The New Imaging Value Proposition: How Advanced OCR Makes a Difference

Virtually every organization that processes moderate to high levels of paper needs a dependable mechanism for extracting data easily. With the advent of advanced OCR (optical character recognition) technologies – and the momentum it’s given to the mature world of imaging – that time has finally arrived.

And with it, VALUE.

• Value to improve processes and save money
• Value to increase your top and your bottom line
• Value to apply these benefits throughout your organization

Please join AIIM New England for a unique dual-panel format moderated by industry advisor Russ Edelman of Corridor Consulting. Designed to provide engaging and educational perspectives, you will learn about Advanced OCR and how it can help your business.

Panels

• Panel 1: Advanced OCR Vendors flex their muscle and share their unique (and not so unique) value propositions. Cardiff, DataCap, Kofax and ReadSoft are participating.
• Panel 2: End Users share their realities of planning and executing Advanced OCR roadmaps, and avoiding potholes along the way.

About the Moderator

Russ Edelman, President & CEO, Corridor Consulting

With over 17 years of technology experience, Russ is a true industry leader. He elected to start Corridor Consulting in 1997 with a specific focus on web-based technologies and a concentration in document and knowledge management solutions.

In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of Corridor Consulting, Russ serves as an industry analyst for the DM/KM marketplace. In this respect, he is a member of AIIM’s Emerging Technology Group (EmTag) as well as ARMA’s TAC (Technical Advisory Committee). Mr. Edelman speaks frequently at international conferences and writes for leading technology and business magazines

This document has been prepared as a high-level recap of the workshop/conference session that took place on March 22 at The Taj in Boston for the AIIM New England Chapter.

While Corridor was the driving force for the session concept and facilitation, a high level of value was achieved through the participating panelists, AIIM and of course, the attendees. Our goal was to leverage the experiences of all people involved to reflect upon key Advanced OCR issues and the realities of implementing these systems.

Panelists:

• Barry O’Brien – Cardiff, Inc. (Autonomy)
• Drew Reynolds – Kofax, Inc.
• Paul McKnerney – Datacap, Inc.
• Scott Harvey – ReadSoft, Inc.
• Shawn Santomenno – Northeast Utilities System

Key Take Away Points

• A general and genuine consensus was shared by all of the panelists regarding the stability and maturity of the advanced OCR technologies. They have reached critical mass and are being used in a production capacity by a variety of organizations.
• The biggest concern voiced by all panelists and participants was that of proper planning for any implementation. While the technology can be complex, the majority of problems are encountered when the process is not properly defined and understood.
• Most of the panelists believe that a blending of template and rules-based processing is the optimal mix for advanced OCR. However, not all panelists provided a blended solution.
• Kofax and ReadSoft felt a key differentiator for their respective products was the ability to integrate with back-end ERP systems. However, both representatives, along with the other two and me (Russ) immediately commented on the importance of setting expectations around ERP integration; rarely is it performed without a substantial effort.
• All panelists felt that the Advanced OCR technologies had matured to the point where most configuration work is performed through administrative configuration as compared to high level “scripting” or low level “coding”.
• As a result of the heightened emphasis on administrative configuration capabilities, the cost for implementation has been reduced considerably and economic justification is feasible when 3 or more data entry people are employed.
• In the future, Advanced OCR will continue to become simpler with the ability to leverage administrative configuration options more extensively.
• All of the participants indicated that they have a fairly defined process that can serve as a barometer regarding the feasibility of Advanced OCR. By going through this process, you will be able to determine if the technology is or is not a good fit.

Shawn Santomenno, the end user who participated in the event, indicated that once the initial application was successfully deployed, they began to leverage their platform in other capacities. This has been well received and they continue to have success. The panelists agreed that internal expansion is common once the initial system is deployed.

Shawn also indicated that if the business case is readily apparent, you should act as soon as possible to implement a solution as the savings and economics are substantial.

A key question raised by a participant was the use of workflow and which workflow product should be used; a pure-play workflow tool, an ECM workflow tool, or an ERP workflow tool. The general recommendation was that it will be dependent upon standards employed within the organization, coupled with the correct matching of technology for the required functionality. Yes…it depends!

If you are interested in obtaining assistance with your Advanced OCR efforts or would like to receive a similar report for other sessions conducted by Corridor in March, please feel free to contact Russ Edelman at 781.229.9933 ext. 11 or via email at russ.edelman@corridorconsulting.com.

Thanks also for your assistance with The Nice Guy Survey. If you have any interesting stories where you felt being “Too Nice” prevented you from being more successful, please contact Russ as referenced above. A book on the subject is coming out in the summer of 2008.

Event Presentations

  OCR Vendor Panel Discussions (1.2 MiB, 161 hits)