Case Study: Scanning & Georeferencing Large Engineering Documents for the City of Poway

Case Study: Scanning & Georeferencing Large Engineering Documents for the City of Poway

March 05, 2025β€’2 min read

Case Study: Scanning & Geo-referencing Large Engineering Documents for the City of Poway

City of Poway scanning & geo-referencing

Project Overview

The City of Poway, in collaboration with a GIS solutions provider, needed a more efficient way to manage and retrieve thousands of engineering drawings related to municipal works and street improvements. The traditional process of searching through physical documents was time-consuming, costly, and inefficient.

Our task was to scan and digitize these large-format engineering drawings, extract key data for indexing, and geo-reference them to a GIS mapping system, allowing city engineers and planners to instantly access relevant plans by selecting a location on a map.


The Challenge: Paper-Based Drawings & Manual Search Issues

πŸ“Œ Thousands of engineering drawings were stored in large physical archives, making retrieval slow and inefficient.
πŸ“Œ Engineers had to manually search through paper files, leading to delays in municipal projects.
πŸ“Œ There was no digital index or geospatial reference, making it difficult to link drawings to actual street locations.
πŸ“Œ The city required a cost-effective digital solution that could integrate seamlessly with their GIS mapping system.


Our Solution: Scanning, Indexing & Geo-referencing for GIS Integration

To address these challenges, we provided a comprehensive document scanning and geo-referencing solution, moving the city from manual paper searches to a fully searchable GIS-integrated system.

βœ… High-Resolution Large-Format Scanning – We scanned thousands of engineering drawings into precise, high-quality PDFs, ensuring clear visibility of technical details.
βœ… Data Extraction & Indexing – Key metadata was extracted from each drawing and compiled into a structured database, including:

  • Drawing Title

  • Drawing Number

  • Sheet Number

  • Plan Date

  • Street Name

  • Plan Type
    βœ… Spreadsheet-Based Data Organization – The extracted data was compiled into a structured spreadsheet, enabling seamless reference and integration with GIS software.
    βœ… Geo-referencing the Drawings – Each engineering drawing was assigned a spatial reference, allowing it to be precisely linked to its corresponding geographic location.
    βœ… GIS System Integration – The GIS provider integrated the indexed and georeferenced drawings into a digital map, allowing city officials to:

  • Click on a street or project area on the GIS map

  • Instantly view all associated engineering drawings and plans


The Results: Time & Cost Savings for Municipal Planning

πŸ“Œ Instant Drawing Retrieval – City engineers can now access any engineering plan in seconds using the GIS system.
πŸ“Œ Geospatial Reference for Accuracy – Engineering drawings are now linked to real-world coordinates, improving accuracy and usability.
πŸ“Œ Significant Cost Reduction – The city reduced expenses related to physical storage, document retrieval, and project delays.
πŸ“Œ Better Collaboration Across Departments – City engineers, planners, and project managers can now easily access and share plans from any location.


Conclusion: A Smarter, More Efficient Document Management System

By scanning, indexing, and geo-referencing thousands of engineering drawings, we helped the City of Poway modernize its municipal works program. This time-saving, cost-efficient solution has improved project workflows, increased accessibility, and enhanced urban planning efforts.

πŸ“Œ Need to digitize and geo-reference large engineering documents? Let’s discuss how we can help modernize your document management system!

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