Strategies in Document Management: Barcode Recognition

The utilization of barcodes has transitioned right alongside the evolution of technology. Barcodes have transformed so that even a smartphone has the ability to scan for information on products, play music, and enter contests. Computers easily read these embedded encryptions, and innovative organizations are taking full advantage of their capabilities.

Printing documents with barcodes permits key information to be read and assessed by a computer system. To further streamline this process, barcode labeling allows users to easily index documents, collect information and minimize data entry errors without limitation to file amount. Simple, widespread and inexpensive, barcode technology has extended beyond the checkout counter and into the modern day office.

Capture Automation

When capturing documents in batch, how will the system know when each document is complete in page count? If you do not have a way to automatically separate one document from another, you will need to separate them manually or be stuck with individual pages for each document. But luckily, barcodes can eliminate the time and costs of manually separating and indexing electronic documents.

With advanced Document Management systems, barcodes can be used as document identifiers to automatically separate one document from another and index both appropriately. These Content Management systems can automatically read barcodes on documents when they are scanned to a PDF for electronic storage. A barcode on the first of many document pages within a batch marks the first page of the group and indicates that the following pages all belong. The Document Management system will then treat these pages as part of a document bundle until another barcode appears. This has proven to be a fast and accurate method of data entry, as key information within a barcode can be used to interact with documents for appropriate database indexing.

Speed and Precision

The speed of gathering information is another added benefit of utilizing barcode technology. For an organization to hire an employee to manually index documents by long alphanumeric account number strings proves inefficient, costly, time-consuming and prone to human error. Barcodes are much faster, adding extra efficiency to your paperless system. Applying barcode labels prior to scanning documents allows files to be automatically indexed and organized for fast and reliable search and retrieval.

For paper-reliant organizations, implementing a capture automation strategy allows for easy access and filing of critical information. Barcodes can be far more precise than manual entry and are as accurate as Optical Character Recognition. Where minor errors in manual keying can lead to major losses in finances, the precision provided by barcode labels is unparalleled. Barcode labeling solutions provide effective scanning operations to ultimately save time and reduce costs for companies small and large.

Ease and Efficiency

To get started, simply download a barcode font (most are free), then create and directly insert your personal barcode into your documents. It’s as easy as that. Streamline document capture processes by printing these documents with the barcodes permanently burned into them. Adding efficiency and accuracy to your document management efforts, barcode labeling systems are praised for saving organizations expensive labor costs and valuable time. By automatically passing information for indexing and triggering database queries, barcodes can help your organization make the most of your Document Management investment.

Barcodes can also be used to assist with document compiling and assessment procedures. If a New Hire packet contains 20 pages of specific documents, applying barcodes will aid the Document Management system to identify and ensure completion of the package. Also, if a document needs to be associated with account information that already exists in the database, using a barcode will tie the two together.

Through intelligent capture technology, advanced organizations are using barcodes for their accuracy in collecting and indexing information, while reducing the risks of manual data entry. Errors in manual key entry may prevent documents from being filed correctly, making future retrieval nearly impossible. Incorporating barcode labeling facilitates document identification, separation, indexing, as well as search and retrieval within a database repository. Barcodes utilize a proven technology that is here to stay; if you are not using barcodes within your document filing system, now is the time to start.