Text recognition pdf: what software options do you have?

You have to deal with PDFs on a regular basis in the financial administration department. After all, the stream of incoming documents contains many pdf files. It is important to process these adequately. How do you do that? By applying text recognition. With good scanning and recognition software, you automate the processing process: you no longer have to perform manual operations, allowing you to focus on challenging tasks that add more value to the organization. Moreover, you work more efficiently and reduce the chance of error, because the software eliminates overtyping. One caveat: you only enjoy these benefits if you choose the right software.

Convert scanned pdf files: the function of OCR software

First, let’s take a closer look at OCR technology. “OCR” stands for ”Optical Character Recognition. OCR software converts scanned documents and PDF documents into digital versions that you can edit and archive. Contracts, articles, letters, reports and manuals convert to editable text in no time. The basis for this technology is pattern recognition. OCR software scans a text and distills letters, numbers and punctuation at the pixel level. From this, words and text roll out. The result is a searchable digital document that you can edit. (Want to know more? Read our blog “What is OCR?”)

Processing scanned documents without overtyping: the possibilities

Many finance departments deploy OCR technology to recognize the typical PDF file: a purchase invoice, a statement, a work order or a service report. That saves a lot of overtyping – provided you use the right OCR solution.

But how do you know which one it is? There are many OCR programs available and it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. To get you started, we list the software options for you!

1. The budget-friendly option (or is it?).

If you google how to convert scanned documents and PDFs into editable digital files, you will stumble upon a multitude of options. Among them are undoubtedly free or very inexpensive OCR solutions. It may seem tempting that you don’t have to pay a purchase cost or a per-page fee. But remember that cheap can be expensive.

What do you spend on maintenance? How much time and effort does it take to build templates or program in new logic? Many organizations don’t want to deal with these things because they are costly and time-consuming. A more sophisticated solution often turns out to be a lot more cost-effective in practice.

2. The semi-optimal option (a step in the right direction).

Do you see OCR software as an investment? Then you could opt for a freeform solution. With this, you benefit from a short implementation time. Moreover, the recognition results are good. The system intelligently interprets letters, numbers and punctuation marks using optical character recognition. It then forms combinations to find the correct values.

Useful? Definitely. Because you have good recognition for every scanned PDF, you save time. But it can be even more efficient…

3. The smart option (killing more birds with one stone).

Smart OCR software goes a step beyond freeform. How? The name says it all: based on a self-learning mechanism, this software gets smarter and smarter – without you having to do anything.

Like the other users in the community, you can provide feedback on invoice entries to optimize recognition. The system uses all this input to continuously optimize recognition for all users. This ultimate joining of forces and knowledge ensures that your administrative processes will only improve over time.

Other processes can also benefit from this smart OCR technology: you can use the automatic processing of information from the user community not only for purchase invoices, but also for other incoming document types. The knowledge currently being built up can also be used for future forms of document processing. So with smart OCR software you kill several birds with one stone!

4. The all-in-one option (get rid of repetitive, manual work!).

If you use OCR to recognize each PDF file, you can often automate other actions in your administrative process. Do you want to work as efficiently and optimally as possible? Then choose a total solution that aims to eliminate repetitive, manual work.

As an example, if you receive purchase invoices with a project number, you can automatically link them to a specific project leader. Using advanced workflow software, the invoice is sent to this project leader for approval. To keep the approval process running smoothly, you can have the system send automatic reminders. Approvers can digitally approve an invoice anywhere, anytime. How convenient!

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Which OCR solution will you choose?

Wil jij profiteren van optimale tekstherkenning bij het verwerken van je pdf-documenten? Ben je op zoek naar een OCR-oplossing die aansluit op je huidige systemen, maar die je ook in de toekomst kan helpen? We bespreken graag met je hoe jij je administratieve processen het best kan optimaliseren om zo efficiënt en eenvoudig mogelijk te werken.

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