Integrating ICR with document imaging By Jan Moats, ICR Marketing Manager, FileNet Corporation Integrated with a document imaging application, Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) can automate and accelerate the process required for indexing and entering data from scanned images. ICR can accurately recognize machine print, hand print and other information on forms and convert it to electronic data for processing by existing applications. Auto indexing is the foundation of ICR for document imaging. With auto indexing, an operator need not view each document image and manually type index codes into a database. Additionally, complete data entry of the form can be automated through this process. Integrated with document imaging, ICR revolutionizes forms processing through automating the data capture process. Substantial productivity gains and labor savings can be achieved through implementing ICR with a document imaging system. And, ICR can reduce the payback period of a complete image system by as much as one year. ICR and production document-imaging are a perfect fit. However, successful integration of ICR with a document imaging system is based on careful consideration of the following: * image traffic across the network * document integrity * tight integration with workflow software * exception handling * image indexing accuracy. Overall image network traffic must be analyzed carefully to determine the impact of extra images on the network. So, when integrating ICR with document imaging, look for the vendor to supply image-specific network analysis tools that determine the network loading issues. The benefits of WorkFlo/ICR include reduced personnel requirements. Document integrity is key in a document imaging application. Image applications are made up of documents containing multiple pages. Some images require recognition; others, such as attachments, do not. ICR software must identify which documents to recognize and ignore, yet still track them with image sequence numbers so they can be retrieved along with the single loan image. Integration with workflow software is something else to look for--but much harder to find--in a document imaging and ICR solution. An integrated ICR system should use a document image system's workflow software. For example, workflow software can be used to dynamically route documents to various work processes by using the recognized data from ICR. Through tight integration, automating the flow into the broader business processes is easy. Tight integration with exception processing saves time. For example, with an integrated ICR system, a document imaging system's workflow services can be used to manage upside-down forms in a batch or hand-printed forms in a machine print batch without having to outsort the form for manual processing. Accurate image indexing is essential to a successful ICR and document imaging application. Auto-indexing applications require special validation edits to verify that the recognized data is accurate. ICR must force character rejects if there is any suspicion of an incorrect character decision or data format. Ease-of-use programming tools such as Visual Basic should be available when customization is required. FileNet provides an integrated ICR system with workflow and document imaging software -- WorkFlo/ICR. Sophisticated analysis tools determine the ICR load on the network and provide configuration models for document-image system sizing. The WorkFlo/ICR system was designed from the ground up to handle multi-page documents andexceptions. ICR is cost-effective for organizations implementing production document imaging solutions. Reducing or eliminating manual data entry with ICR provides significant productivity benefits that can be leveraged into a complete document imaging system cost justification. For more information on WorkFlo/ICR call 800-FILENET (345-3638). Jan Moats is ICR marketing manager at FileNet (Costa Mesa, CA). IW Special Supplement, March 1996
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