Government operations
Document Tracking & OCR
Every document scanned, searchable, and accounted for — cradle to disposition.
Scan a document once and the system reads the text inside it, so a folder full of PDFs becomes a full-text search. Every document knows who holds it, carries an integrity hash, links to the permit or project or personnel file it belongs to, and follows a retention schedule from the day it arrives to the day it's lawfully disposed.
The challenge
Government runs on documents that live in filing cabinets, shared drives, and one clerk's email. A scanned contract is a picture nobody can search, custody is whoever had it last, and retention is a binder of rules nobody applies — until a records request or an audit needs the one document that can't be found.
In practice
The contract nobody could search — until now
A clerk uploads a stack of scanned service contracts. The system runs OCR on each one, so the text trapped inside the images becomes searchable — and a search for a vendor's name surfaces the right contract in seconds instead of an afternoon at the cabinet. Each document carries a SHA-256 hash, so anyone can prove the file hasn't changed since it was filed.
When a contract moves to legal for review, the custody is recorded — who handed it to whom, and when — as an entry that can't be erased. The document is linked straight to the capital project it funds, so it shows up on that project's page without anyone re-filing it. And because it was classified with a retention schedule, the system knows it must be kept for seven years, flags it the day that period ends, and waits for a staff member with disposition authority to act — separation of duties on the way out, too.
What it does
- 01
OCR makes scans searchable
Scanned PDFs and images are read by OCR so the text inside them becomes full-text searchable — not just a filename.
- 02
Full-text search across the archive
Search the words inside your documents, ranked by relevance, instead of guessing which folder a file landed in.
- 03
Chain of custody, on the record
Every document knows its current custodian, and each handoff is an append-only routing event — who, to whom, and when.
- 04
Integrity you can prove
Each document and each version carries a SHA-256 hash, so you can show a file hasn't been altered since it was filed.
- 05
Versioning that keeps history
Re-scan or revise a document and the prior version stays intact, with its own hash and text — nothing overwritten.
- 06
Linked across modules
Attach a document to its permit, project, personnel file, asset, or payment, and it appears on that record's page automatically.
- 07
Retention schedules with disposition
Classify a document by type, apply a retention rule, and the system flags it when the period ends — disposition gated to authorized staff.
How it works
Scan or upload
A document comes in, OCR reads the text inside it, and it's stored with an integrity hash.
Classify and link
Assign a type and retention schedule, and link the document to the permit, project, or file it belongs to.
Track custody and find it fast
Route it through the custody chain on the record, and pull it back later with a full-text search.
Retain and dispose lawfully
The retention schedule runs the clock, flags the document when it expires, and waits for authorized disposition.
English and Spanish
Bilingual by design
Document tracking is a staff module, so the bilingual surface here is your team's: the workspace, the document types, and the retention schedules read in English or Spanish, in the language each employee chose. When a tracked document feeds a public records response, the bilingual public-facing experience lives in the Records module.
Premium AI add-on
CiVQ AI: find by meaning, summarize the file
CiVQ AI searches your documents by meaning, not just exact words, so the right contract surfaces even when the wording differs from your search. It can summarize a long document or a thick file into a brief, and suggest the document's type and retention category from its content, for staff to confirm.
Get started
See CiVQ in your language.
Book a 30-minute walkthrough with our team in Rio Grande City. We'll tailor it to your city, county, or district.
Bilingual support included at every tier.