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Intelligent Document Capture with Ephesoft, Second Edition
Intelligent Document Capture with Ephesoft, Second Edition

Intelligent Document Capture with Ephesoft, Second Edition: Automate the processing of scanned and digital documents by improving accuracy using web-based open and modern intelligent document capture software , Second Edition

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Paperback Aug 2015 164 pages 2nd Edition
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Profile Icon Pat Myers Profile Icon Jon Solove Profile Icon Michael Muller Profile Icon Ike Kavas
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Paperback Aug 2015 164 pages 2nd Edition
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Intelligent Document Capture with Ephesoft, Second Edition

Chapter 2. Creating a Batch Class

A batch is a set of pages or page images to be processed. A batch class is the definition of how Ephesoft will process these pages. A batch instance is the actual process of performing the operations defined by the batch class. Each batch class can monitor different sources for incoming content and create a batch instance when the content arrives. Batch classes can monitor a variety of sources, including folders in the file system, e-mail accounts, and standards-compliant content repositories.

As an example, we are going to create a new batch class for an accounts payable group that wants to automate the processing of invoices.

As we work through the example in this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

  • Creating a batch class
  • Creating a document type
  • Training for classification and separation
  • Creating fields
  • Basic key/value extraction
  • Validation rules
  • Exporting
  • Processing a batch

Creating a batch class in Ephesoft

The first step in our example is to create a batch class for processing accounts payable documents. We will accomplish this by copying a batch class provided by Ephesoft, and then customizing this batch class as necessary.

The batch classes that come with Ephesoft provide the core behavior that most organizations need. These batch classes should be used as templates and should not be modified or deleted. Creating a copy maintains the original template batch class for use in creating future batch classes.

We will create our batch class on the basis of the MailroomAutomationTemplate batch class. This batch class comes preconfigured with most Ephesoft functionalities, although some of it is disabled. To copy the MailroomAutomationTemplate batch class, first select it from the list in the Batch Class Management interface, and then click on the Copy button above the list.

Creating a batch class in Ephesoft

The batch class management main screen

Enter the Name, Description, Priority, and UNC Folder...

Creating a document type

Now that the accounts payable batch class exists, we must tell Ephesoft about the types of documents that this batch class will process. Each batch class can process many different document types, but we will begin by defining just one document type: an invoice.

Select the newly created batch class and click on the Open button.

When editing batch classes, Ephesoft displays a navigation tree on the left that allows the user to select the aspect of the configuration to be modified. The Document Types item is the default, so it should already be selected, as shown in the following screenshot:

Creating a document type

The batch class document type list

Click on the Add button located on the top of the screen. A new row will appear in the Document Types table into which you can enter information about the new document type, as shown in the following screenshot:

Creating a document type

New document type configuration

The following information can be provided when creating a new document type:

  • Name: The name of the new document...

Training for classification and separation

Traditional image capture systems require that scan operators place separator sheets between each document in a batch. The separator sheets tell the system where each document begins and ends and also indicate the document type. We will configure Ephesoft to separate the example accounts payable batch into individual documents and classify these documents as being invoices without the use of separator sheets. In order to accomplish this, we must train Ephesoft to recognize invoices by supplying an example.

First, find or create a blank invoice. If a blank invoice is not available, you can use an actual invoice with line items and header information, but this won't be as effective. We will discuss training and sample documents further in the next chapter.

Select the checkbox next to the invoice document type. Then, drag and drop the sample invoice to the area below the Upload Learn File(s) link.

Ephesoft will display a message while it learns...

Creating fields

Ephesoft stores information about a document in document-level fields. Further, Ephesoft stores information common to all the documents in a batch in batch-level fields. Typically, field content is extracted from a document, but the fields can be populated in a number of other ways. The field content can be manually entered by an operator, for instance, or populated from a database, or calculated programmatically on the basis of the values of other fields.

For the invoice document type, we would like to extract the customer number, invoice number, and invoice date. In order to accomplish this, we must first create the fields in the document type that we created. From the Batch Class Management interface, select and edit the Accounts Payable batch class. From the Document Types tree node, open the Invoice document type. The Index Fields item should be selected by default. Click on the Add button at the top of the user interface, which will create a new row in the table of...

Key/value extraction

Extraction is the process of automatically populating fields with text from a document. In the following example, the customer number follows a label with the text Customer Number. We can configure Ephesoft to extract any numeric text following Customer Number into the Customer Number field. This process is known as key/value extraction. The key is the label, and the value is the text to be extracted.

Key/value extraction

The sample invoice form

To define a key/value extraction rule, navigate to the KV Extraction Rule area of the menu on the left side of the batch class administration screen. Click on the Add button to open the key/value rule screen for a new rule.

In this screen, indicate on an actual invoice where the key and the value are located. Do this by dragging the invoice into the KV Test area at the bottom of the screen. The first page of the invoice will fill the right side of the screen, with two colored rectangles. Drag the green rectangle so that it surrounds the label, as...

Creating a batch class in Ephesoft


The first step in our example is to create a batch class for processing accounts payable documents. We will accomplish this by copying a batch class provided by Ephesoft, and then customizing this batch class as necessary.

The batch classes that come with Ephesoft provide the core behavior that most organizations need. These batch classes should be used as templates and should not be modified or deleted. Creating a copy maintains the original template batch class for use in creating future batch classes.

We will create our batch class on the basis of the MailroomAutomationTemplate batch class. This batch class comes preconfigured with most Ephesoft functionalities, although some of it is disabled. To copy the MailroomAutomationTemplate batch class, first select it from the list in the Batch Class Management interface, and then click on the Copy button above the list.

The batch class management main screen

Enter the Name, Description, Priority, and UNC Folder...

Creating a document type


Now that the accounts payable batch class exists, we must tell Ephesoft about the types of documents that this batch class will process. Each batch class can process many different document types, but we will begin by defining just one document type: an invoice.

Select the newly created batch class and click on the Open button.

When editing batch classes, Ephesoft displays a navigation tree on the left that allows the user to select the aspect of the configuration to be modified. The Document Types item is the default, so it should already be selected, as shown in the following screenshot:

The batch class document type list

Click on the Add button located on the top of the screen. A new row will appear in the Document Types table into which you can enter information about the new document type, as shown in the following screenshot:

New document type configuration

The following information can be provided when creating a new document type:

  • Name: The name of the new document...

Training for classification and separation


Traditional image capture systems require that scan operators place separator sheets between each document in a batch. The separator sheets tell the system where each document begins and ends and also indicate the document type. We will configure Ephesoft to separate the example accounts payable batch into individual documents and classify these documents as being invoices without the use of separator sheets. In order to accomplish this, we must train Ephesoft to recognize invoices by supplying an example.

First, find or create a blank invoice. If a blank invoice is not available, you can use an actual invoice with line items and header information, but this won't be as effective. We will discuss training and sample documents further in the next chapter.

Select the checkbox next to the invoice document type. Then, drag and drop the sample invoice to the area below the Upload Learn File(s) link.

Ephesoft will display a message while it learns the sample...

Creating fields


Ephesoft stores information about a document in document-level fields. Further, Ephesoft stores information common to all the documents in a batch in batch-level fields. Typically, field content is extracted from a document, but the fields can be populated in a number of other ways. The field content can be manually entered by an operator, for instance, or populated from a database, or calculated programmatically on the basis of the values of other fields.

For the invoice document type, we would like to extract the customer number, invoice number, and invoice date. In order to accomplish this, we must first create the fields in the document type that we created. From the Batch Class Management interface, select and edit the Accounts Payable batch class. From the Document Types tree node, open the Invoice document type. The Index Fields item should be selected by default. Click on the Add button at the top of the user interface, which will create a new row in the table of document...

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Description

Every organization, public or private, processes documents in various formats, especially paper and fax formats. Processing documents manually is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. Ephesoft Enterprise is a modern document capture solution that allows an organization to automate the business process. It uses powerful technology to classify and capture the vital information from the document's content. This helps to minimize the time your company spends on reviewing and processing any physical and electronic documents. This book teaches you about document capture in general and implementation of document capture using Ephesoft. Start by learning about document capture and how Ephesoft revolutionized the industry. Progress to a tour of key features, including operator and administrator interfaces and then learn to configure Ephesoft to process your business’s specific document types and extract content from those documents. You will also get to know the advanced customization techniques that make Ephesoft accommodate your unique business needs. Finally, the book concludes by teaching you how to embed the classification and extraction functionality using Ephesoft’s web services. By the end, you will learn to optimize the processing of your documents, saving your company time and money.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for information technology professionals interested in installing and configuring Ephesoft Enterprise for their organization, but it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning about intelligent document capture.

What you will learn

  • Discover the benefits of using intelligent document capture in your work place
  • Learn to capture, classify, and separate any type of document
  • Extract important information from your documents
  • Transfer the documents and data into your content management system
  • Customize Ephesoft to meet your unique business requirements
  • Understand the integration techniques using the Ephesoft web services API
  • Convert your paper archive to electronic records efficiently
  • Automate business processes that depend on documents in paper, fax, or email attachment format
  • Implement distributed capture for mailroom automation

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Aug 24, 2015
Length: 164 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783558582

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Length: 164 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783558582

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Table of Contents

7 Chapters
1. A Quick Tour of Ephesoft Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Creating a Batch Class Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Core Ephesoft Features Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Ephesoft's Advanced Features Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Tips Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
A. References Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

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Brad Gillespie Dec 02, 2017
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I highly recommend this book to get an understanding of Ephesoft. Working with Ephesoft and it’s intelligent document capture after reading this book will be much easier. The book does a solid job of helping the reader understand the capabilities, terms, and areas to find settings within the system.You will still need to work with a system implementing Ephesoft, but this will get you in the door. Get it, read it, try it.
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