Efficient Records Management System Ensures Training Compliance

Virginia’s criminal justice training academies and agencies relied on outdated systems to report and track training for their personnel. Information was scattered across local databases and separate internal tracking systems, making it difficult to keep data in sync between DCJS and the agencies and academies that supplied this important training for law enforcement. 

DCJS wanted to remove the manual steps to maintain training data and create a more user-friendly, modern, and efficient experience that would allow external stakeholders to easily track training activities and ensure law enforcement agents were meeting their annual requirements. 

After evaluating several software packages and attempting to implement a few options, DCJS engaged CapTech to work with its staff to build and implement a custom application that met its needs and could be enhanced and maintained by its IT team moving forward.

Together, CapTech and DCJS designed and deployed a modern, web-based application named TRACER (Training and Certification Electronic Records) to replace its legacy systems. The implementation took 10 months, with work beginning in January of 2021 and going live in October. CapTech leveraged its proven experience developing work management systems for the public sector to reduce the overall development time while providing a solution that was tailored to the agency’s needs.

Merging two separate systems gave DCJS the opportunity to automate processes and operationalize some of the institutional knowledge from the agency’s business staff, which gave them time to focus on other important initiatives.

DCJS’s IT team was involved in the project from start to finish, which allowed DCJS to reduce costs and build valuable knowledge to support and maintain the system. This repeatable framework also gives DCJS the ability to build new custom solutions that meet their evolving business needs.

TRACER is an intuitive records management system designed to facilitate easy monitoring that ensures compliance with the requirements established in the Code of Virginia. TRACER keeps track of important data related to hiring, training, certification, promotions, name changes, job changes, retirement, and more – all in one place.