Information Governance Archives | Page 3 of 17

Info-Tech Live 2026: Agentic AI Best Practices for Tech Leaders

I recently had the opportunity to join 4,000 IT and tech professionals at Info-Tech Live 2026 in Las Vegas to explore the technology driving modern organizations forward.

Agentic AI dominated the conversations at the event, but as I caught up with folks in the halls, a much more grounded concept kept cutting through the noise: practicality. The burning question is no longer if leaders should adopt AI, but how to systematically deploy AI and agents to drive actual business outcomes.

Leaders today are challenged to look at AI adoption, not just as an IT initiative, but as a holistic business function. When you strip away the hype, successfully pioneering this next era comes down to robust data governance, IT empowerment and leadership adaptability.

Five Agentic AI Best Practices

Think of AI agents like enthusiastic interns: they bring tons of potential to your teams, but they need strict boundaries and clear guidance before you let them loose. That balance between autonomy and control is precisely what Jeremy Roberts, Senior Director at Info-Tech Research Group, tackled in his closing keynote where he shared a tactical ‘cheat sheet’ of five event takeaways for successful agentic AI:

Make IT Agentic Before the Enterprise – IT teams have a deep understanding of software limitations and change management, making them the ideal proving ground for agentic technology. Proving tangible business results in one controlled department helps build the baseline framework you need to safely scale AI across the rest of the enterprise.
CIOs Have the Hardest Job – The corporate expectations placed on tech leaders are steadily increasing. As Roberts perfectly captured during the event: “When every company is a technology company — every single one — you are not merely a partner in that growth. You must be a leader. You must be an innovator.” However, most IT departments are struggling with the basics. Unstructured data, disjointed systems and a lack of transparency eventually get back to stakeholders. To start building a foundation of trust, encourage your teams to run regular diagnostics. Success in the agentic era requires a clear look at your system’s weak points, so remediation can begin.
Exponential CIOs Harness Their Data – Technology means nothing without a strong data foundation, but gathering files is only the first step. Data is useless without insight; insight is meaningless without decisions and decisions are only effective when actioned. That deliberate path — moving from raw data to real-world action and strategic innovation — is how leaders drive true transformation.
Leadership is Not Keeping Up with AI – True organizational agility means evolving right alongside the technology. That requires a willingness to redesign workflows from scratch, build entirely new roles around the work AI creates and fundamentally rethink how we operate day-to-day. This is exactly where adaptable leaders will separate themselves from the pack. The hard truth is that you simply cannot run a business at AI speed if you are still clinging to old, manual processes.
With Agentic AI, Buy-In Isn’t the Problem – You don’t have to sell leaders on the immense value of agentic AI. The real problem is in execution. The reason data governance took center stage in so many conversations at the conference is because too many companies have massive governance blind spots. Policies are written down on paper, but nobody is enforcing, updating or reviewing them. If your internal data is a chaotic, unmanaged wilderness, your digital interns are inevitably going to access the wrong files and learn the wrong behaviors.

As discussions at the conference highlighted, AI agents fail in very predictable ways. Keeping your initiatives on the rails isn’t about creating bureaucratic red tape — it’s about establishing agentic AI best practices and governance frameworks to avoid common pitfalls and build an enterprise where every workflow safely connects to and informs the next.

Document Management Is More Important than Ever

Looking at the core takeaways from the conference, it’s clear: document management is more critical than ever. A recent report from Info-Tech Research Group, “Unlocking Your Organization’s Content with AI-Powered Document Management,” emphasizes the true value of content management systems in building that vital data foundation that so many leaders at the conference talked about. With embedded next-gen tools like AI-assisted search and data capture, along with agentic chat capabilities, these platforms have evolved far beyond digital filing cabinets. Intelligent document processing systems are now valuable business partners that help you scale securely.

“With 80% to 90% of data being unstructured – including text, video, audio, web server logs, and social media – a significant competitive advantage awaits companies that can effectively tap into this largely unused resource.” – 2025 MIT Sloan Report

The organizations that lead this new agentic era will be the ones that take control of their unstructured data and build a secure, practical foundation for their digital workforce to succeed.

Selecting an Agentic Vendor

With 62% of organizations citing agentic system complexity as their top deployment barrier, choosing the right agentic vendor is key.

Buying AI isn’t a standalone software purchase anymore; you have to evaluate the whole package — from basic data tools to underlying models and infrastructure costs. That means instead of just chasing features, leaders need to look for an agentic vendor built on a secure data foundation that plugs directly into existing tech and includes built-in governance guardrails for safe AI adoption.

The right partner turns these complex hurdles into a confident step forward into the agentic era. To see this in practice, we recently teamed up with Info-Tech Research Group to look at how organizations like the City of Acworth are already driving real-world results with a reliable AI partner. Watch the on-demand webinar here to learn how practical agentic solutions can empower your teams and transform your business.

Innovation Meets Impact: Recap of 2026 Oregon Digital Government Summit

At this year’s Oregon Digital Government Summit in Salem, state and local IT and governance leaders gathered to set the strategy for the future of the state’s public infrastructure. The conversations at the event focused on driving digital transformation to address common public sector challenges through practical AI utilization to provide modernized constituent services — all while maintaining trust.

Oregon’s Chief Information Officer, Terrence Woods, echoed this sentiment, “Digital transformation isn’t about systems — it’s about belief. When leaders trust their platforms, innovation accelerates. I look forward to the 16th annual Oregon Digital Government Summit where we can continue collaborating on digital transformation strategies.”

This focus on trust and innovation aligns directly with the expanding AI governance policies and questions public sector leaders are increasingly facing from their teams and the communities they serve.

Laying the Groundwork: Oregon’s AI Governance Framework

Government modernization has evolved from merely digitizing data and cloud migration to turning massive volumes of information into trusted intelligence. To bridge that gap, agencies are rapidly scaling the use of AI in public sector workflows.

Laying the groundwork for responsible AI adoption, Oregon established the State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council and appointed a Chief Privacy Officer and AI Strategist to guide agency adoption. In early 2025, the council published its Final Recommended Action Plan emphasizing transparency, privacy, security and workforce readiness as prerequisites for scaling AI across state government.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone initiative, Oregon is positioning it as part of a broader effort to modernize how information is governed, shared and used to improve outcomes for Oregonians.

Oregon’s Vision for AI in Public Sector Work

In many ways, Oregon’s vision reflects a broader shift occurring across state government: technology is an asset to humans only when deployed responsibly.

During his summit keynote, “How Public Sector Leaders Unlock Collective Genius and Fuel Breakthroughs in the Age of AI,” author Frankie Russo challenged attendees to view AI not as a replacement, but as a “copilot” to unlock human intelligence and impact. This theme echoed throughout the event, shifting the conversation from treating AI as a mere technical tool to leveraging it as a catalyst for collaborative, human-centric innovation.

But as many leaders at the conference agreed, AI requires strong guardrails to remain effective and maintain public trust.

Guiding AI Transformation Through Strategic Governance

State and local leaders in Oregon are recognizing that AI transformation is founded in governance, not just adoption. Compliance is not a barrier to innovation—it is the mechanism that makes it safe and sustainable.

Translating the “copilot” vision from Russo’s keynote into real-world results demands a foundation rooted in integrity. Summit conversations converged on four critical capabilities required to achieve this:

Trustworthy data: Agencies must ensure the content informing AI systems is accurate, current, and securely governed.

Operationalized governance: Policies regarding privacy, retention, and security must be embedded directly into technology platforms, not just written in documents.

Discoverable information: AI cannot generate insights from data it cannot find, analyze, or contextualize.

Transparency and accountability: To protect public trust, AI-assisted decisions must remain explainable, auditable, and subject to human oversight.

As Oregon advances its enterprise AI strategy, long-term success will hinge on these core practices. By establishing a disciplined data foundation today, public sector organizations will find it drastically easier to drive digital innovation responsibly while maintaining public confidence.

Moving Toward Agentic AI and Autonomous Workflows

Strong data governance becomes even more important in the advent of agentic AI and autonomous workflows.

While generative AI focuses primarily on creating content and summarizing information, agentic AI introduces the ability to act, coordinate processes, and execute tasks. As these capabilities mature, the importance of structured, governed and well-managed information environments increases dramatically. Organizations that lack information governance may find themselves automating inefficiency or creating new compliance risks. Conversely, those that secure their data foundations will be well positioned to innovate public services and even strengthen trust.

Empowering Public Servants with Human-Centric AI

Ultimately, the Oregon Digital Government Summit proved that the future of AI in government will not be determined solely by the sophistication of the technology, but by the quality of the governance supporting it.

Oregon’s vision is firmly grounded in a human-centric reality: The goal is not to replace public servants, but to empower them with better tools and sharper insights to improve constituent outcomes.

From cybersecurity and data governance to AI-driven digital service delivery, this year’s summit delivered the peer connections and actionable guidance needed to move your agency’s mission forward.

Continue the work started in Salem by downloading our executive guide to managing organizational change and scaling responsible AI adoption.

Get the Guide

IIMC Recap: Municipal Clerks Drive AI in Local Government Through Real-Time Leadership

There was a time when the role of the municipal clerk was viewed primarily through the lens of records management and meeting administration. That world is gone.

Today’s clerks are operating at the center of some of the most important challenges facing local government: transparency, accountability, cybersecurity, governance, citizen engagement and now AI-driven transformation. The pace of change is accelerating, and the expectations placed on municipal offices are changing just as quickly.

To help professionals navigate these shifting tides, the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) Annual Conference brings together leaders from across the globe for intensive professional development and peer collaboration. Capturing the essence of this evolution, keynote speaker Michelle Ray presented “Real-Time Leadership: How to be Ready, Responsive and Relevant in a Radically Changing World.” As an expert in helping organizations embrace accountability amidst disruption, Ray opened the event urging clerks to advocate for their vital roles and reframing them not just as administrators, but as the true “guardians of local democracy.”

“Real-time leadership” is no longer just a leadership concept for municipal clerks; it is becoming an operational requirement.

Legacy Hurdles of Municipal Records Management

Municipalities are under increasing pressure to modernize services while maintaining public trust. Clerks are now expected to respond to public records requests faster, manage growing volumes of digital information, support hybrid and digital-first council operations, and navigate increasingly complex governance requirements often with limited staff and shrinking resources.

While citizens expect private-sector efficiency and instant digital access, the reality on the ground is often defined by operational friction. Many municipalities are still held back by fragmented systems and institutional knowledge trapped in siloed emails or legacy paper files. When information is buried, compliance risks spike, staff burnout skyrockets and leadership inevitably becomes reactive instead of proactive.

This digital disconnect was the defining theme of the conversations our team had with attendees on the IIMC expo floor. Clerks from across the country shared a common frustration: massive amounts of strategic time are consumed by manual records management and meeting prep. One attendee highlighted the staggering reality of tackling a literal “basement of documents”—historical paper files requiring a grueling cycle of scanning, digitizing, and indexing just to maintain public access.

Ultimately, when public servants are bogged down by the weight of these legacy processes, finding the room to step into the strategic leadership Michelle Ray championed can be an uphill battle.

From Strategy to Reality: Deploying a Government Document Management System

This is where the conversation around real-time city leadership becomes deeply practical. For municipal clerks, leading in real time isn’t an abstract concept—it means building the operational capacity to respond quickly and confidently in a constantly shifting environment. It means having visibility into information when it matters, reducing operational bottlenecks and enabling transparent and resilient governance processes.

And increasingly, it means embracing automation, strong data governance and AI responsibly through intelligent content management systems like Laserfiche.

AI in Local Government: From Digital Filing to Intelligent Operations

AI may dominate today’s technology conversations, but for municipal government, the foundation starts with governance.AI is only as effective as the information environment behind it. If records are scattered across systems, metadata is inconsistent, retention policies are unmanaged, or information access is unclear, AI simply amplifies those problems.

That is why content management has become a top strategic priority.

Modern content management platforms are no longer just digital filing cabinets. They are becoming operational systems that help municipalities manage information intelligently, automate repetitive work, strengthen governance and improve organizational responsiveness.

This is where Laserfiche bridges the gap between Michelle Ray’s leadership philosophy and the day-to-day operations event attendees are struggling with. By helping municipalities centralize and govern their content, Laserfiche ensures that information is secure, accessible, and actionable.

Instead of relying on manual processes and fragmented repositories, clerks can automate workflows, streamline records management and improve visibility across departments.

Keynote slide of human hand shaking robot hand

Ultimately, true responsiveness depends on access to trusted data. When public records requests can be fulfilled quickly, when agenda processes are automated, when retention policies are enforced consistently, and when staff can locate the right information without searching across disconnected systems, municipal offices gain the operational agility needed to lead in real time.

Reimagining Efficiency with Automation and Agentic AI

Automation plays a critical role in unlocking capacity. Municipal clerks are often overwhelmed with repetitive administrative work that drains valuable time and institutional bandwidth. By utilizing Laserfiche to automate workflows for records processing, approvals, notifications and document routing, municipalities can dramatically reduce this manual burden.

The goal here is not simply efficiency for efficiency’s sake. Rather, automation creates space for clerks to focus on higher-value leadership responsibilities such as governance, policy coordination, public engagement and strategic modernization initiatives.

And now the conversation is evolving again with agentic AI.

The next phase of AI inside Laserfiche goes beyond generating document summaries or answering simple questions. Laserfiche AI Agents introduce the possibility of systems that can proactively assist users by understanding context, identifying actions, surfacing relevant information, and supporting decision making.

In a municipal environment, which could mean helping staff:

Identify records tied to retention schedules.

Surface documents related to public inquiries

Automate classification and metadata tagging.

Assist with agenda preparation.

Accelerate policy research.

Reduce time spent navigating large information repositories.

Grounding AI in Local Government with Strict Data Governance

Without strong governance, even the most sophisticated AI tools fail. This is why municipal clerks are the natural leaders for this digital transformation. Their role as stewards of transparency, accountability and records integrity is exactly what local governments need as AI adoption accelerates. Real-time leadership in the AI era is not just about moving faster. It is about ensuring municipalities can modernize responsibly while maintaining trust, compliance and transparency.

That requires more than technology implementation. It requires operational readiness.

The municipalities that succeed over the next several years will be the ones that treat information as strategic infrastructure, not just archived content.

And that shift elevates the role of the municipal clerk even further.

The future clerk’s office will not simply manage records; it will drive intelligent government operations. That is why Michelle Ray’s message matters right now. Moving beyond traditional, reactive administration isn’t just about professional growth—it is quickly becoming the definitive blueprint for running an efficient, modern municipal office.

Ready to transform your municipal operations? Laserfiche can help your office eliminate manual bottlenecks, secure your data infrastructure and empower your team with next-generation AI and automation. Explore how public agencies like the City of Acworth are deploying these tools safely and effectively, or take the next step toward real-time leadership by scheduling a custom demo with the Laserfiche team today.

Operational Efficiency is a Public Safety Imperative: What I Heard at the IACP Technology Conference

In an era of on-demand digital services and deep public scrutiny, law enforcement agencies are under immense pressure to modernize. Yet, at this year’s International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Technology Conference in Charlotte — the premier forum for law enforcement innovation — the conversations weren’t about chasing futuristic tech trends. Instead, the core takeaway from the expo floor was refreshingly grounded. Leaders widely agree AI and emerging technologies should be used to reduce administrative burden and free personnel to focus on public safety instead of paperwork.

While modernization once focused strictly on basic digitization and compliance, today’s leaders recognize cutting administrative friction is directly tied to an agency’s ability to protect and serve. This highlights a massive industry shift: operational efficiency is no longer just a back-office goal — it is a public safety imperative.

The Daily Strain on Police Operations

Agencies are dealing with staffing shortages, disconnected systems, growing records demands and increasing pressure to respond faster while maintaining accountability and public trust. The challenge is no longer simply storing information. The challenge is making information easy to access, trustworthy and usable when it matters most.

Throughout the conference, agencies consistently described the same operational pain points:

Duplicate data entry across multiple systems

Information trapped in departmental silos

Administrative work pulling officers off the street

Difficulty finding trusted information quickly

Growing concerns around AI governance and accountability

These are not isolated technology problems, rather operational problems which directly affect investigations, officer effectiveness and service delivery.

The staffing pressure facing agencies today is also well documented. As the National Policing Institute recently noted:

“Law enforcement agencies today face a difficult challenge: meeting growing public safety expectations while operating within tight budget constraints and with fewer officers amid declining recruitment and retention.”

That pressure is forcing agencies to rethink both how information moves across the organization and the growing role of law enforcement automation

Fragmented Systems Increase Governance Complexity

One of the strongest themes at IACP was that agencies are not looking for another standalone system and instead are seeking integrations to systems they already have. All topics discussed were focused on interoperability, governance, and law enforcement workflow automation. Today’s law enforcement environment is increasingly complex. Records management systems, CAD platforms, evidence systems, body camera platforms, drone technologies and CJIS-related repositories often operate independently from one another. As agencies add more technology, operational complexity increases.

One example discussed heavily at the conference was Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs. While drones themselves may not directly connect to content management, they are driving a growing number of integrations and governance challenges around operational data. The real issue is not collecting more information. It is governing and operationalizing information effectively.

Elevate Public Service with Intelligent Document Management

All my discussions at the conference resulted in one theme: the need to reduce operational friction to serve the community. They want officers spending less time searching for records, re-entering information and navigating disconnected systems — and more time serving the community.

Operational efficiency is no longer just an internal administrative goal but directly connected to officer safety, service delivery and public trust.

Working in the governance-driven information management space, what I heard at IACP reinforced how critical a unified approach has become. Modern intelligent document management platforms connect departments and systems securely, creating a unified data foundation without forcing agencies to replace existing applications.

Building a Foundation for Law Enforcement Automation

Data governance becomes even more important as agencies begin adopting AI-enabled workflows. At IACP, AI discussions focused far less on hype and far more on accountability, explainability and governance. Agencies expressed real concern about how sensitive information is managed, how decisions are documented and how public trust is maintained as automation increases. With fragmented systems and unstructured data, those concerns are justified. Modernization isn’t simply access to digital records, but building an environment where information is trusted, governed, accessible, securely shareable and actionable in real time. This foundation improves more than compliance; it improves operational efficiency.

Automation in Action: Long Beach Police Department

The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) clearly showcases the power of law enforcement automation. The department streamlined its Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which redirects individuals to social services instead of the justice system.

To reduce manual data bottlenecks between officers, clinicians and prosecutors, the LBPD automated its intake and referral workflows into a mobile app called GUIDES (Government User Integrated Diversion Enhancement System). Powered by enterprise content management technology, this secure framework lets officers input field data and route sensitive information across city departments with strict compliance. The resulting automated system cuts administrative friction, allowing personnel to focus on community care and public safety.

Learn more about how the LBPD transformed their operations to improve public service.

The New Era of Modern Policing

Operational efficiency is quickly becoming one of the defining public safety challenges of modern policing. This reality was reflected in the dominant message from IACP: agencies do not need more standalone technology, but rather systems that work together to reduce daily friction and help personnel do their jobs more effectively.

When agencies can securely connect information across systems, automate routine processes and provide officers with faster access to trusted records, they gain real operational advantages. Investigations move faster. Administrative bottlenecks decrease. Public records requests become easier to manage. Officers spend less time navigating systems and more time focused on public safety. Most importantly, agencies strengthen public trust through better transparency, accountability and governance.

Bring your agency into the new era of policing. Download our eBook on intelligent automation to learn how our AI-powered tools can help connect your systems and reduce operational friction for your officers.

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Members Trust Company Reduces Account Processing Steps by 85% With Automation

Finding Smarter Ways to Service Clients Nationwide

Members Trust Company (MTC) manages trust and investment services for more than 65 credit unions and thousands of individual clients across the United States. Through these partnerships, credit unions offer trust and investment products to their members, while MTC administers the underlying accounts and records.

Combining the scale and capabilities of a national trust institution with the personalized, relationship-driven service of a boutique firm, MTC operates under strict federal oversight by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Its 60 employees oversee more than 5,000 accounts — a lean structure that makes efficiency, reliability and compliance essential to maintaining client trust.

Despite its lean size, MTC’s growing client base and expanding account volume made manual, disconnected processes difficult to sustain. Employees stored tens of thousands of client records, such as account opening forms and trust agreements, in shared drives. This made information retrieval difficult, inconsistent, and prone to errors. “It was a challenge to locate the right documents quickly,” said Diana Begley, process architect at MTC. “We wanted a system that was more structured, reliable and easier to manage.”

When Hurricane Irma knocked out power across Florida, MTC recognized that its locally managed systems created risk for both business continuity and client service. MTC made the strategic decision to move information to the cloud to better protect client assets, maintain uptime and modernize operations. The company selected Laserfiche for its secure, accessible infrastructure and powerful automation capabilities. This would enable staff across the country to access records for its nationwide client base reliably and securely, even during a disruption.

Simplifying Account Management and Strengthening Compliance

MTC’s first goal was to improve accuracy and efficiency in two key areas of account management while maintaining strict regulatory compliance. Laserfiche automated its account opening and account request processes so that every document, approval and audit trail is captured and stored correctly.

Account Opening Portal: This secure, digital portal guides staff and credit union partners through required documentation. Laserfiche ensures all forms are complete, reducing delays and errors in account setup. “Our field team knows exactly what’s needed,” said Keisha Stevenson, trust operations specialist. “With Laserfiche, they can open accounts faster, with fewer errors.”
Account Request Portal: This serves as a single online entry point for client service requests such as distributions, account changes and investment updates. Forms now route automatically to the right department and include dynamic fields that prompt for key details to prevent incomplete submissions. These include account number, request type, contact information and authorization details. “Before Laserfiche, we managed hundreds of requests through email,” Begley said. “Now every task routes automatically, documents file themselves and communication is handled instantly.”

Records management and metadata automation capabilities from Laserfiche keep these processes consistent and auditable. Each document is filed with complete metadata, making information easy to locate during regulatory audits and internal compliance reviews. Laserfiche also reduces manual errors and variability between departments.

These improvements allow MTC to maintain the personalized, relationship-driven service it’s known for, even as the company’s client base continues to grow.

Newfound Clarity in Daily Work

After launching the new system, MTC immediately saw measurable improvements. It reduced account servicing steps from 15 to two, cutting average handling time from 45 minutes to about 15 minutes per request. The new workflows eliminated the need to interpret incomplete requests or manually route tasks between departments, replacing that guesswork with clear, automated steps that keep every request on track.

Since introducing the Request Portal, MTC has processed more than 1,300 automated tasks, with full adoption still underway. Each process includes integrated notifications, approvals and filing, eliminating the back-and-forth emails and status checks that staff once handled manually. Staff report higher satisfaction and fewer errors, while clients experience faster turnaround times and consistent service. “Laserfiche lets our team focus on client relationships instead of administrative tasks,” Begley said.

To create a unified experience, MTC connected Laserfiche with other essential systems across the organization to create a unified view of client activity and documents:

DocuSign enables clients to sign forms securely and return them instantly.
Salesforce syncs account data so staff can view related records without leaving the CRM.

Together, these integrations give staff and partners faster, more reliable access to client information. Digital signatures speed up document turnaround, while synchronized data ensures teams always work from the most accurate record. The result is a more connected client experience, with fewer handoffs and less manual work across departments. That means MTC can provide faster, more consistent service without losing the attentive client care that defines its approach.

Reliable Operations That Uphold Client Trust

Today, 83% of employees use the system daily. Automation significantly reduced the time staff and partners spend on repetitive tasks while improving data accuracy and compliance readiness. The decision to deploy in the cloud also reduced IT overhead, eliminating the need to manage servers, perform updates or handle routine maintenance.

As a result, MTC enjoys stronger business continuity, fewer interruptions and better scalability for future growth. “We have a reputation for reliability,” Begley said. “Laserfiche enables us to deliver on that every day.”

MTC continues to expand automation to additional account processes and explore new ways to leverage AI capabilities. The company plans to connect Laserfiche with its trust accounting system for straight-through processing. It is also looking to implement Intelligent Data Capture to handle incoming checks and invoices more efficiently.

Together, these connected processes create a consistent, compliant framework that supports growth and reliable client service. With Laserfiche, MTC can continue operating with the reach of a national firm while preserving the personal service that sets it apart.

“Laserfiche gives us the agility to scale without adding staff,” Begley said. “It’s helping us build a smarter, more efficient future for our clients and our team.”

Coopecaja Enhances Member Services and Secures Data with Laserfiche

Coopecaja, a savings and credit cooperative in Costa Rica, operates with the complexity of a bank, providing mortgages, consumer loans and savings services to its members. While the organization is dedicated to offering robust financial benefits, the management of physical documentation created significant logistical and financial hurdles.

The cooperative previously relied on physical archives, storing documents in filing cabinets and external servers. This resulted in excess storage costs and slower member service. Coopecaja needed a solution that would not only digitize their records but also align with national archival standards.

To alleviate these inefficiencies, the organization implemented Laserfiche to centralize document management and streamline processes across the enterprise.

“Laserfiche has been a great tool to provide faster and easier access to information,” said Marlene Norori, archivist at Coopecaja. “Working with the platform is much more efficient and fits our administrative and document management needs perfectly.”

Protecting Member Data and Reducing Storage Costs with Centralized Records

Managing records in accordance with strict regulatory requirements and safeguarding sensitive member data is challenging with physical records. Physical files also slow internal processes and make it difficult to enforce strict access controls. As a cooperative, Coopecaja is governed by a legal framework and regulations issued by the General Superintendency of Financial Institutions (SUGEF) concerning supervision, regulation, and applicable financial controls. Additionally, for document management, Coopecaja must follow the archival standards issued by the National Archive of Costa Rica as well as other international standards.

To centralize records and enforce granular access controls, the cooperative adopted Laserfiche’s cloud-based enterprise content management (ECM) system.

“The permissions structure allows staff to find what they need quickly and securely,” said Sharon Ureña Sánchez, archive assistant at Coopecaja. “It also ensures that each person has access only to the information they need and not additional data.”

With documentation in Laserfiche, Coopecaja minimized the need for printing and physical filing. The platform’s search templates and metadata capabilities helped the cooperative organize information, mirroring their previous archival structure in a secure digital environment.

Staff can now access information instantly without leaving their desks, freeing up time to focus on higher-value tasks rather than information retrieval.

“The time saved has been significant — we’ve greatly reduced waiting times for other departments when they need access to information,” said Sánchez. “Laserfiche provides us speed and accessibility.”

“Laserfiche has significantly reduced physical storage costs,” said Norori. “The goal now is to eliminate obsolete documents that have already passed their retention period and keep only what’s necessary in Laserfiche.”

By centralizing records in Laserfiche, Coopecaja created a secure environment that strictly enforces data privacy without hindering productivity.

Streamlining the Member Journey

Beyond records management, Coopecaja is now using Laserfiche to automate key processes. Previously, joining the cooperative was a time-consuming, manual experience. Members were required to visit branch locations in person to complete registration paperwork. This reliance on physical presence and paper forms created delays and administrative burdens for both members and staff.

Coopecaja transformed the experience by implementing a fully digital onboarding process. “Once members complete the registration process online, the digital documents are automatically uploaded to Laserfiche,” said Norori. “This has saved both our members and our staff a lot of time.”

This also ensures that member information — such as social capital contributions and membership files — is complete, eliminating the back-and-forth that results from forgotten documents.

The transition has accelerated service delivery and improved member convenience. Staff can now complete reviews instantly online rather than handling physical paperwork, significantly reducing processing time.

As Coopecaja plans for the future, the team is confident that they have a scalable foundation. “As we continue adding documents and storage needs grow, with our Laserfiche Cloud infrastructure, we can expand as needed,” added Sánchez.

Unlock Your Organization’s Content with AI-Powered Document Management

Empower 2026 Key Takeaways: Intelligent Document Processing with Laserfiche AI Agents

Scott Lingenfelter on stage at Empower 2026

The most useful AI experiences are the ones that fit naturally into the systems and workflows employees already use every day. That’s where AI moves beyond isolated tasks and becomes part of how operational work actually gets done.

At Empower 2026 — Laserfiche’s premier annual conference— we introduced Laserfiche AI Agents, new virtual assistants designed to help teams bridge the gap between manual work and traditional automation. Using the Smart Chat interface in Agent mode, these digital coworkers tap into advanced generative AI reasoning models to analyze content and take meaningful action, all within the secure, governed environment of the Laserfiche repository.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Offload Tedious Tasks to AI Agents: Reorganize, Classify, Identify and Extract

Because so much work still gets stuck between manual effort and full automation, teams are often left managing repetitive operational tasks that don’t quite justify building a dedicated workflow. As anyone handling records at scale can tell you, that work multiplies quickly when policies or compliance requirements change, or large sets of records need to be reorganized.

One example we demonstrated at Empower involved the new California Senate Bill 513 (SB 513) that expanded the definition of personnel records to include employee training and education materials. For HR teams, that seemingly small change can create hours of tedious administrative work, from reviewing records to creating new folder structures to moving documents into the right employee files.

With Laserfiche AI Agents, an HR manager can simply use natural language prompts to tell Agents to move training records into matching employee personnel folders and create a new Training and Education subfolder. The Agent analyzes the request, recommends actions and carries out the work while still allowing the manager to review and approve each step before moving forward. With intelligent content management, tasks that previously required hours of manual effort can now be completed in seconds.

That same approach can help simplify a wide range of everyday work across departments:

Reorganizing records and metadata based on updated business policies or compliance requirements

Classifying incoming documents and automatically routing key business information into workflows and business systems

Identifying sensitive information that may require additional review or governance controls

Extracting action items, deadlines and responsibilities from unstructured emails or documents

Improving knowledge discovery through semantic search that understands context, meaning and intent

Individually, these tasks might seem incremental, but together, they can dramatically improve how work moves through an organization.

See an in-depth list of Laserfiche AI Agent capabilities.

Smarter Search for Instant Discovery

The first step in moving work forward is being able to find the right information quickly. Anyone who’s spent time digging through repositories and shared drives knows how frustrating this can be. Most organizations have enormous amounts of information spread across repositories and business systems, but finding what you need often depends on knowing precisely where to look.

Laserfiche’s agentic semantic search helps change that experience. Employees can search based on concepts, intent or meaning rather than relying entirely on exact keywords. For instance, a user can instantly surface vendor agreements related to “indemnification,” even if the document only uses terms like “liability” or “damages.”

The real-world speed of these capabilities was on full display at Empower. Business users configured AI prompts and extraction rules in minutes using natural language instructions instead of traditional technical configuration methods. In one internal onboarding demonstration, AI-powered document and metadata management reduced manual data capture work by 90%.

That accessibility empowers the employees closest to operational bottlenecks to solve them directly, allowing organizations to adapt instantly without waiting for IT support.

None of this works without trust. Laserfiche AI Agents prioritize human review, transparency and auditability, giving organizations total visibility. Agents strictly inherit your existing user permissions and governance policies, so you stay in control of every action.

The Next Phase of Autonomous AI Agents

The next phase of Laserfiche AI Agents will be even more dynamic, context-aware, and autonomous. Today, they help users complete one-off tasks interactively through natural language requests. Soon, process agents will seamlessly embed into existing workflows, replacing complex decision trees—like invoice approval routing—with intelligent automation.

The next evolution of Laserfiche AI will introduce background agents that run autonomously in the background to monitor repositories for specific business signals. For example, a marketing manager can task an agent with tracking files for a specific campaign. Using contextual reasoning rather than rigid keywords, the agent will automatically identify relevant documents the moment they are published and curate them for the team. Information actively helps move work forward rather than sitting inside siloed systems.

At its best, AI should help organizations reduce operational friction, adapt more quickly and give employees more time to focus on meaningful, high-value work. That vision shaped many of the conversations we had at Empower this year, and it continues to guide how we think about the future of work at Laserfiche.

Read more about What’s New with Laserfiche AI Agents or download our new eBook to discover how to drive digital transformation and operational efficiency using AI.

What’s Next for K-12 Education in 2026: Modernizing School Operations and Engagement with AI, Automation, and Seamless Digital Access

As the school year concludes for most, K-12 education stands on the brink of a digital revolution. The rapid evolution of AI agents, automation, and digital platforms is transforming how schools operate, communicate and engage with their communities.

For school districts looking to modernize, these technologies offer not only efficiency, but a more responsive, accessible and student-centered educational experience. Here are three key predictions for what’s next for K-12 education in 2026.

1. AI agents and automation are set to modernize K-12 school operations

As highlighted in the CoSN U.S. State of EdTech Report, a growing number of districts are prioritizing technology to optimize both instructional support and district operations. In 2026, K-12 schools will finally leave paper-heavy, legacy workflows behind in favor of intelligent solutions driven by automation and AI agents. By integrating low-code tools and conversational AI, staff can use simple, natural language commands to streamline everyday operations, such as processing student registrations, managing staff records, or tracking attendance.

With these intuitive platforms, even districts with limited IT resources can quickly customize workflows across enrollment, HR, and records management. Reducing manual data entry and other repetitive tasks will not only acts as a force-multiplier for teams, but also ensure critical data remains secure, compliant and up-to-date.

This shift will mark a significant turning point for schools, as legacy systems and manual workflows are replaced with intelligent solutions that help alleviate administrative burden and staff burnout. Ultimately, AI agents and AI-powered automation empower educators to focus on what matters most: student learning, counseling, and classroom support.

2. Agentic data governance will strengthen school compliance and communication in schools

AI-driven automation will transform compliance from a reactive scramble into a seamless, built-in standard. By integrating intelligent automation into daily operations, districts can establish “set-it-and-forget-it” compliance parameters that run continuously to enforce state and federal K-12 record retention regulations. Administrators will be able to apply automated retention schedules to student, HR, and financial documents—ensuring records are securely stored for their legally mandated life cycles and safely purged the moment they expire.

Beyond document lifecycle management, AI will proactively protect school data and simplify accountability. While smart intake systems tag data upon arrival, AI agents will work in tandem to organize and restructure massive backlogs of files, ensuring appropriate security policies are applied to sensitive information like student records or individualized education programs (IEPs). Concurrently, these platforms will be leveraged to create comprehensive audit trails for every file. This will give school leaders full visibility into who accessed, modified, or moved a document, making annual district audits less stressful. With clearer data tracking and faster access to information, schools will operate more proactively and let educational priorities take center stage.

3. AI-driven accessibility will become the cornerstone of parent and student communication

Parents and students will expect school services to be as seamless and accessible as the apps they use every day. Mobile-friendly portals, real-time updates, and transparent communication will become the foundation of trust between schools and families. Districts that deliver clear, responsive digital experiences will deepen parent engagement and strengthen student relationships.

Cloud-based platforms, low-code automation and intuitive AI agents will help close gaps in digital access, allowing even small or under-resourced schools to modernize quickly. This will create faster, more connected digital experiences that ensure every parent and student, regardless of district size, benefits from a consistent, accessible and trustworthy experience.

Building the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Classrooms

The future of K-12 education is bright — and digital. By embracing AI agents, automation, and seamless digital access, schools can modernize operations, reduce administrative burdens, and foster stronger connections with students and families. This year, districts that invest in intelligent solutions will be best positioned to meet evolving expectations and deliver exceptional educational experiences.

Laserfiche provides intelligent documentation management and automation tools designed to help K-12 education organizations modernize and stay ahead of the demands of 2026 and beyond. By combining smart features that capture incoming data with the newly introduced Laserfiche AI Agents, your staff can effortlessly organize, tag, and rename massive volumes of records using simple, natural language commands.

Explore how Laserfiche can accelerate your institution’s goals this year — click here to learn more or schedule a demo today.

Preparing for AI Governance: Hong Kong’s Compliance Landscape in 2026

Hong Kong’s status as a premier international financial hub is anchored by a foundation of transparency and a robust regulatory framework. However, in the ever-evolving digital landscape of 2026, that foundation is being tested. According to the recent ALB Hong Kong Regulatory & Compliance Summit, rising global geopolitical tensions and a surge in AI-enabled fraud are creating a new breed of cross-border compliance challenges.

At the summit this March, financial experts and cybersecurity leaders gathered to analyze how shifting sanctions and digital crimes are straining institutional protocols. Their consensus was clear: traditional compliance is no longer enough.

The Governance Imperative

With the commencement of the Protection of Critical Infrastructure Ordinance in January 2026, Hong Kong has entered a new era of active enforcement. Compliance is no longer a compliance-by-mandate; it is a critical boardroom priority. With data from the Hong Kong Police Force showing a steady rise in deception cases, regulators are increasingly focused on how AI can be both a weapon for financial crime and a shield for defense.

For businesses in this dynamic digital hub, the conversation has shifted from whether to adopt AI to how to build the tech-driven defenses necessary to withstand this complex regulatory environment. To ensure long-term stability, organizations must transcend traditional advisory roles and embed AI governance as a fundamental pillar of security.

Securing Your Organization

While the advent of AI has led to the rapid sophistication of cybercrime and fraud, organizations can take definitive steps to secure themselves. Following the insights from the 2026 Summit, the priority is to move beyond passive monitoring toward an active defense model.

Key Defense Strategies

1. Combating AI-Enabled Fraud and Financial Crime

As criminals leverage AI for money laundering and cyberattacks, taking the following measures can significantly mitigate your risk:

Establish Smart Policing and Cybersecurity Centers: Move beyond basic IT support by embedding dedicated security hubs within your corporate infrastructure to centralize threat intelligence.

Deploy “AI-to-Catch-AI”: Your compliance framework must utilize machine learning for real-time monitoring of transnational telecom and internet fraud, identifying patterns that are invisible to the human eye.

Prioritize Digital Forensics: Invest in advanced forensic tools to ensure that if a breach occurs, your team can rapidly trace the source and mitigate the imp

2. Privacy by Design: The PDPO and Beyond

While the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO) —Hong Kong’s primary legal statute for safeguarding individual privacy— remains the bedrock of data protection, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) now emphasizes Ethics-by-Design. This approach mandates embedding ethical considerations and privacy protections into the earliest stages of technological development. Key pillars of this strategy include:

Transparency and Explainability: Organizations are urged to move toward “Explainable AI” (XAI). In sectors like banking and insurance, being able to explain why an algorithm made a specific decision is now a regulatory expectation, not a luxury.

Data Mapping and the GBA: As cross-border data transfers within the Greater Bay Area (GBA)—linking Hong Kong with mainland China—become more frequent, businesses must conduct rigorous data mapping. This creates a detailed inventory of where data originates and how it flows across different legal jurisdictions.

Supplier Due Diligence: Compliance must extend to your partners. Organizations must perform supplier data protection due diligence to ensure that third-party vendors adhere to the same rigorous security standards required by the PDPO.

3. Bridging the Governance Gap: The Evolving Role of the GC

In recent years, the role of the General Counsel (GC) has transitioned from a purely legal function to that of a strategic partner. GCs are now tasked with aligning AI operations with rapidly changing business requirements. To bridge the gap between innovation and oversight, organizations should implement:

Cross-Functional Committees: Establish an AI ethics committee that includes legal, compliance, and technology innovators.

Human Checkpoints: Even the most advanced AI requires “human oversight.” Ensure that high-stakes decisions—especially those involving credit scoring, employment, or legal outcomes—are reviewed by qualified professionals.

4. Navigating Risk and Sustainability Directives

AI does not operate in a vacuum. The 2026 Summit leaders noted that intricate sanctions regimes and trade tensions —particularly between the U.S. and China— are impacting how technology is deployed. Interestingly, AI compliance in 2026 is becoming inextricably linked to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) mandates specifically in these areas:

Algorithmic Fairness: Preventing bias in AI is no longer just a technical goal; it is a social responsibility. Ensuring algorithms do not discriminate is now a key metric in corporate social performance.

Corporate Governance: Boards are expected to translate “responsible AI” from a theory into clear governance standards, ensuring that technological research and development support long-term organizational sustainability.

Resilient Operations: Compliance programs must be recalibrated to handle global volatility. This requires sector fluency—the ability to understand local regulatory nuances while navigating geopolitical shifts.

Beyond Compliance: Shaping the Future of 2026

As Hong Kong accelerates its digital economy ambitions, the winners will be those who view compliance as a “proactive risk management system.” By pioneering legal tech adoption and redesigning service delivery models, firms can turn regulatory hurdles into competitive advantages.

In the words of the industry leaders at the ALB Summit, staying ahead of the curve requires a “comprehensive understanding of both technological advancements and the methods utilized by financial criminals.” By embedding these best practices into your organizational DNA, you do more than adapt to the changes of 2026—you will actively shape it.

For more information on governed-AI, download the eBook now:

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