Powerful text recognition speeds up digital transformation
For businesses undergoing digital transformation, optical character recognition (OCR) is a game-changer. Scanning software with OCR functionality streamlines workflows and reduces tedious manual tasks. That saves valuable time, allowing your company to remain agile and competitive. But to make the most of this productivity-boosting feature, you must first understand it. Here’s everything you need to know about how OCR technology works and its many benefits.
For a deeper dive into optical character recognition technology, read OCR Made Simple: A Guide to Understanding Optical Character Recognition.
How does OCR technology work?
Scanning a physical document typically produces a digital file that turns each side of the paper into an image. Any relevant text — names, item descriptions, invoice numbers, etc. — would then have to be manually recognized without OCR. Once you add OCR, you can automate by converting each image into a separate text layer, making the image searchable, indexable, and extractable.
The explanation is simple, but the technology behind it is complex. OCR software first analyzes your scanned documents. During the pre-processing phase, the software removes noise and image artifacts which can boost the image quality. This makes it easier to identify text as opposed to noise or blank space. Your scanner may also include image enhancement capabilities, which can make a big difference in OCR accuracy due to its ability to process raw image data before it’s compressed.
Machine learning plays a vital role in the next steps. OCR technology leverages sophisticated algorithms to convert image data into text. Because machine learning is adaptive, it can recognize patterns within individual documents and make contextual corrections based on trained language models. The text recognition process happens in seconds, leaving you with an easy-to-search digital file. In some cases, OCR technology works with document classification software that can automatically tag and categorize documents, further reducing the need for manual input.
Did You Know?:The RICOH fi-8170 scanner comes with PaperStream software, which boasts onboard image processing and sophisticated OCR features. With scanning speeds of up to 70 double-sided pages per minute, your business could digitize thousands of documents per workday. Click here to learn more.
Benefits of OCR technology
Automates manual processes
Think about the process of creating a digital archive. Without OCR technology, every scanned document would have to be tagged to ensure you can find it later. If you wanted to search your database for a specific phrase within these documents, you would need to enter that information by hand. Multiply that by the number of files you need to scan and it’s easy to see how those tedious tasks add up.
Using OCR technology makes text searchable as it scans and uploads. This leaves your employees free to focus on more pressing tasks.
Increases accuracy
In addition to parsing text, OCR technology also cleans up scanned images and boosts overall image quality. You don’t want to risk misinterpreting a critical document because of a smudge or artifact on the original paperwork. Choosing the right scanner and capture software ensures that the information in your files will be translated from physical to digital with the highest possible accuracy. OCR also lessens the opportunity for error that entering information manually creates.
Makes data available more quickly
OCR technology digitizes the information off the page of a scanned document, allowing a capture program to upload your scan to a chosen application, workflow, or storage destination. This, in turn, makes the file able to be easily searched for and retrieved. In other words, when document access is critical, OCR technology is the first step toward enabling timely and efficient distribution of scanned data across your business.
Improves customer service
There’s another benefit to having that data available so quickly: You’ll be able to better serve your customers. Being able to respond to requests more quickly boosts customer satisfaction, particularly in paperwork-heavy industries like healthcare. This helps you build long-term customer relationships that drive business growth.
Enhances security
In an always-connected world, cyber crimes are a major threat. Data breaches could cost companies millions, and that doesn’t include the loss of customer trust or damage to your reputation. Dedicated capture applications can process searchable scanned images for personally identifiable information (PII) and redact selected fields to ensure that the information is hidden.
Did You Know?:PCMag gave the RICOH fi-8170 four out of five stars and a coveted Editors’ Choice award. The publication praised the scanner’s “accurate OCR,” as well as its fast scanning speeds and robust software suite. Read the full review here.
Streamline your digital transformation with OCR technology
To complete your digital transformation, you need the right combination of hardware and software. Ricoh’s robust line-up of scanners with OCR technology can significantly speed up digitization and help you take your business to new levels of efficiency. For example, the fi-8170 scanner boasts double-sided scanning of 70 pages per minute. As it scans, our PaperStream software uses advanced image processing to increase OCR accuracy, resulting in a searchable document that looks even cleaner than its paper counterpart.
If you’re not sure which Ricoh solution is best for your business, get in touch! We’ll provide a free assessment to determine which fi Series scanner is most suitable to your workload and industry. You’ll also get a personalized demo that allows you to see the technology in action. Click here to get started.
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