At Storetec, we frequently receive questions about the various technologies we use for document scanning and data extraction, particularly OCR, ICR, and OMR. Each of these technologies plays a vital role in efficiently digitising and managing large volumes of documents, whether you’re handling invoices, contracts, surveys, or records. Understanding the differences between these technologies can help you determine which is best suited for your document management needs.
What Are OCR, ICR, and OMR?
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is used to convert a range of document formats – typed, handwritten, or printed – into machine-readable text. OCR is widely applied across many industries due to the ability it provides in searching for documents quickly – for example, OCR makes printed invoices, legal documents, or historical records fully text searchable, allowing clients to pinpoint the exact pages they need without scrolling through entire documents.
Once converted, this allows for detailed filtering and search functionality. As a result, document retrieval is made much faster, particularly when searching through large volumes of documents.
A fundamental tool in any modern document management system, and at Storetec, OCR is integrated seamlessly into our own scanning services.
Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR)
ICR, or Intelligent Character Recognition, takes things a step further by recognising, learning, and adjusting to different styles of handwriting. While OCR can manage typed text, ICR is more suited to the handling of handwritten documents; trained to adapt to various fonts and handwriting styles over time, accuracy is improved the more it’s used.
This is particularly useful in industries where handwritten forms are still common, think healthcare, education, or governmental sectors. For instance, ICR can help hospitals and clinics to digitise handwritten, potentially historical, patient records, to ensure that vital health information is accessible and searchable.
At Storetec, our implementation of ICR streamlines the digitisation process, enabling our clients to transform handwritten notes, forms, and documents into digital data with minimal manual intervention. This allows us the opportunity to extract relevant data and return it to clients in their preferred format, or integrate it directly into their internal systems, such as accounting software or databases.
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) is a technology used to capture human-marked data from documents such as surveys, tests, or ballot papers. OMR detects the presence or absence of marks in predetermined areas of a form, making it ideal for industries that rely on data from tickboxes, bubbles, or multiple-choice formats.
For example, organisations conducting large-scale surveys or exams can use OMR to quickly process and analyse results – schools and universities often use OMR technology to score standardised tests, while market research firms might use it to analyse survey results efficiently.
By employing OMR, Storetec helps organisations extract valuable data from these forms without the need for manual entry, reducing both time and the potential for human error. Consider this most useful when processing high volumes of data, such as customer feedback forms or election ballots.
How Storetec Utilises OCR, ICR, and OMR for Data Extraction
At Storetec, we’ve integrated OCR, ICR, and OMR into our suite of document management services, allowing businesses to automate data extraction processes. Whether you’re dealing with invoices, contracts, or surveys, we can capture key data points – such as names, dates, invoice numbers, and more – and transfer that data back to you in your preferred format.
We understand that different businesses use various software systems, and we are fully equipped to feed the extracted data directly into your internal systems. Additionally, if using MDI Cloud data and document management platform, OCR technology enables content searches within your entire document repository. This means you can locate the precise document you need in rapid time. Whether you’re searching for a particular contract or a specific keyword within a scanned report, OCR ensures that you’ll never waste time manually sorting through digital files again.
MDI Cloud’s AI tool goes a step further by using machine learning to intelligently analyse and interpret the information. You can ask it questions about a document, and the system will provide context-specific answers by drawing from the data within your documents. Additionally, MDI Cloud’s AI can automatically extract data from incoming documents, organising it into structured data tables. This allows for quick reference and analysis, making it easy to identify key insights, spot trends, and generate actionable reports – all without manual intervention.
Why Choose Storetec for Document Management?
With over two decades of experience in document management, Storetec is a trusted partner for businesses across various industries. We understand that each business has unique needs when it comes to document scanning and data extraction, which is why we offer customised solutions. Our team of experts works closely with clients to determine the most effective combination of OCR, ICR, and OMR technologies to meet their specific requirements.
In a world where time is money, and efficiency is critical, our advanced data extraction services ensure you can access your information quickly, securely, and accurately. Curious about how these technologies can transform your document management process? Contact Storetec today to discuss your needs and find the right solution for your business.
