Document Capture
Converting paper files to electronic information provides many benefits such as lower storage costs, quick search and retrieval time, and the elimination of the costs incurred to recreate a lost document.
Information capture is the process of utilizing technology to convert hardcopy information into electronic data. Various available technologies enable the translation of hard-copy data into an electronic format with little or no manual keying. Information can be captured and stored in the form of an image or it can be captured and processed through a recognition engine.
Imaging
Imaging occurs when information is captured (usually by scanning) from its hardcopy form and converted to digital information that is stored in the form of pixels that can be read and manipulated by a computer. The scanned image looks the same as the hardcopy document, but now it is in digital form. Once information has been captured, it can be indexed so that it later can be recalled, viewed, searched and printed.
Imaging is beneficial for various reasons. Information stored digitally takes up a fraction of the space consumed by paper. Additionally, once information is digitized it can be accessed remotely via a network or the Internet, or it can be published to a CD or DVD. The digital information can be backed-up to safeguard against loss of information. Additionally, electronic document images are becoming more widely accepted as court evidence.
For more information on the acceptance of digital formats, see:
Recognition
Recognition occurs when hardcopy information or a digital image is processed by a recognition engine to translate the content into machine-readable form. Recognition technologies play an important role in converting large amounts of data into a format that is usable and can be repurposed. Types of recognition engines are Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), Optical Mark Recognition (OMR), and bar code recognition.
Translating data through a recognition engine can reduce manual data entry, resulting in reduced processing time, reduced processing cost and improved accuracy. Organizations can achieve additional savings by automatically integrating the translated data into their workflow.
Why use imaging and recognition in relation to print?
Regardless of whether information exists as an image or it is translated to digital text, many benefits are achieved by converting paper into digital data. Some of these benefits include:
- Reduction in storage space
- – A single CD can hold the contents of a four-drawer filing cabinet.
- Concurrent access
- – Digitized information can be saved to a centralized location and accessed by many users without having to (photocopy or print and) distribute to multiple users.
- Usability
- – Digitized data can be extracted and integrated into workflow. For example, an invoice could be imaged and OCR scanned, and the OCR data can be extracted and passed into the accounts payable system. Or, an application could be scanned and the person’s name, address, phone number and application request could be extracted, and passed on to the contacts database as well as the order fulfillment system.
- Searchability
- – Indexed digital data can be easily searched and accessed.
- Disaster Recovery
- – Digitized data can be backed-up and stored in multiple locations, making data accessible and recoverable in the event of a disaster.
- Availability
- – Electronic documents can be stored on a networked server and can immediately be accessed by users throughout the enterprise.
- Security
- – Password protection and access restriction can be placed on electronic documents to protect sensitive data.
How does this technology apply to day-to-day situations?
Here are some examples of how information capture has helped businesses gain efficiencies and often reduce operating costs.
- Not enough available office space for storage of paper-based files.
- Often these files are “nonliving”, (no longer edited, altered or added to) and the need to keep them is either regulatory or for historical data purposes. By using capture technologies, these records could be indexed and stored electronically, and accessible from a computer. Not only does this save the costs associated with physical space or for hiring a records management company, it makes these documents more easily retrieved.
- Reduce manual tasks of copying paper files and mailing.
- In businesses and agencies that need to share information currently stored in paper-format to outside parties like clients, brokers, or franchisees, imaging these documents and storing them electronically allows for easy e-mailing, reducing labor hours spent manually filing, retrieving, copying and mailing these documents as well as postage costs.
- Protecting paper-based information as part of a disaster recovery or information security plan.
- Creating an organized electronic document library that duplicates your existing historical documents that is stored on transportable media or on multiple servers protects that information from permanent loss in the case of a disaster or information security breach. These documents also can be password protected to track and limit access.
- Collecting information from paper-based surveys or tests.
- When researching or testing, paper is still often the best way to get needed responses. Capture technology allows for the automated “reading” of appropriately designed forms, improving accuracy and timeliness of results.
Related NPC Services:
- Imaging (Black and White or Color)
- Indexing and Coding
- Recognition - OCR/ICR/OMR/Barcode
- Forms Processing
- Survey Processing
- Media and Format Conversion
- Electronic Publishing of Scanned Archives
- Document Management
- Hosting Services