Data on personnel - it's sensitive, so it has to
be secure, it's also got to be easy to access,
search and store.

How one local police authority met the challenge.

Situation

A Police Authority held all past and present personnel records within a library of 6,500 microfilm reels containing 21,000 images.

Every new piece of information dictated a new microfilm record, so, to review a complete employee record the reviewer would need to identify and access multiple films.

As the library grew so did the complexity of its management. A task 'owned' by the HR department.

In addition to the cost, disruption and delays involved in microfilm retrieval, the technology also demanded paper copies distributed through internal and external mail system, a process far from efficient, secure or environmentally friendly.

The authority was also conscious that regular use of the microfilm was causing image deterioration and often damage.

Challenges and opportunities

The Police Authority wanted a solution that would take their efficiency, security and access into the 21st century. They also wanted to remove the disruption from the real business of HR that acting as archive librarians meant.

• A quick and reliable retrieval of a complete set of staff records
• Each employee record be consolidated into a single, electronic file with employment history presented in a strict chronological order
• Consolidated files to which additional records could be added quickly and efficiently
• A centralised electronic system to control the management and retrieval of data
• A system that would allow multiple users to access and securely distribute the electronic file.

The answer

Capita TDS took the entire Police Authorities microfilm archive and converted it into fully searchable electronic data using the existing database structure to form the basis of the new retrieval index.

• Digitised records - An automated process was applied to seamlessly transfer the existing microfilm index to the corresponding electronic file
• Completed data set made accessible via a networked Document Management System
• Enhanced Security - strictly controlled pass codes issued to relevant internal user groups outside the HR team
• HR staff freed from the task of document retrieval and supply and allowed to concentrate their time on core activities
• Space saved - after digitisation the authority was able to dispose of microfilm retrieval equipment to create much needed office space.

A time, cost, space-efficient answer to an issue of business efficiency and data security.

Technical/process details

Microfilm scanning

• All processed films are logged and stored in Capita temperature and humidity controlled storage vault
• Images are sampled from the film and from these the optimal trigger points for frame selection are set up, along with focus and contrast settings
• Capita TDS - broad range of state-of-the-art microfilm scanning equipment ensures that the best technology for the project is employed.

Image cleaning

• Maximum image enhancement achieved through great attention to detail at scanner set-up stage, combined with the advanced image enhancement facilities of the capture software
• Noise-reduction (de-speckle), smoothing and line removal are all features of the scan-time settings.

Quality assurance

• All microfilm scanning was closely monitored by experienced technicians
• Each electronic image against the film original
• Image de-skew, cropping and clean-up were actioned, as required
• Rejected images entered into a rescan report for each batch and returned to the image capture area for rework. This process continued until an acceptable result was achieved.
  

Indexation

• To save time and cost the retrieval index we created utilised the existing HR database
• Software code was developed to automate the process and ensure that the original microfilm index value was correctly assigned to the corresponding electronic record.

Key services

• Conversion of microfilm into searchable digital content
• Index creation from existing database
• Supply of data as secure storage media
• Future access to data provided through pass-code protected application software.

Key advantages

• Faster access to information
• Consolidation of data
• Creation of comprehensive historical record
• Fully updateable
• Faster distribution of data
• Secure access
• Lower cost of storage
• No reliance on unreliable and antiquated microfilm equipment