Electronic data capture and imaging is the use of image capture software to scan and convert paper documents into electronic documents for more efficient and cost effective storage, distribution, and use. Traditionally, scanning has been a centralized, back-office operation, i.e., all documents were typically captured at one location. However as the expense of having multiple scanners at multiple locations has gone down and the speed of internet has increased, capturing images at local offices and sending them digitally to a centralized server has become a more cost-effective and efficient approach.
Image capture software has also improved, with advancements such as OCR (optical character recognition), ICR (intelligent character recognition), and IDR (intelligent document recognition), these scanned documents can be automatically transformed from unstructured images into structured data. OCR, ICR and IDR utilize either training sets or marked images to translate forms into databases. Enterprise capture also includes many parts of enterprise content management to allow for distribution and reporting.
Business value for enterprise capture comes from ease of access to important documents, and the creation of a data warehouse when combined with OCR, ICR, or IDR software. Iknow has experience creating processes for both capture and sharing. We understand the use of metadata to improve findability and design the taxonomy for once it is placed within a content management system. The value comes from the decrease in cost when any office can scan, share, and print information from any other office. Enterprise capture can also be utilized by government agencies to comply with regulations limiting the use of paper copies. Further uses for enterprise capture can come when combined with digital asset management.
Iknow also brings value to the enterprise capture and imaging process through the capture, by bringing the business and programming knowledge to design training sets and marked images to allow OCR, ICR, and IDR to read the document. Our consultants’ experience as business leaders makes us uniquely suited to understand and organizations needs when building an enterprise capture system.