OCR Software and Excel integration

[BASE813 0]

Has anyone had any experience in OCR scanning software with excel?

Without going into boring detail, I have recently been looking at various data capture software that I can be used with excel to convert to various formats to enable uploading to an accounts system and to also use internally created price lists to run automated checks.

The companies I am looking into rolling this sort of system out are spending masses of time in processing and checking, and I am sure this sort of system would be beneficial.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of set up? and if so what are the short falls you found with data extraction from scanning?

For information, I am not that familar with the scanning software, but from what I have seen (or have been shown from the sales reps I have met with) it seems to produce reasonable file formats that I would be able to use with XL VBA. It also comes with a document management system to allow retrieval of the images, but the only downside I see of this is that they have to be indexed manually.

Just curious as I have not been able to meet with anyone that has used this sort of thing, and have only seen it with a sales rep trying to smchooze me to their product.

Thanks for any experiences.............

[idlewild70 0]

Check out ABBYY at this website

http://www.abbyy.com/products/

THey have good ocr software, and have a package for use with the office suite

I do data processing/imaging and i do OCR as well.

there are software packages that can be set up to read forms, but they tend to get expensive. I use Ascent Capture which can do forms processing and Ocr as well.

[BASE813 0]

thanks,

The products I have been to see are reasonable, but I dont get on well with sales people trying to push things onto me, so I am still unsure their product is something worthwhile for the company I am trying to help with their accounting processes and controls.

Basically, I am looking for a product that will scan invoices (around 30 different formats) and extract certain data from it. I then wish to dump it into XL either through text files or straight to the application, where I am then able to create the VBA to convert the data to something useful.

I am not very familiar with this area of software, so dont know exactly what is needed for my requirements. I have seen various companies, some more toward the document management areas and some more toward the data extraction.

Ideally a module based package would be needed, as this company is looking to expand and I think the document management and work flow areas of these products would be benefical.

As you are involved in this field, perhaps you could advise on the problems and headaches you encountered with using these sorts of products.


Thanks

Michael

[idlewild70 0]

I use Ascent Capture 6.0 from Kofax. It can be set up to read 30 different invoices and extract different info from all of them. It works very well with forms aand there are a bunch of different modules you can buy for it. you can get a text file release module.


It may or may not be for you. Id check www.kofax.com

let me know if you have any questions.

-Fish


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