This DX power tool is a must-use feature for every organization.
Do you process lots of similar records, like invoices or contracts? You probably find scanning and inputting indexing information (aka metadata) manually, for each file, gets old fast. Not even your most dedicated administrative employee wants to spend large portions of their day doing data entry. After all, isn’t the whole point of getting a document management software to automate tasks to save time?
If you’re still manually scanning, tagging, and filing documents, consider this a friendly reminder that there is a better way! Smart Capture (legacy) is included with all versions of DocuXplorer and next generation AI Capture, changes the automation game with increased ease and accuracy.
Smart Capture is DocuXplorer’s answer to automating data entry. You won’t ever have to spend exorbitant amounts of time manually indexing documents again. It is an essential part of your DX toolkit that every DX user should be using.
If you’re not using this feature regularly or you’re unsure of when to use it, don’t worry. By the end of this article, you will know the Smart Capture basics and be well on your way to processing and managing your forms in record time.
Most DocuXplorer users are likely familiar with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which allows the software to turn scanned images of text into machine-readable text. Before the proliferation of OCR technology, users who wanted to digitize paper documents had to manually re-type the text in its entirety. OCR is a core feature of DX that allows users to scan documents and have them automatically digitized, allowing users to search the entire body of a document.
The most significant difference between OCR and Zonal OCR is that OCR digitizes all the text in a document, while Zonal OCR digitizes text within specific areas of a document. If you have an invoice and the bill to company is always in the same place on the page, and the date is always in the same place on the page, you can OCR just those specific areas where the information changes, rather than every word on the page.
DX Smart Capture takes it a step further, taking the text from these “zones,” mapping it to your predefined index set fields and saving the file in the corresponding cabinet, drawer, and folder. It’s like having a data entry auto filing assistant! This will save you so much time!
So, when would you use Smart Capture?
Let’s say you had a stack of hundreds of invoices. After a busy day at work, you could spend a few hours manually inputting all the information, or you could set up a template using Smart Capture and let DX do it for you. Whether working with a physical or digital file, DX extracts the data in the pre-defined zones, maps it to the appropriate index set fields, and files the record away effortlessly.
Areas that vary, like the Invoice Number and Customer Name, are identified as specific zones that Smart Capture will map to the corresponding index set fields. You can do a batch scan of the documents, and DX will automatically assign them to the appropriate cabinets, drawers, and folders.
Use this process for each of your template documents so that your team spends less time scanning and entering metadata and more time doing the work that really matters.
DocuXplorer is all about making your life easier by providing convenient, productivity-boosting document management solutions that are easy to implement and use. Smart Capture is one of the essential features that every user should be taking advantage of. The benefits of using Smart Capture include:
Improved Efficiency
You can digitize and tag your documents with metadata as quickly as you can batch scan them. This saves users countless hours by eliminating the need to do this manually. The only reason not to use Smart Capture is if you enjoy wasting time on repetitive tasks when you could spend your time being more productive. Smart Capture allows you to maximize the efficiency gains you get from DX.
Increased Productivity
When you’re not spending time tagging your scanned files, you can spend more time getting other critical tasks done. Salespeople can spend more time converting leads and less time processing customer invoices. Executive assistants can spend more time writing correspondence or assisting with operational tasks and less time standing behind a scanner. When you let our technology work for you, it allows you to do your best work.
No More Human Error
By eliminating the need for manual data entry, Smart Capture minimizes human errors. Errors like typos, misspellings, and incorrect tags will be a thing of the past. Smart Capture handles all of this for you through automated processes.
Searchability
DocuXplorer’s OCR capabilities allow you to perform keyword searches for any word in a document. Once you’ve indexed the document, you can perform extremely pinpointed and accurate searches like: “I would like to see all invoices over $1000, from last month.” Or “I would like to see all applications with the status Needs Attention, with the owner Mary.” Or “show all receipts created more than 7 years ago.
Automation
Once Smart Capture automatically indexes and files your documents, you can trigger even more time saving processes. Check out the workflow library to set up reminders, approval processes, digital signatures, or run reports. Documents are always in motion, DX keeps them moving.
See how our clients put Smart Capture to work for them:
Parts Authority uses OCR and barcodes to scan signed copies of invoices as proof of delivery. They process tens of thousands of invoices each day. Automating this process with Smart Capture has saved them countless hours and resources.
“Without Smart Capture, it would be almost impossible to scan and file all of our invoices manually. DocuXplorer’s OCR features minimize our manual steps and maximize our efficiency.”
- Roger Bauby, Parts Authority
Kernels Popcorn Limited uses Smart Capture templates for all accounting-related documents. DX has transformed the way they process invoices and payables, saving them lots of time and energy.
“DocuXplorer’s Smart Capture feature saves us 70% of the time it would normally take to index our invoices and file them. It is a huge productivity boost.”
- Penny Daniels, CFO, Kernels Popcorn Limited
Identify a document you add to DocuXplorer time and again, like an invoice, bill, contract, or form. Create a template for this document using the steps below and map the areas of the document to the appropriate index set information and identify the cabinet, drawer, and folder it should reside in. Once the template is complete, end users just need to run the template when importing paper or digital files.
If you’re not sure how to use Smart Capture, no worries. As with most DX features, it is straightforward and intuitively designed so that even non-technical users can take advantage of it. To learn how to use Smart Capture, check out the video and written instructions below:
Smart Capture saves our clients thousands of hours of manual labor and resources. Quickly setting up your Smart Capture templates pays dividends in the long run. You should be using this feature whenever possible.
If you’re building a Smart Capture template yourself or would like to have us build one for you, you can always get help at support@docuxplorer.com.
