2.5 million pages of building records, parcel diaries, and history records digitally scanned at BMI’s secure conversion facility; files uploaded via FTP to County OpenText document management system; custom indexing makes search and retrieval easy.

Sunnyvale, CA – BMI Imaging Systems, a leading provider of document conversion, document management and microfiche/microfilm scanning solutions, is pleased to announce that the San Luis Obispo County Assessor’s Office has successfully converted and digitally imported nearly 38 tons of paper records.

Charron Sparks, Assistant Assessor, states that “Historically, our Department used to live and die on paper, but we have been embarking on a strategy of taking property records into the digital age.”

A key part of this overall strategy started in 2005 when the Assessor moved buildings. Several years following, it was determined the paper records transferred to the new building were too heavy, causing a liability risk for the County in the event there should be exceedingly high winds or an earthquake. Having worked successfully with BMI Imaging in the past, the County relied on the partnership to help digitize the records and import them into an existing OpenText application.

Sparks states, “I have been with San Luis Obispo County for over 30 years. BMI Imaging is an A+ vendor and the best one I have worked with. The team was near instant in their responsiveness, they collaborated with us throughout the entire process, and were able to offer custom options unique to our environment.”

Overall, the project involved the Assessor team prepping the paper files with barcoding and boxing them for shipment. BMI would pick up batches of 85 boxes for scanning every two weeks. BMI would then scan and index each document, create an electronic file, provide onsite QA and then facilitate uploading of the file into the OpenText document management system hosted by the County of San Luis Obispo.

Parcel files documents are working files and thus scanned images were placed directly into production because they were needed by staff. The County team worked closely with the BMI scanning team. Sparks states, “After a successful 2 box and then 20 box pilot scan training, we had confidence that the product would be delivered with our desired quality level.”

Sparks continues, “Our team reviewed all documents for quality and accuracy within one week of upload and found that BMI exceeded our required 98.6% accuracy level. The few errors were mostly related to document indexing and easily corrected.”

In the end, San Luis Obispo Assessor eliminated nearly 38 tons of paper and now has high-quality digital documents in their management repository that makes it easier for the Department to serve the County’s citizens. The area once occupied by the property files and their shelving units has been repurposed into two scanning stations and three work pods.

Read the full case study here.

About BMI Imaging

BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. has been at the forefront of the document management industry since 1958, first with microfilm and now with scanned images. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with an additional production and sales facility in Sacramento, BMI serves over 500 commercial companies and government agencies, converting an average of 3 million images per month. BMI consists of 60 production specialists and support staff, many having worked for the company for ten years or more.

BMI has developed a wealth of experience in several vertical markets (e.g. healthcare, government, education) and offers customized document management solutions in a competitive and changing marketplace. Scanning paper documents or physical microfilm is usually the most visible task in achieving a full document solution.

Identifying record types, determining indexing methods and leveraging content in existing legacy systems are all skills needed to modernize an agency’s document management systems and processes. BMI’s systems integration team has decades of experience to achieve this goal. Internally developed software tools, over 400 to date, are regularly employed to solve complex image and data challenges. Jobs that require analysis, data extraction, multiple service offerings and custom development are those that separate BMI from other providers.

See the original press release here.