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In the context of mass digitization, BnF outsources digitization to specialist service providers by way of procurement contracts.
BnF has changed its approach from one of systematically checking the quality of digitized materials before they are placed online to one of managing the quality of the service providers with whom it partners.

Digitization at BnF: quality control

Growth in the volume of documents being digitized constitutes a major step up in BnF’s digitization plans, on several counts. In particular, this growth has led to far-reaching changes in quality control methods.

Previously, documents were systematically checked before being placed online, but there was no detailed monitoring of production methods.

Current volumes and turnaround times mean that these methods can no longer be maintained. Consequently, BnF is gradually adopting a quality management approach inspired by methods used in the manufacturing industry.

Quality Insurance Blueprints

In the context of mass digitization programs involving a large number of internal departments and various external service providers, BnF has deemed it worthwhile and necessary to put in place a Quality Insurance Blueprint (Plan Assurance Qualité/PAQ) for external services, as well as a Quality Insurance Blueprint for its own internal organization.

External quality

The Quality Insurance Blueprint for external services is based on quality standards (ISO 9001) and sets out working procedures for the relevant departments and service providers, in accordance with project management arrangements.

A Quality Insurance Blueprint is a set of documents drawn up by a service provider, with input from the sponsor, during the contract initiation phase. It describes the full range of methods used for the following:

  • contract management
  • production 
  • quality control and management 
  • administrative and financial monitoring

The “production” component is further defined by way of charters and procedures. Each production service (numeric copy creation, digitization, OCR, inputting tables of contents, document quality control, etc.) is covered by a charter, which sets out the expectations of the sponsor (BnF) and the service provider’s undertakings in terms of quality. Production procedures describe the methods used to ensure compliance with the undertakings set out in a charter.

Internal quality

BnF places high quality expectations on external service providers. These are mirrored by an internal quality process that enables the library to fulfill its contractual undertakings and properly monitor projects.

This internal quality process is reflected in a document whose structure and objectives are based on the Quality Insurance Blueprint for external services.

This internal Quality Insurance Blueprint is also used as a tool to support the management of change triggered by changes in methods, channels, and volumes.

Document checking

Until 2008, BnF checked every document before it was placed online. All rejected documents (non-compliant delivery structure, non-compliant XML and/or TIFF files, missing pages, incorrect reading direction, etc.) had to be corrected and re-delivered by the service provider.

Since 2008, BnF has been carrying out checks on document structure to ensure that documents will be viewable in Gallica, BnF’s digital library. These checks are automated, and are carried out by specific software. Once approved, documents are placed online within Gallica.

In order to monitor quality and guide audits, sample-based visual checks are then carried out. These checks focus on image quality, Dewey indexing, and consistency between digital documents and their originals. Any errors or discrepancies are notified to service providers for correction and added to lists of issues to be addressed by audits.

Auditing production sites and managing timescales

BnF’s procurement contracts stipulate that production sites must be audited regularly. Such audits ensure that:
  •   procedures laid down in the Quality Insurance Blueprint are properly followed and ensure that the service provider’s undertakings with regard to quality are fulfilled;
  • procedures laid down in the Quality Insurance Blueprint are necessary and/or sufficient.
 

Outline of the production quality management process

@BnF

  1. Once produced, documents are delivered.
  2. Documents are subjected to structural checks at BnF.
  3. They are either accepted or rejected. 
  4. A sample of accepted documents is put together for visual checking by BnF.
  5. Any errors identified in this sample are analyzed and, if appropriate, rejected. 
  6. They are notified to the service provider, among others, at Project Committee meetings, and are fed into questionnaires and lists of issues to be addressed through bi-monthly audits. 
  7. Audit conclusions are reported in an Action and Monitoring Plan, the implementation of which should ensure that any errors are eliminated. 
  8. The progress of this plan is monitored by the Project Committee.
For more info

sur le schéma méthodologique de l’Audit BnF [fichier .pdf – 27 Ko – 01/07/09 – 1 p.]

What does an audit consist of?

An audit consists of following a specific, objective methodology to check whether a service complies with its stipulated objectives. Audits are designed to foster progress and motivation, and rely on a constructive relationship between service provider and sponsor.

In the context of its digitization program, BnF has developed “process” audits (in accordance with the ISO 9000 standard) aimed at checking incoming and outgoing processes involving documents sent for digitization. These audits consist of the following:

  • ensuring that the process is working properly (checking that the correct procedures are
    being applied and stipulated objectives are being achieved)
  • identifying areas for improvement (in which case an action plan is drawn up and monitored)

Managing timescales

The management of production timescales is also an essential component of quality management.

Errors identified when a document is delivered are liable also to have affected all other work currently in production.

Careful management of timescales makes it possible to optimize the elapsed time between an anomaly being detected, that anomaly being corrected, and any impact on documents delivered.

The Project Committee, which regularly reviews production quality, also provides an opportunity to flag up anomalies and monitor corrective actions implemented by service providers.

Monday, September 17, 2012