Read one key from the page, from a barcode or by OCR, or type it, and the other index fields fill in from the matching record. If several records match, you're told and can pick the right one.
Scan to database, without retyping what's already in it
SimpleIndex connects to the database you already run. It fills index fields from records that are already there, writes a new record for each document as it's scanned, and attaches scans to the records they belong to. Database lookups and writes are in every edition, licensed once.
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Four ways to use your database
Each one is a setting in the job. No code, and no second database to keep in step with yours.
Insert a new record for each document
Each document becomes a row, with its index values mapped to the columns you choose. The record can hold the file's path, or the file itself in a column built for it.
Update records that already exist
Find the record by its key and write the new values into it, so the database stays the single place the facts live.
Match and attach
Attach each scan to the record it belongs to by matching a key, such as an account or case number. A key that doesn't match can be skipped, typed in by hand, or added as a new record.
Setting up a lookup takes four steps
Pick the database
Choose its type and connect with the sign-in your database already uses.
Choose the table and the key
The key is the value you'll find on the page, such as a patient ID, an order number or an account number.
Map columns to index fields
Pick which columns fill which fields. Only the fields you map are touched.
Read the key from the page
From a barcode, a zone, a pattern, or typed by hand. The rest of the fields fill in as the batch is indexed.
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Databases it connects to
Microsoft SQL Server, with Windows, SQL Server or Microsoft Entra ID sign-in and encrypted connections; PostgreSQL; MySQL and MariaDB; Oracle; Microsoft Access; SQLite; and IBM Db2. Anything else with an ODBC driver can be reached the same way.
SimpleIndex reads and writes your tables as they are. It doesn't add a database of its own that you then have to keep in step with yours.
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When there's no direct connection
Index values can come from XML and JSON files as well as a database, which is how metadata exported from another document system comes along with its files. On the way out, SimpleExport turns them into any XML schema or text format a system can import.
The Workflow Manager can read rows from an index file, a database or QuickBooks and write them to another table as a later step, and custom lookup and export extensions reach systems that only offer an API or a web service.
Before you connect your database
Which databases does it work with?
SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MariaDB, Oracle, Access, SQLite and IBM Db2 are listed in the job wizard, and any other database with an ODBC driver can be connected too.
Do we need a programmer to set it up?
No. You pick the database, the table and the key in the job wizard and map columns to index fields. Custom extensions are only needed for systems with no database to connect to.
Which edition do we need?
Either. Database lookups and writing index values to a database are included in Standard and Professional.
Can the key come from a barcode?
Yes. A barcode on the page, or on a separator sheet, is the most reliable key: one scan reads it and fills every other field. A zone or a pattern read by OCR works the same way.
What happens if the lookup finds several records?
You're told, and can pick the right one. When attaching scans, a job can also be set to update every record that matches.
Are the documents stored in the database?
Usually the files stay in your folders or SharePoint and the database gets the index values and the file's path. If you'd rather keep the file in the database itself, a column can hold it.
Try it on your own database
The free trial runs the full software against your own tables, and our team in Knoxville can help you set up the first lookup.
