Above: Scott Swidersky
Konica Minolta together with its Intelligence Information Management Division, Quality Associates Inc., announced a new partnership with Image Science Associates, LLC. to accelerate digitization processes for meeting the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) M-19-21 directive.
The partnership combines QAI’s compliance and digital records management expertise with ISA’s Golden Thread analysis software to allow records managers at federal agencies to ensure that digitized output meets NARA’s proposed image quality standards based on the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) four-star ranking system for digital capture image quality.
The federal government’s executive, branch-wide effort to transform records management policies and best practices—known as the M-19-21 directive—calls for a transition to a fully electronic environment. One component of the M-19-21 directive mandates that NARA will only accept electronic records for all permanent government records after December 31, 2022. To ensure digitized permanent records meet the NARA requirements, federal agencies must adhere to the proposed FADGI 3 Star standards as they switch from paper-based to digital records management.
“Adding ISA and the Golden Thread analysis software to our FADGI capable solutions is an important next step as we continue to invest and expand our digital records management capabilities and digitizing facilities nationwide,” said Scott Swidersky, vice president, IIM Practice, Konica Minolta, and president of its QAI division. “Collectively, our goal is to provide the right tools and resources by which good imaging can be easily practiced and understood.”
In this time-sensitive environment, tools such as the Golden Thread analysis software that specify and assess the quality of an imaging system—including consistency with FADGI 3 quality standards—deliver a proven, fast approach for conducting:
- Acceptance testing of scanners and cameras – Before signing off on an expensive and complex scanning device, agencies can ensure it is performing as expected. In this way, scanner vendors can demonstrate their equipment meets FADGI 3 Star image quality standards, and agencies can ensure that FADGI 3 Star standards are in their operating environments.
- Periodic image quality monitoring and audits – Any number of imaging inconsistencies can emerge unnoticed into digitizing workflows. They can range from incorrect exposure selections to inappropriate image processing choices. Imaging systems must not only meet FADGI 3 Star quality standards during initial implementation, but also be measured periodically to ensure compliancy over time.
“At ISA, we are delighted to partner with QAI, the leading provider of digitization and compliance solutions in the industry,” said Don Williams, president, ISA. “The positive impact of our Golden Thread software on FADGI imaging standards proposed under NARA’s M-19-21 directive, together with QAI’s compliance and records management experts, will function as a digital imaging quality and compliance model to accomplish accurate and consistent outcomes.”
The adoption of the ISA technologies not only broadens QAI’s digital records management service offerings for M-19-21 compliance but strategically positions QAI for longer-term IT modernization efforts in the government space.
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