The Electronic File System (ELAK) Goes International

The Electronic File System (ELAK) is the central standard of the Austrian federal administration for the digital handling and management of document and file processes. For more than two decades,
it has been considered a cornerstone of Austria’s e-government strategy. The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) was the first ministry to introduce ELAK back in 1996 and has since appreciated the many advantages of the system. Until now, however, over 100 embassies and representations used a specially developed standalone solution.

Now, ELAK serves not only domestic but also international operations as a centralized digital platform for file management. Within just a few months, the Foreign Ministry and its IT partner BRZ have successfully connected all Austrian embassies and representations around the world to the electronic file system (ELAK). This ensures even greater security and reliability in operations, simplifies communication, and provides extensive interfaces to other ministries. The project is a flagship initiative in the federal government's ID consolidation efforts.

ELAK Brings BMEIA Offices Closer Together

For Kristian Jurić, Head of the IT Department at BMEIA, the reasons for expanding ELAK internationally are obvious: “With an integrated solution like ELAK, we are all working in a single system worldwide.” Furthermore, “with one globally available file system,” the representations spread across the globe “are drawn closer together.” Centralized data availability guarantees even more security, efficiency,
and knowledge sharing among the diplomatic missions.

“Rolling out ELAK globally within the federal system drives forward the digital transformation of the Foreign Ministry,” says Jurić.

Millions of Documents Migrated Across 110 Representations

The project kicked off in March 2024 with an ambitious goal: a total duration of 12 months instead of the originally planned two years. “This meant that the preparation phase for the operational rollout had to be completed within six months,” explains Harald Henry Maderbacher, Solution Manager for ELAK at BRZ. “Besides the tight timeline, we also had to develop an innovative authorization concept. Staff at embassies frequently change their positions, which constantly creates new requirements for access rights and permission structures.”

The roll-out phase held additional challenges for BRZ. “We had to migrate millions of documents from the old system into ELAK while preserving complete data integrity,” Maderbacher recounts. “Also, executing a phased rollout across various global regions and 24 time zones was a major challenge.” Within just three months, 110 representative authorities were successfully transitioned. “With the successful completion in April, we’ve overcome one of the greatest challenges in ELAK’s history,” says Maderbacher proudly.