Over 1 million pages are digitised during a successful scanning project for leading insurer Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual had plans to move out of their existing office in Cheltenham, to a new location in London. A quick and effective solution was required to deal with the vast amount of documents currently being stored in boxes in the old office and self-storage.

Upon speaking to the client, it became clear that a very large quantity of data – 12,600 files in total, was being stored in roughly 400 boxes across two locations.

The data covered a broad spectrum; it included accounts, legal expenses, broker files, professional indemnities, directors and officers and commercial combined (property owners) information. Without exception, the documents needed to be available at all times for case referencing.

The existing storage system involved a large amount of manual searching in order to find the correct file. Keeping the information in boxes meant that it was very difficult to reach; should a query arise regarding a file or a particular document, a physical trip to the basement was required in order to find the paperwork in question.

Clearly this was a very time consuming task, and a less than ideal situation. Liberty Mutual required an online indexing system to allow for better searching and protect the valuable documents against unforeseen incidents such as flood or fire. Following discussions, Dajon were chosen for the project.

Dajon knew that great indexing was the key to making the new digital system work well. With seven distinct types of document and many sub-categories, much of the paperwork cross-referenced – and this had to be taken into consideration when the scanning project began.

Aida Stefan of Dajon says; “In many cases, old policy numbers had been replaced by new numbers – this kind of scenario had to be addressed to allow for quick and easy reference to all related documents”.

The data had to be easily accessible via a robust digital system. Conversations took place with the client to confirm details of the current indexing system and determine the most effective kind of category file structure to use on the newly planned online archive.

To add a further twist to the project, it was essential that all documents could be easily found during the scanning process; quick reference could be required at any time. A full audit trail of the boxes had to be documented; from initial collection, through the scanning process, to project completion and the eventual secure destruction of the paperwork.

A strict indexing system would be required throughout the entire scanning process to ensure that an effective “scan on demand” service remained in place throughout the project. Dajon decided upon the implementation of a barcoding system to allow for any such requests.

Determined to offer the best possible solution to the client, Dajon put together a project plan that would eventually streamline Liberty Mutual operations and assist them on a day-to-day basis.

The Task Begins

Close to 1 million pages were scanned during the project

Due to Liberty Mutual’s’ relocation plans, time was of the essence – with just a weeks’ notice, Dajon had to set wheels in motion and get the boxes moved. The boxes were collected in two runs from the clients’ Cheltenham office, and from storage, in mid-December 2013.

A test scan run was performed at this point, to let the client see a working example of the final system. The test served as a great opportunity to gain client feedback and discuss further archive requirements. With the finer details agreed upon, the green light was given, and the remaining documents could now be digitised.

With a clear objective in mind and scanning strategies firmly in place, Dajon embarked upon the task of digitising the data. As the documents had been stored in less than ideal conditions (a number of the boxes had been smashed/ broken) many of the papers showed signs of wear and tear and general ageing – this had to be addressed during the scanning process to ensure optimal readability of the data once scanned into the new system.

A variety of technologies were used to capture the data (depending on the document type) including large format scanning hardware.

In addition to providing 100% accuracy on the audit trial, Dajon’s decision to barcode the boxes and files paid off; the “scan on demand” service came into play, as certain files were needed by the client during the project scanning phase. The requested files could be found quickly and scanned in – on one occasion without any reference as to the box location for the file.

Progress continued – and in mid-Feb 2014 the project came to a conclusion, with the creation of a brand new online archive.

Liberty Mutual now has access to a backed-up online portfolio archive that can easily be referenced – letting them find the exact document that they need, when they need it, quickly. Naturally, this saves valuable time and money, as all of the data can be accessed securely online; there is no need for the previously lengthy process of manual searching.

David Stein, of Liberty Mutual said of the project; “We are very pleased with the work completed for us by Dajon, the processes flowed well throughout all stages of the project and the resulting digital system will save us a lot of time and hassle in the future”

Additionally, the data is protected against potential disasters and will be safe for many decades to come – and, as a happy by-product of the project, Liberty Mutual have also made a positive mark on the environment by adopting a paper-free system!