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Large volume content conversion for Netherlands' Government agency

Project: DAISY (DTBook XML format) Conversion

Industry: Government Body

Client background:

The client, Dedicon, is an agency of the Government of Netherlands. For years, the body has been working to make literature and reading material accessible to the visually impaired or those with reading disabilities. It has working to this end by producing hybrid books which provide one a choice between reading and listening and dyslexia software. Dedicon's yearly output is massive. On an average, it distributes about 90,000 publications in Braille and a further 8,500 titles in large print for those with reading disabilities or visual impairment. Dedicon also produces more than three hundred spoken magazines and newspapers. They are recorded in the agency's in house facilities in Grave, Amsterdam and Rijswijk.

Client Requirements:

The client urgently needed to expedite the production of hybrid books and dyslexia software. The dyslexia software project, "Speks", which Dedicon had been working on, was estimated to take another three years to complete. Initially, when Dedicon approached SunTec, they decided to have a business association with us for three years. During the time, they intended to form an idea of our turnaround time and the aptitude of handling proprietary formats. However, once begun, our partnership gradually cemented to the pointed that it continued till the very end of the "Speks" project.

Key Challenges:

Processing of a large number of PDF files. The professionals at SunTec had to cut to right size, merge and divide PDF files in Adobe.
Once done with the process, the files had to be converted into KES and Sprint. In both cases, we had to do down sampling and establish the priority of a particular text – primary, secondary or tertiary – and an apps for the corresponding reading order.

A very large number of pages had to be converted every month. The professionals at SunTec, on an average, converted 7700 pages into three formats – KES, Sprint and Processed PDF.
The task was further complicated by the fact that WordSprint does not have an undo button. The slightest mistake and we had to do everything anew.

Our Solution:

We assembled a highly skilled team knowledgeable in the state-of-the-art digital content conversion technology. We also took care to ensure that they could customize the technology as required and keep costs low. Furthermore, we put our solution through a volume test in order to determine that the team can always deliver on time. We, thus, ensured 100 per cent on time delivery. We unfailingly met the goal of converting 7700 pages every month into the three formats of KES, Processed PDF and Sprint.

Achievements:

Besides meeting all the client's requirements, we were even able to extended the scope of the project and convert the files to a proprietary "TagEd" format too.
We turned around the project consistently maintaining one hundred per cent accuracy. We achieved this by following the DTD and WordSprint Manual specified by the client.

We took care of every aspect of the conversion process immaculately. We unfailing adopted the language, special cases, reading order, background color, etc., as per the client's specifications. We also removed the publisher's information whenever the client wanted us to.