An essential first step to processing mixed batches with many types of documents is classification. Document Classification methods quickly sort documents by type using key content and layout attributes to identify them.
The most popular document classification systems are advanced AI-based machine learning algorithms that automatically learn how to classify documents based on samples and user feedback. These systems are very powerful but also very expensive. Only large organizations processing millions of pages each year can afford these enterprise solutions.
SimpleIndex naturally has a simpler way to do classification based on keyword patterns in the document text. Simply create a list of document types and assign one or more unique keywords or phrases that will only appear in that document type to each. Logical operators for AND, OR and NOT prevent false matches by requiring multiple keywords for matching or excluding documents that contain certain phrases.
Keyword-based classification works for the vast majority of applications at a fraction of the cost of AI classification.
After classification, SimpleIndex can automatically launch separate document indexing workflows for each document type found in the classified batch. This is especially useful when documents have different metadata requirements or business workflows associated with them.
Our LoanStacker application uses SimpleIndex classification capabilities to identify over 500 different types of residential mortgage documents and automatically verify that all required documents are present.
Reduce Click Charges for Data Capture
If you operate a high-volume scanning department or service bureau, chances are you use software like Kofax to scan and index documents for your clients. If you do then you are well aware of the high cost of click charges and the inevitable mad rushes to purchase additional clicks at the end of a peak volume month.
There are some scanning jobs that need the multi-user batching and indexing features of these systems, but many do not. SimpleIndex® can help you save big on click charges by supplementing your primary scanning infrastructure, letting you perform smaller, less complex jobs in a separate workflow.
Many data capture and forms processing applications charge for every page you process, even if all the data being read is only on the first page. Starting SimpleIndex 9, you can automatically send a copy of the first page from each exported file to a separate folder for data processing, helping you avoid unnecessary processing time and license costs.
Jobs like these can be easily processed with SimpleIndex:
- Simple scan-to-file with no indexing
- All indexing is done via bar codes or database lookup
- No custom export or API integration is required
The following scenarios usually require a more robust solution:
- Multi-user workflows
- Complex data extraction and forms processing
- Direct application integration with APIs
Basically, SimpleIndex is great for 1-2 user workflows where a single user performs the whole scanning and indexing process, or where one person scans and another indexes on a separate workstation. When more than 2 users are required to keep up with indexing volume then it makes more sense to use a system designed for multiple users.
Learn More:
KB Articles for Reduce Click Charges
- Language Pack for Standard/Tesseract OCR
- Languages Supported in SimpleSoftware OCR Engines
- What is Document Imaging?
- Change the Dictionary Separator Value
- Change the OCR Font or Type
- Regular Expression (RegEx) - Syntax or Type
- Autonumber Increment Value
- I'm using full page OCR. The information is all appearing in the txt file but it is losing format about half way through. Data to the right is ending up at the end of the txt doc. Can this be fixed?
- Is there a way to just use part of a bar code or OCR value? For example, extract "50" from the value "124450"
- If I have a form which is filled manually by hand, can SimpleIndex read the data from it?
Zone OCR and Dynamic OCR
Other document scanning applications in this price range use Zone OCR to obtain index data from the page.
SimpleIndex improves upon this time-tested but limited model with its Dynamic OCR feature.
Let’s look at the difference between the two methods:
Zone OCR
Zone OCR is used to read document indexes or tags from text on the page. It is a great way to automate the data entry associated with scanning documents.
However, there are several limitations to zone OCR that must be overcome:
- Index information must be in the exact same place on every page
- Documents shift and skew during scanning, causing the zones to not line up
- If surrounding lines or text on the document are too close, they can encroach on the zone
Dynamic OCR
SimpleIndex overcomes these limitations by using Dynamic OCR technology to extract values from anywhere on the page. Our simplified version of Dynamic OCR works great for many types of documents at a fraction of the cost of other solutions.
- Index information can appear anywhere
- Unwanted characters are ignored
- Find unique patterns of letters and numbers using Template Matching
- Use Dictionary Matching to find a value from a list of possible values
- Use Cloud OCR or ChatGPT to perform AI analysis and intelligent data extraction
Dynamic OCR and AI Assisted OCR
AI assisted OCR is the popular solution to the problem of unstructured and semi-structured documents. But there are many scenarios where simple Template and Dictionary matching provide much better results. And all of these solutions are much more expensive than SimpleIndex!
Often there are only a few key values that need to be extracted, and a wide variety of possible layouts. AI-based document training requires manual processing of several samples of each possible format before it learns how to read them reliably, where a Template could read them all with a single setting. Dictionary matching can perform advanced classification without analyzing thousands of samples.
When data extraction requires natural language processing, field label extraction, handwriting, AI document analysis, or other advanced features, SimpleIndex offers Cloud OCR and ChatGPT integrations.
Dynamic OCR Examples
In the video we see how SimpleIndex approaches a typical Zone OCR example. With SimpleIndex you can use large zones that give a wide margin for error. Template and Dictionary matching are then used to extract the 7-digit Account Number, 6-digit Order Number and Company Name. SimpleIndex discards the surrounding text and keeps the correct value.
Another common example is finding a unique identifier, for example a social security number, that could appear anywhere on the page. Simply enter the template ###-##-#### and SimpleIndex will search the full OCR text until it finds a match. Since only one social security number is likely to appear on the page, a match on this pattern is almost certainly the required value.
With dictionary matching, you can give SimpleIndex a list of possible values and it will automatically search the zone or page for each possible value until it finds a match.
Many dynamic forms processing applications can be implemented using these simple algorithms. This makes SimpleIndex far more versatile than other zone OCR solutions that require the index value to be in the exact same location on every page. Yet SimpleIndex costs only a fraction of the price!
SimpleIndex‘s dynamic forms processing can greatly speed up data entry by eliminating a good percentage of indexing work. For many this can put the labor cost of scanning within their reach.
Dynamic OCR can also be applied to MS Office and PDF files, creating a fully automated process for intelligently indexing and reorganizing electronic documents.
Amazon AWS Textract Cloud OCR
With Textract you can capture data from almost any type of form, including handwritten ones! Textract identifies labeled text anywhere on the document and returns the label text along with the corresponding value. Map the labels to index fields in SimpleIndex and you are ready to capture that data no matter where it appears on the page.
Textract uses machine learning with a huge model based on the billions of pages processed using Textract to provide the most accurate OCR and form field extraction solution available.
By default, Textract is only available as an API and requires custom coding to integrate it into your document workflows. SimpleIndex turns it into a fully-featured batch document and data processing app that is ready to use out-of-the-box.
Since there are no templates to configure or train, setup can be done in hours instead of days or weeks months required by other enterprise data capture solutions.
Pay-as-you-go pricing makes SimpleIndex with Textract the most affordable way to batch process forms for projects with less than 50,000 pages per year to process, especially if you need to read handwriting or have forms with many layout variations.
Got a preference for ABBYY Cloud OCR, Microsoft Azure AI Vision, or Google Cloud Vision OCR? These can be quickly added for a small customization fee. Contact Us for a quote!
Wiki: How to configure AWS Textract OCR in SimpleIndex
Handprint and Handwriting Recognition
SimpleIndex 11 adds handprint recognition capabilities to the FineReader OCR engine to allow recognition of simple form fields and printed text. It works best with constrained form fields, with letter boxes for each character like you see on tax forms and credit applications. And no additional licensing or per-page costs are required!
For unconstrained handprint and cursive handwriting, use the Cloud OCR option to achieve the best recognition accuracy available. This option requires additional AWS processing fees for each page.
Support for Regular Expressions
SimpleIndex OCR has a simple built-in template format, as well as support for Regular Expressions. Regular Expressions (RegEx for short) let you define complex search patterns to extract matching values from the text. This greatly enhances the functionality of the dynamic OCR in SimpleIndex, making it capable of finding variable-length fields with no distinct pattern.
Regular Expressions are a commonly used in text parsing applications. The Perl programming language makes extensive use of RegEx, as do UNIX utilities like “grep”. Many programmers and IT personnel are already familiar with RegEx and can create complex expressions without specific training.
Click here for a reference guide to Regular Expressions
How to Configure SimpleIndex OCR
Our Wiki help has extensive information on how to configure OCR for various document and data capture scenarios.
- Zone OCR read data in a specific location
- Template matching to match unique patterns
- Dictionary matching to match a list of possible values
- OCR Options OCR job settings that apply to all fields
- File Formats that can be output by OCR
- Languages supported by OCR
- FineReader versus Tesseract OCR engines
- Searchable PDF with MRC compression
- OCR to Field for point and click OCR during verification
- Cloud OCR using Textract
Watch this Simple Software University training video to see how to configure and run an OCR job with SimpleIndex.
Learn More:
KB Articles for Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
- Language Pack for Standard/Tesseract OCR
- Languages Supported in SimpleSoftware OCR Engines
- What is Document Imaging?
- Change the Dictionary Separator Value
- Change the OCR Font or Type
- Regular Expression (RegEx) - Syntax or Type
- Autonumber Increment Value
- I'm using full page OCR. The information is all appearing in the txt file but it is losing format about half way through. Data to the right is ending up at the end of the txt doc. Can this be fixed?
- Is there a way to just use part of a bar code or OCR value? For example, extract "50" from the value "124450"
- If I have a form which is filled manually by hand, can SimpleIndex read the data from it?
How do I download and utilize TaxStacker after purchasing?
The TaxStacker system is based on a custom set-up in the SimpleIndex software and consists of the “Tax Stacker.sic” Job Configuration file and the “TaxStacker.mdb” database.
To use the TaxStacker system after purchasing follow the instructions below.
- Follow the SimpleIndex download, installation and activation instructions.
- Download the “TaxStacker.zip” file from the link provided with your confirmation email, which includes the Job Configuration File and Database.
- Create a Windows folder in the location of your choosing called “TaxStacker”
- Copy the “TaxStacker.zip” file to to the “TaxStacker” folder that was just created and unzip the contents directly to this folder.
- Create a folder called “Input” within the “TaxStacker” folder.
- Put any tax documents and image files that you would like to process with the TaxStacker system in the “Input” folder.
- Run the “Tax Stacker.sic” Job Configuration file within SimpleIndex to process any files contained within the “Input” folder.
TaxStacker: Sort & Classify Federal Tax Documents
This is a great way for accountants and tax preparers to organize complex tax returns in a way that makes it easy to find specific documents. It can also be used to ensure all required schedules and supporting documents are present in the finished return.
Use our out-of-the-box TaxStacker configuration to automatically identify all the forms and schedules that make up a U.S. federal income tax return. These can then be sorted into separate PDF files or combined into a single file that has bookmarks to indicate each section.
Learn More:
What is Document Imaging?
Document Imaging was the more commonly used term in the early days of document scanning and OCR and refers to any system used to replicate documents used in business. It evolved from the microfilm days where it was referred to as Document Image Management.
Document Imaging allows for the scanning of paper documents, as well as the processing of files saved electronically. These files are then named and saved for later searching.
Other document imaging terms include automatic imaging software, best digital imaging software, best imaging software, desktop imaging software, digital document imaging, digital imaging software, document imaging download, document imaging PDF, document imaging processing, document imaging products, document imaging software, document imaging solution, document imaging solutions, document imaging systems, document imaging technologies, document imaging technology, document imaging tools, image to database, imaging resource, imaging scanning software, imaging software companies, imaging software download, imaging software for windows, imaging solution, scanner imaging software, scanning and imaging, scanning imaging, and software for imaging.
Organize Office Documents with Text Parsing
This video shows the Sort My Documents sample job included with the SimpleIndex trial download. It shows how you can organize office documents automatically by parsing the file’s text for relevant metadata and keywords. You can then use those keywords to tag documents with metadata and create standardized folders and filenames.
First we sort Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations automatically using the SimpleIndex template and dictionary matching algorithms that match patterns and keywords in the parsed text.
Then the files are organized into folders and filenames using the Sales Rep, Customer, Document Type and Date values extracted from the text.
Organize Office Documents for Cloud Storage
You can also upload organized files to SharePoint or Cloud Storage platforms without the chaos and disorganization you inevitably get when users create their own folders and filenames.
Organize Office Documents for Document Management
In the video, we use SimpleSearch to search and view the sorted files. But you can just as easily use any third party document management system or custom database to perform keyword or full-text searching.
You can use the SimpleView embedded viewer to view Office documents, PDF files and images in a common interface. In the video we use the full version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to edit Office documents right from the search screen.
Find Out More
- Download or get an Online Demo
- MS Office Text Processing Features in SimpleIndex
- MS Office Features and Settings Wiki Pages
- OCR Features and Settings Wiki Pages
- OCR Software Guide on SimpleOCR
Learn More:
Streamlined Interface
Maximum Data, Minimum Clicks
Learn More:
KB Articles for Streamlined Interface
- Full-Page OCR Indexing Demo
- Video Demos
- Take control of Sales Tax exemption forms
- Reduce Click Charges for Data Capture
- Network Scanners & Copiers
- The All-In-One Scanning & Sorting Tool
- Automatic Indexing Using Existing Data
- Indexing Solutions with Barcode Recognition
- Automated Processing & 1-Click Interface
- Features
SimpleInvoice Invoice Processing Solution
SimpleInvoice is a preconfigured solution that uses the OCR and dictionary matching functionality of the SimpleIndex scanning and indexing software to automatically capture key information from invoices needed for Accounts Payable processing.
SimpleInvoice requires minimal configuration to get started, and comes with everything you need to capture most common invoice styles.
Use SimpleInvoice to:
- Capture data from paper and electronic invoices in a single workflow
- Automatically receive and enter Accounts Payable data in your accounting software
- Create full-text searchable invoice files
- Create an organized filing system for archiving invoices
- Quickly find and view invoices based on vendor, date, invoice number, or full-text search
- Direct integration with QuickBooks on-premise using SimpleQB
- Works with RPA bots to integrate with QuickBooks Online and other accounting systems
Uses Templates, Not Training
Most data on an invoice matches common patterns like dates and total amounts. The one exception is the invoice number, which has a different format for every vendor.
Using the Template Autofill feature in SimpleIndex, you to spell out the specific OCR pattern of a vendor’s invoice number as a column in your Vendor database. When processing invoices, it first identifies the vendor, then searches for the matching pattern in the text to find the invoice number.
This solution is far simpler than the machine learning algorithms employed by enterprise invoice OCR systems, which is why SimpleIndex is a fraction of the cost. It’s also simpler than other template-based systems that require you to locate every field for every vendor.
Enterprise Accounts Payable Automation
If your AP workflow requires advanced features like line item capture, GL coding, PO matching, VAT calculation, complex approval workflows, or if you have thousands of vendors to process, then an enterprise invoice processing solution is more appropriate.
Don’t worry, we can help you out with that too!
Find Out More
SimpleInvoice is included for free with any SimpleIndex license. Download SimpleIndex Now!
Some initial setup is required, and we can help you out with that too. Our Professional Services department can have you up and running in just a couple of hours.
Check out SimpleQB or our AP Automation RPA Bot to see how we integrate with your accounting software to automate the entry of transaction data.
Please Contact Us to find out more about SimpleInvoice!
Learn More: