document processing is the term used for the collection of technologies that turn paper documents – whether handwritten, typed or a combination – into electronic ones that can be kept and retrieved on a computer or network. Whereas only a few years ago these provided only very basic capabilities, they are now far more advanced and allow for versatile and easy management of your paperwork. One of the greatest advantages is that physical documents can then be integrated with ones that were created by computer into a document management system. This is effectively a kind of electronic filing cabinet. The difference is that it is much easier to locate what you want – not to mention the fact that losing letters and memos becomes a thing of the past. Yet another benefit is that more than one member of staff can read a document at the same time. When applied to your accounts department, the result – known as invoice processing – allows you to enjoy these benefits when paying customers, staff and suppliers, resulting in greater efficiencies as well as fewer errors.
Document processing is carried out in a range of different ways; there is no single solution that is appropriate for all organisations, since each company will have its own special needs. OCR – optical character recognition – forms a part of the collection of techniques; in other instances simple scanning and conversion to PDF may be all that is necessary. Of course the complexity (and cost) of the solution you choose will depend on the nature of your business and demands of the office.
In each case, though, the aim is total integration of your systems. In the typical office, paper is still used for much of your documentation. Other functions will be carried out either partly or fully electronically. This mixed system produces particular problems and inefficiencies. These can be all but eliminated if you convert paper documents to electronic ones, allowing you to treat everything in the same way.
This is particularly true of invoice processing. Electronic payments are swift, reliable and secure. Many of your invoices may come in electronic form, and be settled in the same way. Other parties will send paper invoices. These are all too often treated as second priorities. Similarly document processing means that paper letters and memos can be approached with the same ethos as emails. A good document management system reduces the inefficiencies of the business that currently relies on two inherently incompatible technologies.
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