How a Local Government Secured File Sharing and Saved Days Per Agreement with ShareFile Software
Industries:
Public SectorProducts:
ShareFileChallenge
Departments needed a consistent way to collect sensitive documents, track monthly purchasing reports and securely share files with employees, residents and external organizations.
Solution
- Centralized secure document collection and external file sharing across departments
- Organized folders by coordinator, department, year and month for repeatable purchasing workflows
- Used activity tracking, reporting and e-signature to support visibility and document execution
Result
- Executed more than 6,000 documents through e-signature workflows in the past year
- Reduced multiple days from employee onboarding, contract completion and other document execution processes
- Improved submission visibility while creating reusable folder structures for recurring monthly reporting
Full Story
Challenge
From Departmental Processes to Organizational Complexity
For many local government organizations, managing documents isn't a single process. It can involve hundreds of workflows spanning departments, employees, residents, contractors and external agencies.
For one U.S. local government organization, that complexity became increasingly apparent as remote work accelerated in 2020. Teams needed a secure way to exchange information without relying on fragmented email-based processes or inconsistent departmental practices. At the same time, different departments were developing their own methods for collecting, storing and tracking documents.
A Growing Need for Visibility and Control
As those processes expanded, so did the need for greater consistency and oversight – common public sector challenges.
Purchasing teams needed a more secure, organized method for collecting monthly purchase-card reports. Human resources teams needed efficient onboarding workflows. Other departments were managing voter-related documentation, district communications and a growing volume of external file-sharing requests.
The organization needed more than a place to store documents. Teams wanted better visibility into submissions, stronger governance controls and clearer reporting capabilities. Staff needed to know who had submitted information, when it was submitted and what was still outstanding. Just as importantly, the solution needed to be easy for employees and external stakeholders to use.
Without a standardized approach, maintaining visibility and consistency would become increasingly difficult as adoption expanded across the organization.
We set it up in a way that it can be very easy moving forward so that each year, we can use a folder template, create that structure again and just rinse and repeat
IT Lead
Local Government
Solution
Building a Foundation for Consistency
Rather than attempting a large-scale transformation all at once, the organization focused on creating a practical foundation that departments could build on over time.
Using the Progress® ShareFile® platform, teams could establish a centralized approach for secure document collection, reporting and external file sharing. The organization designed structured folder hierarchies organized by coordinator, department, year and month, creating a repeatable framework that departments could follow consistently.
Standardizing Document Collection and Reporting
One of the most visible initiatives centered on the purchasing department's monthly reporting process. Working closely with stakeholders, the organization developed a structured approach that made submissions easier to organize, track and report on. Templates allowed teams to reuse the same structure year after year, helping support greater consistency.
The reporting and activity-tracking capabilities available with ShareFile software gave staff greater visibility into document activity, helping them track submission status and identify missing information without relying on manual follow-up.
Expanding Secure Processes Across Departments
As usage expanded, departments began using ShareFile software across a variety of workflows, including HR onboarding activities, resident-facing processes, communications with external districts and e-signature workflows. The organization also maintained separate environments where additional controls were required, supporting different governance needs while preserving flexibility across departments.
Rather than forcing every department into a single rigid workflow, the organization established a consistent foundation that departments could adapt to their specific needs while maintaining governance and oversight.
Result
Better Oversight with Less Administrative Effort
Today, the organization benefits from a more standardized and repeatable approach to document management across multiple departments.
The structured purchasing-report process provides greater visibility into submissions and reporting activities, helping teams track progress more efficiently and identify missing documentation. Standardized folder templates also allow departments to recreate established workflows from year to year, reducing administrative effort while promoting consistency.
Beyond purchasing, the organization has expanded ShareFile usage across a growing number of operational processes. Secure external file sharing now supports interactions with employees, residents, districts and other stakeholders, while governance and reporting capabilities provide a centralized view into document activity.
Accelerating Document-Driven Workflows
During the past year alone, the organization executed more than 6,000 documents through ShareFile e-signature workflows, helping accelerate onboarding, contract execution and other document-driven processes. Internal teams also report reducing multiple days from employee onboarding and document-execution activities through the use of secure digital workflows.
The organization also has a foundation it can build on as document workflows continue to expand across departments. What began as a solution for secure file sharing has evolved into a broader platform supporting document collection, governance, reporting and workflow standardization across the organization.
What started as a need for secure file sharing evolved into a repeatable approach for document collection, reporting and governance across departments.
IT Lead
Local Government