Digitalization of Microfiche

Summary (Newest Update)

Background The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is initiating a large-scale microfiche digitization effort to convert approximately 5.88 million microfiche sheets to meet the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) 3-Star standard. This project aims to create a legally admissible digital records repository that supports audit readiness and allows for the secure destruction of physical media, thereby improving operational efficiency within DFAS. Work Details The Contractor shall provide all labor, specialized equipment, secure logistics, and project management necessary to digitize dispersed physical collections from three facilities: 1. Indianapolis Facility: 3,400,000 sheets of 105mm Microfiche from 1972-1993. 2. Cleveland Facility: 2,229,990 microfiche sheets and 4,700 reels of Computer Output Microfilm from the 1970s onwards. 3. Texarkana Facility: 288,000 sheets of 105mm Microfiche from the 1980s. Total estimated project volume is approximately 5.91 million sheets/films and about 1.56 billion individual frames. The Contractor must adhere to FADGI 3-Star standards for scanning and image processing, delivering two digital files per frame: a high-resolution TIFF Preservation Master and a compressed PDF/A Access Copy. Daily equipment calibration must be documented, and metadata extraction is required for indexing purposes. A rigorous quality control plan must be implemented to ensure fidelity and accuracy of the digitized records. Period of Performance The geographic location(s) the contract will be performed (if provided) Place of Performance The contract work will be performed at three DFAS facilities located in Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Texarkana. Bidder Requirements Bidders must demonstrate capacity for high-volume digitization while maintaining FADGI 3-Star quality standards. They should provide details on their technical approach including scanning hardware and software used, as well as an internal Quality Control plan that meets DFAS's Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). Additionally, bidders are required to outline their logistics process ensuring secure chain-of-custody for sensitive records.