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Case
Study
Digitizing Hamilton’s Water Department: Records A Digital Transformation Preserving history while streamlining operations.
The City of Hamilton Water Department had been managing decades’ worth of paper records—maps, engineering plans, building contracts, and other infrastructure documents—some dating back to the 1800s. While these records were vital for the city’s operations, they were bulky, fragile, and slow to access, taking up valuable office space and making collaboration difficult. To protect this historical data and modernize day-to-day operations, the City partnered with Slater Hill Digital to bring these archives into the digital era.
objectives
The Water Department’s goals were clear: safeguard aging paper records, make information easily accessible for staff, and streamline workflows through a modern digital system. Another key objective was to free up office space and improve collaboration by moving from paper-heavy storage to a secure, cloud-based platform.
Challenges & Solutions
The department faced several hurdles. Many records were fragile and at risk of deterioration, and finding specific documents often meant digging through decades of files stored in cabinets. Physical storage was taking up too much space and slowing collaboration across teams.
Slater Hill Digital addressed these challenges by scanning every document in high resolution, preserving detail and integrity. OCR technology made the records fully searchable, so staff could find what they needed in seconds. Finally, the digitized documents were organized into SharePoint Online libraries, giving teams intuitive access, secure version control, and a centralized location for all infrastructure records.
Key Benefits
The results were immediate and impactful. Staff can now locate records instantly, saving hours of manual searching. Physical filing cabinets were removed, reclaiming valuable office space. Collaboration improved thanks to SharePoint’s cloud-based platform, and the digital formats ensure long-term preservation of historically important documents. Overall, the Water Department now operates more efficiently, with a modern system that protects the past while supporting future projects.
Client Testimonial
”Partnering with Slater Hill Digital has totally changed how we handle our records. Our team can grab important documents in seconds, and we finally have peace of mind knowing everything’s safely preserved. Operations are now faster, smarter, and way more secure.”
— Records Management Coordinator, City of Hamilton Water Department