Case: Document Conversion and Tagging

Developing solutions for converting images into an electronic format

Case Summary

In the face of rapid advances in digital technology, most enterprises are beginning to recognize the benefits of evolving their business practices and establishing themselves over the Internet. In order to facilitate online trading, traditional businesses such as publishers, libraries, and image stockists are increasingly converting their products such as books and images in to an electronic format.

In order to tide over complexities related to compatibility issues, a prescribed industry standard has been adopted when converting a work into the electronic format. The Open eBook (OEB) forum is an international trade and standards organization for the electronic publishing industries. The OEB has developed a standard that enables electronic libraries round the world to store their products in an accepted XML/HTML-based format.

The Client

The client is a leading image stockist who maintains a unique pictorial archive of mythological and symbolic images.

The Technology

Imaging, XML/HTML

Client Description

The client has a collection of over 13,000 images that illustrate the occurrence of archetypal themes across the cultures of the world. The images are stored as catalogues. These image catalogues have further been annotated and cross-referenced to enable easy scholarly reference.

The Challenge

Over time, the client's collection has evolved into a diverse array of images ranging from old handwritten text to block print. The client was keen on converting the entire range of images into a standard electronic format.

The Solution

• Scanned images are received for each symbolic image in the form of 8.5x11" commentary sheets.
• Our team of data entry operators key in the text manually in order to begin work on a clean slate. The workload is set to "Double-Key-Proof Read" to obtain an accuracy level of up to 99.995 per cent.
• Using proprietary tagging software, appropriate tags are assigned to various texts.
• The project involves a total volume of around 100 million keystrokes. Now, in order to ensure SLA on accuracy, experienced proofreaders are deployed for the execution of the task. SLA is maintained on the turnaround time by assigning a team of trained and productive data entry staff.
• Our expertise and strong in-house knowledge repository is optimally utilized to train all new recruits. This ensures that the new staff easily assimilates the workflow processes and becomes productive at a faster rate.

The Benefits

• High levels of accuracy due to experienced proofreaders
• An elaborate tagging process, which enhances the existing cross-referencing system
• Assured accuracy levels of 99.995 per cent - a much higher figure than that for automated OCR/ICR software
• Cost savings

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