse systems and tools within the criminal justice domain," explains Luke Thomas, Area Vice President Asia Pacific and Japan at Appian.

"Looking further ahead, the OPP is actively planning to expand its use of Appian to construct a victims' portal, which will foster transparent communications and empower individuals to stay informed regarding their cases."

Jones explained that the Appian Platform enables the OPP to deliver enhancements in a manageable, scalable way while navigating the unique challenges of public sector technology projects. "In the public sector, particularly within the justice system, we can't afford partial solutions. Everything we deploy must be 100% compliant from the outset. Appian enables us to meet this standard, providing scalable and manageable enhancements that reduce long-term costs," he detailed.

 "Thanks to the scalability, security, and adaptability of the Appian Platform, the OPP can efficiently update our systems in response to changes in legislation, policy, or business processes without the need for major reinvestment or overhauls."