Companies in today’s technologically advanced world must routinely deal with enormous data sets. Accurately processing data in a timely manner is a difficulty for business professionals. By digitizing formerly paper-based records, the OCR process can help businesses in many ways. In this way, information may be quickly added to, sorted, and shared amongst people.
This article provides a concise definition of an OCR text scanner and highlights the top 5 advantages of OCR for modern businesses.
OCR Process – A Quick Overview
The objective of the OCR process is to convert human-readable documents, such as written material, into computer-readable formats. Records are reviewed, photos are examined, and data is converted to digital formats, all by the application. Invoices, receipts, forms, and legal contracts are just some of the many formats that may be processed with ease by OCR technology backed by artificial intelligence.
Working of Optical Character Recognition(OCR)
The OCR process works in the following ways:
- Image Acquisition
It can scan documents and convert them to binary data or machine-readable text. OCR process can promptly analyze the scanned images and categorize the light areas as background and dark as text.
- Pre-Processing
OCR image reader removes errors and cleans the image to prepare it for reading purposes.
- Text Recognition
The two primary kinds of OCR service processors that it uses for text recognition are:
- Pattern Matching
The process of isolating a character image is known as a glyph. Pattern recognition works where the stored glyph has the same scale and fonts as the input glyph.
- Feature Extraction
Feature extraction breaks down the glyph into features like closed loops, lines, line intersections, and directions. Moreover, an OCR process then uses these features to find the appropriate match among its stored glyphs.
- Post-Processing
After analyzing, the system can convert the extracted data into a machine-readable format. Many OCR services generate annotated PDF files that cover both versions of the scanned documents, i.e., after and before.
Benefits of the OCR Process
- Cutting Down on Expenses
With the use of the advanced OCR process, companies can cut costs overall and avoid hiring staff members for data input tasks. The OCR systems process incoming data and integrate with current infrastructures with ease. In this sense, automated technologies can readily replace human data entry. For example, the user can just provide previously paid utility bills, and the system would automatically gather the necessary data.
- Improved Accuracy
When compared to human data entry, the OCR process is more precise and results in fewer mistakes in the end product. OCR’s processing and interpretation abilities are unparalleled. This guarantees that business professionals have access to accurate information. In this approach, businesspeople can help organizations succeed by making well-informed decisions.
- Enabling Simple Data Searching and Retrieval
The OCR process makes it easy for companies to look up and get information from user records. Once records are digitally formatted, users can quickly search and index them. Business specialists may now quickly and easily get the information they require. Industries handling vast amounts of data can handle information efficiently in this way.
- Improves Accessibility
The OCR process has the potential to improve information accessibility. Now, companies can easily share and access digitized documents anywhere and anytime. It is now convenient for people to access previously unavailable data, like historical archives and records.
- Ensuring Compliance
An OCR process can help firms stay up-to-date with regulatory requirements and preserve precision. Companies can rapidly and simply create a searchable and accessible database by digitizing records. In this way, professionals in the business world may easily keep detailed records and aid in adhering to modern Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering regulations.
Key Takeaways
Organizations in the present day may benefit from implementing OCR systems in numerous ways. An OCR process makes it simple for businesses to improve efficiency, cut costs, and aid professionals in making more informed decisions. OCR technology will remain crucial to the success of companies as digitalization spreads.
Working with a reputable provider to implement a solution that complies with GDPR and PCI DSS is essential for businesses that want to keep their competitive edge. As a result, the significance of the OCR process becomes crystal clear.
