Background
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was created by an act of Congress in 1879 as the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior. The USGS provides reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. The agency is based in Reston, Virginia.
Challenges
The Office of Accounting and Financial Management at the USGS receives and processes over10,000 invoices, employee travel vouchers, and financial statements every year. The agency’s existing solution relied on an optical disk jukebox for image storage and proprietary third-party software for image access. Over time, this outdated system proved challenging to maintain and upgrade. For example, whenever a drive in the aging optical disk jukebox failed, IT staff had to take the system offline before rebooting. Replacement parts were also expensive, as were the agency’s existing service contracts. Additionally, the system did not support the latest network and government security requirements, including HIPPA, and therefore could not pass regular control and access security audits performed on all servers and applications. USGS required a new scanning, storage and retrieval system that would enable staff to handle the high number of paper statements, expedite the workflow process, and comply with the latest security requirements.