Digitize paper documents and use electronic document management systems to view and edit them and digital signatures to sign them for a fully paper-free office experience.

Features

SimpleIndex All-In-One Scanning ToolSimpleIndex is the perfect solution for small business and departments looking to manage their files from a single interface, developers who don’t want to reinvent the wheel and large companies with many locations looking to decentralize their scanning.

SimpleIndex organizes scanned images and electronic documents into a single document management database your employees can access on their desktops.

SimpleIndex takes the labor out of document imaging by providing powerful barcode recognition and OCR search algorithms that can find index values no matter where they are on the page. By providing these essential automations for a reasonable price, we make document management affordable for anyone.

The most unique automation is our OCR template and dictionary matching search algorithms. This lets you find information like date, customer name, invoice number and other information on documents with different layouts. These can even be applied to the text in Office documents and PDF files to organize these files automatically and attach them to a database.

SimpleCoversheet Barcode Indexing CoversheetsThe SimpleCoversheet barcode printing application lets anyone in your company print bar-coded coversheets with all the information needed to identify a document. This is perfect for scanning with a centralized scanner or networked digital copier. SimpleIndex can then be configured to process these documents automatically without any user intervention whatsoever!

This level of automation is provided by SimpleIndex‘s command line interface. All the settings related to scanning or searching documents can be saved to “Job Files”, which can be saved to an icon and launched with a click of the mouse or a single line of code. These jobs can be configured to scan documents, read barcodes and OCR, generate folders and filenames and upload the index information to a database in a single step.

It is simply not possible to find an easier, faster way to process your documents!

Key Features and Recent Enhancements

    • SimpleIndex Standard has Tesseract OCR and DTK Barcode engines. These provide good recognition on clean originals.
    • SimpleIndex Professional adds FineReader OCR and Accusoft Barcode. These are able to recognize hard-to-read text and bar codes, and improve overall speed and accuracy.
    • Process existing text in PDF files and MS Office documents in all versions.
  • OCRConvert Images to Text with OCR
    • Pro version includes ABBYY® FineReader Engine for faster, more accurate OCR
    • Searchable PDF output
    • Clipboard / Screen Shot OCR
    • Point-Click OCR – Click on text to send it to an index field
    • Enhanced OCR Options – match against other indexes, skip OCR on files with existing text
    • Support for international character sets using Unicode
  • Bar Code RecognitionDocument bar code recognition
    • Multi-engine Barcode voting to boost accuracy (Professional version)
    • Support for most 2D barcodes in all versions
    • User-defined Barcode delimiter – no longer restricted to “|” for parsing multi-index barcodes
    • Pro version includes Accusoft barcode engine for better barcode recognition
    • Find/Replace characters in barcodes for matching or autofill
  • TWAIN and ISIS ScanningTWAIN and ISIS document scanning
    • TWAIN support in all versions. ISIS support available as an add-on or in Pro version.
    • Improved real-time image processing
    • Multiple scan windows when using ISIS
    • Scan directly to a network folder (processing occurs during scan)
  • Desktop Processing
    • Selectively reprocess files
    • Run multiple copies of SimpleIndex simultaneously
    • Save any image region to a separate file for signature capture, etc.
  • Server Processing
    • Run multiple jobs on different schedules
    • Run multiple copies of the same job for parallel processing and increased throughput
    • Server licenses can be purchased in 1 Million Page per Year increments as an add-on to any workstation license
    • Unlimited page barcode processing license available with Advanced Barcode Server
    • Server processing compatible with Windows 7 or above and all Windows Server versions
  • PDF HandlingMS Office and PDF text parsing software
    • Support for reading and writing password protected PDF files
    • Convert MS Office, HTML, XML and images to PDF before processing
    • Searchable PDF output
    • Native PDF Viewer – no dependence on 3rd party software
    • PDF Auto-repair – attempts correction of bad PDF files
  • Indexing
    • Return MD5 hash values
    • Configure default values for empty fields
    • Export to XML
    • Edit Fixed Fields – make changes to auto-generated indexes
  • SharePoint IntegrationDocument scanning and indexing for SharePoint
    • Compatible with all versions of SharePoint and SharePoint Online
    • Append to or replace existing files in SharePoint
    • Automatically match index fields to SharePoint columns to populate data

Website Resources

SimpleIndex.com is full of information and interactive content to help you learn what you need to know to implement SimpleIndex in your organization.

SimpleIndex Applications in Your Industry

PDF brochures outlining some of the applications for SimpleIndex in various industries.

SimpleIndex Feature Highlights

Links to more information on the major features of SimpleIndex.

The Simple Software Imaging Suite

These applications enhance and expand the functionality of SimpleIndex by providing barcode printing, automatic uploading, quality control and direct integration with popular applications like QuickBooks.

Software Catalog

Top Features

The following is a list of the Top 25 major document capture features of SimpleIndex, in no particular order.

New versions History

Simple Software is always working on updating and upgrading. Here you can find change log for SimpleIndex.

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Affordable Document Management

SimpleIndex® is a great solution for small businesses and departments that need a quick and affordable way to scan, organize and view documents. SimpleIndex provides a wide variety of retrieval options, many of which require no special software to find and view documents.

Affordable Document Management Solutions with SimpleIndexThe most basic solution uses Windows folders and filenames to organize and find documents on a shared network drive or synced to a cloud storage platform.

SimpleIndex lets you use index field values to create folders and filenames automatically, automating the process with barcodes, OCR and database lookups where possible.

You can also use SimpleIndex with SimpleSearch to create a keyword-searchable database that lets you find and view documents based on one or more index values.

There are several advantages to using SimpleSearch instead of Windows folders:

  • Find documents based on specific keywords or phrases
  • Drop-down lists to select possible keyword values
  • Use “And” and “Or” logic to search multiple field values
  • Search the full text of OCR’d documents, Office and PDF files
  • Search results are returned instantly
  • Quickly browse through all matching files, even if they are in different folders
  • Integrated file viewer with zoom, annotation, print and email functions
  • Index data stored in a database and can be re-used for reporting and other applications

Integration with Third Party Document Management

SimpleIndex is able to integrate with Enterprise Document Management Systems using a variety of integration methods.

Lowering the Cost of Document Management

automate data entry for affordable document management

Many small businesses are going digital with their documents. However, many also find that the document management systems available are too complex, expensive, or labor-intensive to be practical in a small office.

SimpleIndex was designed to solve this problem by removing many of the costly and cumbersome “gotchas” that make practical implementation of these systems impossible.

Here are some of the ways SimpleIndex saves you money:

  • Standalone scanning, indexing & retrieval license starts at $500.
  • No limitations on processing volume (“click charges”).
  • Files are stored in standard formats using logical folders and filename structures
  • Exported files can be synced any cloud storage platforms
  • Key data is embedded in the file names and metadata tags to ensure they can be found without a third party database or app
  • SimpleView provides both free and low-cost options to browse, search and view exported documents.
  • SimpleSearch provides a client/server document management system with index field and full-text search for a minimal cost per workstation.
  • SimpleIndex integrates with any custom database, allowing you to use existing infrastructure or free/open source database platforms instead of buying expensive licenses.
  • SimpleIndex integrates seamlessly with most document and content management systems available on the market today. Leverage the low cost and enhanced feature of SimpleIndex as an alternative front-end for migrating documents to your DMS.
  • SimpleIndex uses OCR, barcode recognition, database lookups and advanced pattern matching algorithms to automate the indexing and filing of captured documents. Combined with its streamlined workflow, SimpleIndex gives the highest level of automation you can get in this price range.

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Is it possible to search for and retrieve documents with Windows desktop search?

Windows Search works great with SimpleIndex because all index data can be saved to the folder and file names as well as the file properties, and OCR text can be saved to hidden layers in PDF files. Windows Search will read all of these elements when building its index and will return any matching files when you search.

Using Windows Search on a file server allows for instantaneous searching across terabytes of documents and text for all of the users on your network.

IFilters allow Windows Search to search within file contents.

Here are three popular PDF IFilters that will enable text searching for PDF files:

If you have issues with PDF text searching in Windows 10, this article has detailed instructions for resolving PDF IFilter issues:

https://fixedit.itxpress.biz/2018/07/05/searching-pdfs-in-windows-10/

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Is the document Search/Retrieval and View functions available in SimpleIndex or available only with the SimpleSearch add-on module?

All of the search functions can be used with any SimpleIndex license. SimpleSearch is only needed to enable searching from other workstations.

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I have a scanner/copier that creates PDF and TIFF files and saves them to my file server. Can I use SimpleIndex to create a searchable CD/DVD from these files?

This feature is included in SimpleIndex at no additional cost and is called the Media Wizard.

The Media Wizard is located in the “Send” file menu and is called Media Wizard. It allows you to burn your images, indexes, a database and a free SimpleSearch viewer for just the CD or DVD. It also provides an easy way to get the maximum amount of information on the media that you want it on.

You set up the Media Wizard by pointing it to your image folder and database and you select the media that you would like to put it on. It then saves a file folder with all the files that you would need in the size of the media you are using in the location that you designate. You then burn these files using the burning application of your choice.

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Is it possible to restrict user access to certain documents in Retrieval Mode?

If the database you use to store index information has security access features, you can use these to manage access to documents with SimpleIndex retrieval mode.

In your database, create user accounts and groups and assign them the appropriate permissions to records in your document database.

In SimpleIndex, check the “Require Logon” option on the Logging tab to force the user to logon to the database using the accounts you created. When they search and view documents, they will only be able to access records that the corresponding database user has been assigned access to.

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How do you configure full text searching in Retrieval mode?

On the Database tab there dropdown in the lower portion of the panel for Full Text OCR Field. Put the name of the field that will store the full-text data there. This must be configured both for Insert and Retrieval mode configurations. The database field needs to be sufficient length to store the entire text of your document.

Of course, the Insert Mode configuration must have “Enable Full Page OCR” checked to generate full text data from images. Text from MS Office documents, PDF files and existing OCR text files can be used without setting this option.

When designing your Retrieval Mode configuration, create a Text field to use for full text search queries. On the Database tab, set the corresponding “Database Field Name” to the full text database field.

When searching on your full text field, SimpleIndex finds the text you enter no matter where it appears in the document. It is able to match partial words. It does not perform boolean or natural language searches. The text entered must match the document text exactly.

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How do you configure OCR to read index information from MS Office or PDF documents?

MS Office and PDF files generated by software or PDF printer drivers already have the text you need to recognize in the file. Scanned documents need to use OCR to read text from an image of the page. With Office and PDF files, SimpleIndex can just read the text, which is much faster and accurate than image OCR.

To recognize index fields from the document text, first create OCR fields on the Index tab as you would normally. Next, on the Zones & OCR options tab, check the “Use Full Page OCR for this Field” option for each OCR field. This tells SimpleIndex to process the existing file text.

If the index value is a unique pattern of digits or list of possible values, use Template or Dictionary matching to locate the value within the text. Please see the manual for details on Template and Dictionary matching.

If the value appears in a specific location in each file, coordinates can be used to locate it. When processing text, the X, Y, Width and Height settings correspond to line and column numbers within the file text. This is explained in greater depth in the manual.

SimpleIndex will assume that any TXT file with the same name as a file being processed is the OCR text for that file, so this method can work with any type of file.

Find out more about Optical Character Recognition on the SimpleOCR Guide.

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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.

Organize Office Document Automatically with Text Parsing

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.

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FAQ Related to Organizing Office Documents

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Searching and Viewing Documents

If you have not yet decided on a plan for how to organize your electronic documents for later retrieval, you should take some time to consider the possible options.

Search and Retrieval with Document ManagementThere are several ways to search and view documents processed with SimpleIndex®

  • Use SimpleSearch to use keyword searches to find and view indexed documents
  • Use SimpleView to browse folders, search files, view, edit and annotate scanned documents without a database
  • Use a Document Management System for integrated searching, viewing, workflow, security, compliance auditing and other records management functions
  • Use Cloud Storage platforms like Google Drive, Box and OneDrive
  • Use SharePoint to share documents online with custom metadata, create custom document workflows and employ records management standards
  • Link files to a custom application using the Command Line Interface or RPA bot
  • Integrate with your Database to associate documents with records via link or binary field
  • Work with our Professional Services Team or an Authorized Dealer to create a customized solution or direct integration with virtually any application

Choosing a Document Management Solution

Given the variety of free or very low cost file storage solutions available, why would you invest thousands of dollars in a document management system?

  • When high security or access tracking logs are required
  • Compliance with regulations like HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, FINRA, FOIA, SEC, etc.
  • There are document-based workflows that can benefit from automation
  • Users need to view files without installing software licenses (like DWG, VSD or  PSD)

If you already have a database or business app that you use to search for records, and that application has the ability to store or link external documents to those records, this is usually the best choice.

If your business application doesn’t have document management capabilities, there are integrations that can overlay a button or hotkey that lets users open associated files from any screen.

If your business has many different types of documents spread across multiple departments that use different applications, and they sometimes need to be able to access each others’ documents, then a central repository is the better solution.

Cloud Storage platforms like Google Drive, Box and OneDrive provide low-cost, secure online storage that makes it very easy to share documents worldwide on any device. However they don’t have the ability to do field-level indexing to allow for more granular searches, lack the compliance tracking features of a more robust DMS, and don’t have integrated viewers that can display some of the less common file formats without having the application installed.

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Read more about Affordable Document Management solutions with SimpleIndex.

Check out our How to Scan Documents for a detailed guide to creating scanning and retrieval systems.

Download SimpleIndex Now

Our Professional Services department can help you with every step of our project, and often have you up and running in just a couple of hours.

Please Contact Us to schedule a demo or ask us any questions you have!

 

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MS Office & PDF Text Parsing

Office Videos | PDF Video

The template and dictionary matching capabilities of SimpleIndex‘s OCR function can be used to extract index information from the text of existing MS Office and PDF files, or any file with an accompanying TXT file. SimpleIndex® will search the document for matches on unique patterns and value lists, then index the document with the matching data. Zone coordinates can be set to limit the search area to pre-defined regions on standard forms. The result is a fully automated indexing and renaming process for all your electronic documents!

Using existing text, SimpleIndex can index and rename hundreds of files each minute and achieve perfect accuracy. These files can then be quickly searched with SimpleIndex Retrieval, SharePoint and Google search engines, or uploaded into your company’s document/content management system or custom business applications.

Enhanced Text Parsing & PDF Support

PDF Form Read Write DataMS Office and PDF text parsing features are now included in the Basic version of SimpleIndex, making it much more affordable to enable automatic document sorting on the desktop. Additional Office and PDF features include:

  • Convert any MS Office, HTML, XML and image files to PDF before processing
  • Read and write password protected PDF file
  • Searchable PDF output (Image + Hidden Text)
  • Interactive template builder and tester
  • Easily select PDF or PDF/A output format
  • Native PDF viewer and auto-repair of problematic PDFs
  • Read data from PDF forms
  • Populate blank PDF forms with index data

Batch Convert Office Documents to PDF

If you have Microsoft Office or OpenOffice installed, you can use SimpleIndex to automatically convert MS Office documents to PDF files for archival. PDF files are better for archival than editable formats like Word and Excel. They can be annotated, encrypted, searched and viewed with free PDF readers.

There are many free applications that let you convert documents to PDF one at a time. SimpleIndex lets you convert thousands of files at once while it also extracts data from the text for indexing or data entry automation. This feature is ideal for migrating or archiving Office documents to SharePoint, document management systems and custom web applications.

Quickly Organize Any File on Your Computer

SimpleIndex lets you process any type of file on your computer. If an OLE-enabled viewer is installed, SimpleIndex will display the document on the screen. Other documents can be opened automatically in their default application when they are indexed. Quickly type index field data that can be used to reorganize the files into subfolders and structured filenames for browsing and searching on your network, or uploaded to your document/content management system or custom business application.

If the file has an accompanying text file (*.TXT) with the same name, the text in that file can be used for index field extraction, fully automating the process.

Viewing & Indexing MS Office Documents

SimpleCoversheet Barcode Indexing CoversheetsSimpleIndex features full support for viewing and editing MS Office documents (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) on computers with or without MS Office installed. The full application interface is displayed within the SimpleIndex viewer, letting users view the full content of the documents, edit them with all the features of MS Office and save the changes. Modify privileges can be denied using Windows file security or by the SimpleIndex administration wizard to keep out unauthorized changes.

If MS Office is not installed, SimpleIndex can open and display them in the built-in viewer in read-only mode.

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