University of Texas at Austin

Preserving institutional records through enterprise digitization

The University of Texas at Austin is a flagship institution within the University of Texas System, serving as a leading public research university. With a commitment to academic excellence and operational efficiency, UT Austin houses decades of critical financial and legislative records that support strategic planning and public accountability.

Summary

Challenges

• Large volume of physical and digital records required streamlined, compliant management.

• Lack of centralized system hindered access and collaboration.

• Needed to meet state compliance and retention mandates.

Results

• Improved information accessibility and compliance
• Enabled seamless collaboration across departments
• Streamlined records management and ensured regulatory alignment

Challenges

The University of Texas at Austin needed to digitize extensive historical records—including Legislative Appropriations Requests (1952–2007) and Annual Operating Budgets (1951–2002)—to preserve critical data and enable access through its IBM FileNet repository.

UT required a partner that could:

• Ensure secure and accurate document preparation, scanning, and indexing

• Deliver high-quality, full-text searchable digital content

• Enable seamless ingestion of metadata and documents into FileNet

• Maintain the integrity and order of documents while transitioning from paper to digital formats

Solution

IQBG, in partnership with SHI International, delivered an onsite, turnkey digitization solution tailored to UT’s requirements. The approach included:

• Document preparation: removal of bindings, sticky notes, and repair of torn pages

• Scanning: using ANSI/AIIM-calibrated high-performance Fujitsu 6670 and 6770 scanners in full color at appropriate resolution

• Optical Character Recognition (OCR): to produce fully searchable PDF/A files

• Indexing: based on institution, fiscal year, report type, and other metadata, with manual data entry and automated lookups

• XML export: for integration into IBM FileNet ECM system

• Quality control: 100% page-by-page image and index QA

The scanning process was conducted onsite at UT with remote quality assurance via VPN, and all paper content was returned in original order with separator sheets.

Results

• 1,500+ volumes digitized (575 LAR books and 967 budget volumes)

• 118+ linear feet of documents processed

• 100% quality-checked content and metadata

• 4-month estimated project duration

• Fixed-fee project delivery with inclusive pricing for QA, OCR, and XML export

• Turnkey delivery model, with equipment, staffing, and protocols provided by IQBG

The final deliverables—PDF/A files and indexed XML metadata—enabled UT to import archival records into FileNet for secure, searchable, and accessible digital storage.