Page 30 - Respond 2018 Magazine

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Less paper, more justice

How an overhaul of court information

systems in Brazil is saving trees

By Tiago Melo, Softplan’s executive and CSR expert and
Rodrigo Santos, Softplan’s chief business officer

Softplan is a software development company based in Florianopolis, south of Brazil. It operates
in different segments, the most representative being the Justice Unity. One third of all the judicial
cases in Brazil are handled in Softplan’s system, called SAJ (Automation System of Justice). Its main
slogan is less bureaucracy and paper, more agility and justice.

Synergy in visions of private and public companies as drivers of the judicial transformation in Brazil.

SAJ’s main user is the State Court of São Paulo. The biggest The main key performance indicator in terms of productivity,
Latin American Court is composed of more than fifty the Demand Response Index has grown 68%, from 0.79
thousand employees, distributed in around two thousand in 2010 to 1.33 in 2016. This means that in 2016 the Court
local courts in three hundred and twenty-two cities. Its has terminated a ratio of 1,33 processes to each 1 that was
annual expenditure topped 2.8 billion euros in 2016. initiated in the same year.

Until 2011, São Paulo’s state court internal operations The sculpture “The Justice”, by Alfredo
could be defined as chaotic by any standards. The judicial Ceschiatti, located in front of Brazil’s
cases were still handled and managed following the same Supreme Court illustrates the now
procedures and rites of the 1980s. Inefficiency in all levels bright future of São Paulo’s State
of the judiciary procedural Court. It stands brave and confident,
chain constantly raised issues blind folded – to represent impartiality
of reliability, fairness and and holding a sword – portraying
questioned the reason of the a quiet, and courageous woman,
Court to exist, which is to serve embodying order and the will and
society. power to impose the rule of law.

The sculpture “Survival of the Information technology as
Fattest”, by Jens Galschiot and an instrument of societal
Lars Calmar, is a good example improvements through a more
of how justice was perceived productive and reliable judiciary
by society. An over fed and an system
unmovable figure. The SAJ system is a key component
of this revolution. The digital judicial
It was in 2011 that the Court case, which is the core concept of
took the strategic decision to SAJ, either automated, simplified or extinguished numerous
invest in information technology and unnecessary labour intensive tasks. The Court’s current
and most of all, to reorganize vision “To be nationally recognized as a modern court,
its processes, structures and rapid and technically differentiated, turning it in an effective
human resource management. instrument of Justice, Equity and Social Peace” that would be
The revolution that started considered as wishful thinking in the not so distant year of
in 2012 and is still in course, 2012 is now on its course.
catapulted São Paulo’s Court
from the 22nd place in a The acquisition and implementation of a state of the
productivity ranking amongst art management system was motivated by the Court’s
the 27 states of Brazil to a Top 5 noble objective of providing better working conditions
spot in 2016. to its employees, and through their improved wellbeing,