Industry: Government

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) faced the monumental challenge of relocating and consolidating multiple facilities, while preserving and organizing a vast collection of legacy documents.

This case study highlights how CloudTide and HAI collaborated to execute a comprehensive digitization project, ensuring seamless access to critical records during and after the transition, all within the designated timeframe.

The project involved transforming millions of records, blueprints, and microfiche into a digital archive, enabling WMATA to enhance operational efficiency and simplify document management.

Challenges

WMATA’s relocation efforts presented unique obstacles:

• Vast Document Diversity: Legacy documents spanned various formats, including records, blueprints, and microfiche, each requiring specialized digitization processes.
• Department-Specific Requirements: Each department across multiple facilities had distinct metadata needs and priorities.
• Relocation Logistics: Digitizing all documents while managing the physical move was a time-sensitive and intricate task, requiring robust coordination and planning.

Approach

Strategic Planning with HAI:

• HAI spearheaded the planning phase, identifying potential challenges and crafting tailored solutions. This strategic groundwork provided a roadmap to address department-specific needs and optimize digitization workflows.

Designation of Records Liaisons:

• WMATA appointed records liaisons for each department to act as points of contact. These individuals streamlined communication, ensured information accuracy, and facilitated collaboration between WMATA, CloudTide, and HAI.

Regular Coordination Meetings:

• Frequent meetings with records liaisons enabled the CloudTide and HAI teams to gather comprehensive information and refine processes. This collaboration minimized errors and ensured that expectations were aligned across all parties.

Development of a Scanning Playbook:

• Using insights from the planning phase, CloudTide and HAI created a detailed scanning playbook. This document outlined metadata standards, department-specific protocols, and best practices for handling each media type, serving as a blueprint for the digitization process.

Rigorous Digitization Process:

• Following the playbook's guidelines, the CloudTide digitization team meticulously scanned over 20 million documents. Each image underwent OCR to create searchable digital files and was subjected to thorough quality control to ensure accuracy. The finalized files were compiled as multi-page PDFs and seamlessly integrated into WMATA’s internal repository system.

Results:

Extensive Digitization Achievements:

• Over 20 million images, including records, blueprints, and microfiche, were successfully digitized, demonstrating the scale and precision of the project.

Enhanced Accessibility:

• The creation of a comprehensive digital archive has transformed WMATA’s document management, enabling quick and efficient retrieval of critical information, enhancing overall productivity.

Seamless Relocation Process:

• The availability of digital files eliminated the need to transport and store physical documents, significantly facilitating the relocation process and reducing logistical challenges.

Conclusion

Through a collaborative and detail-oriented approach, CloudTide and HAI supported WMATA in a successful digitization project that spanned three years. The result is a modernized, efficient digital archive that preserves critical legacy content and improves accessibility for employees.

By leveraging strategic planning, meticulous execution, and rigorous quality standards, CloudTide and HAI showcased their expertise in delivering large-scale digitization solutions tailored to complex organizational needs.

Period of Performance:

Three years.