Glossary of Terms

Term

Definition

A0 Scanning

Large Format Scanning of documents sized A0 - drawings and large format documents are scanned into digital format using OCE technology.

A1 Scanning

Scanning of Documents A1 in size to digital format- most lengths of documents can be scanned using large format scanning technology.

A2 Scanning

A2 Documents can be scanned to digital format - capturing all data including pencil marks, information and drawings.

A3 Scanning

A3 document scanning - A3 documents can be scanned into digital format using high volume production scanners.

A4 Scanning

A4 document scanning - Scan your A4 sized documents to digital format. High volume scanners can convert over 410 images per minute.

Access Rights

Access rights refer to the permissions given to people to view and edit documents. Access rights or restrictions can be set by an administrator for individuals or groups of people, allowing you to control who has access to your documents.

Ad Hoc Capture

Refers to the capture of individual documents as opposed to bulk scanning.

Annotation

An annotation is a comment added to an electronic document to highlight specific text.

Aperture Card Scanning

An aperture card is a punched card that contains a chip of microfilm, used previously in the engineering industry to store drawings and information. The microfilm stores metadata that when placed into an aperture card reader you are informed of the data stored. Aperture cards are commonly being replaced with machines and aperture card scanning refers to the process of changing old cards into digital format.

Archive Management System

A system that allows you to manage your documents while they are in archive storage. Using a secure website, you can request physical copies of documents, arrange collections and deliveries, request the disposal of documents and view a statement of documents in storage.

Archive Storage

Documents are commonly put into archive storage when they need to be kept for a period of time for compliance purposes, or referenced for future business decisions or information. Records can be archived in a secure offsite storage facility until you need them. Information can be retrieved and delivered to you in digital format using scan on demand services.

Backscan

Back Scanning refers to the scanning of a company's back archive of documents. Often done to help a company go paperless, so they can find their information faster and scan on a daily basis moving forward.

Bar Code Labelling

A bar code is a small line pattern which can be read by an optical scanner. The bar code refers to a unique record in a database, e,g, name, address or reference number. Bar code labels can be added to a document to enable the scanners to automatically recognise and store data from the bar code and associate with the scanned image. This increases accuracy and reduces the need for manual data entry.

Batch

A group of documents that have been scanned in one process.

Batch Class

This defines the settings for a group of documents being scanned in one operation.

Bitonal

An image made up of pixels that are either white or black (i.e., an image that includes no shades of gray or colour).

Bleed-Through

When images or text printed on one side of a page is visible on the reverse side of the paper.

Business Process Outsourcing / BPO

Outsourcing business processes to a third party. For example, mailroom operations might be handled by someone else to save your business time and effort.

Cache

The temporary storage of images on an accelerator board during scanning. It remembers the images so it doesn't scan the same image twice thus speeding up the scanning process.

Cloud Document Management

A form of online document management where users can access and edit documents from multiple locations.

Data Capture

Data capture refers to the capture of data from a paper or electronic document. Data can be automatically captured during the scanning process using intelligent software.

Data Capture Forms

Data capture forms are forms that have been designed in a specific format that allow software to easily read the extracted information when scanning. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and improves the accuracy of data capture.

Digital Mailroom

Incoming mail is open, sorted and digitised using document scanning and data capture technologies.

Distributed Capture

This is where the data capture process is completed at different locations. A document might be scanned onsite at your office before being transferred via the internet to another location for additional processing.

Document Archiving

Refers to the storage and management of documents, usually away from business premises in a secure archive facility.

Document Imaging

The process of capturing, storing and retrieving paperwork, microfiche, microfilm or other formats into digital format.

Document Management

Refers to the control of your business documents - where they are kept and in what format. Documents can be managed electronically or in archive storage facilities.

Document Management Software

Refers to the software used to create a computer based application where documents of all formats can be stored.

Document Management Systems

Refers to an computer program or system where you can store scan scanned documents.

Document Scanning

Document scanning is the process of turning paper document into digital files. Documents of all sizes and types can be scanned including wide format documents. Microfilm,microfiche and aperture cards can also be converted to digital format.

Document Scanning Software

The software used to transform physical files into electronic documents.

Document Storage

The storage of documents, usually in an archive facility. Documents can be kept in storage to free up office space, until you need them, or they can be kept in storage for a period of time, with managed destruction dates.

DPI

Refers to dots per inch.

Drawing Scanning

The scanning of large format documents e.g.architectural drawings into a digital format.

Duplex Scanning

When both sides of a sheet of paper are scanned at the same time.

Dynamic Scaling

An option on your scanner where you can alter the scale of the image using the display window.

Edge Enhancement

A filter used when scanning to make lines and edges in a drawing appear sharper. This makes the drawings more readable.

EDMS

EDMS is the abbreviation for Electronic Document Management System. A EDMS is the computer system where you store your documents after scanning.

Electronic Data Capture

Electronic Data Capture refers to your information being captured into electronic format during scanning.

Electronic Data Interchange / EDI

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the tranfer of data from one computer to another, dismissing the need for human intervention. EDI allows numerous businesses to exchange documents electronically.

Electronic Document Management / EDM

Refers to the storage and management of your documents online or in digital format. Also referred to as online document management. You can use an electronic document management system (EDMS) to organise all your digital files by folder, search for information using keywords and control file accessibility.

Enterprise Content Management

Enterprise Content Management, or ECM, refers to methods and tools used for the capture and storage of an organisation's documents.

ERMS

Electronic Records Management System.

File

A file refers to a document consisting of one or more pages. Files can be either paper or electronic format.

Fixed Scaling

A scanner option that allows you to resize images to a specific scale.

Forms Processing

The extraction of information from fields on a form and its conversion to electronic format.

Freeform Data Capture

The extraction of information from unstructured documents. Structured documents are where the information resides in a set location on a page. For example an application form or an invoice. An unstructured document might include a handwritten document or whitepaper where there is no structure to the document.

Front Office Capture

Capturing documents as early as possible in their original environment.

FTP

FTP is abbreviated from file transfer protocol and refers to the transfer of data from one computer server to another.

GIF

A type of digital image format.

ICR

Intelligent Character Recognition is an advanced version of OCR that is able to read and translate handwritten text into computer readable characters.

Image

The digital version of a picture.

Indexing

The sorting of documents that have been scanned - labelling them by name, date, location or customer ID. These can be done manually or by scanning software.

Information Management

Refers to the collection and management of multiple documents from various sources in different formats.

Intelligent Data Capture

The process of extracting specific data, from, for example, invoices, claims and purchase order forms, while scanning. This is then validated against key criteria and returned to you in a digital, text searchable file.

Invoice Capture

The extraction of information from invoices and scanned into a text searchable document.

Invoice Processing

The method of automatically sorting, digitising, capturing data, verification and processing your invoices. Using scanning, intelligent capture and workflow software, invoices can be processed automatically and sent for authorisation and approval.

Invoice Scanning

Converting your paper invoices into digital format.

ISIS

Image and Scanner Interface Specification is the industry standard interface for image scanning and processing.

Jpg / Jpeg

A common file format for images.

Key From Image

A type of data entry method. Operators will key in data from a scanned image rather than their physical document.

Large Format Scanning

The scanning and digitisation of larger format documents and drawings.

Metadata

This is information about your documents, used to name and find information in a digital format.

Mailroom Scanning

Incoming mail is sorted and scanned into digital format.

Microfiche Scanning

Microfiche are flat sheets of film, held on a filing card, used to hold miniturised versions of documents, drawings or other images . Scanning involves converting microfiche records into digital format.

Microfilm Scanning

Microfilm are rolls of film that were commonly used to store Finance and HR records. Microfilm scanning involves converting microfilm reels into digital format.

Multifunction Product (MFP)

This is multi functional equipment. Eg, a machine that acts as a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine.

OCR Software

OCR is the abbreviation for Optical Character Recognition. OCR technology transforms printed data into keyword searchable, electronic files.

OMR

Optical Mark Recognition. The process of reading pencil or pen marks on documents, For examples it captures the information from tick boxes and turns them into machine readable data.

Offsite Scanning

Collecting your documents from your business premises and digitising them into electronic format at an offsite scanning bureau.

Online Archive Management

Refers to managing your archived documents online using a computer based system. See also archive management system.

Online Document Storage

Scanned documents are stored online in a computer based system. See electronic document management for more information.

Onsite Scanning

The process of scanning your documents and turning them into electronic files, while remaining on your business premises. The company will create a scanning bureau on your business site.

Padding Images

White space can be added between the end of the scanned image and the length of the paper.

Paperless Office

The paperless office means you move all your business processes online. For example back scanning all your documents into digital format, managing documents electronically and automating mailroom processes.

PDF

A document format. The most common format for scanned documents to be saved into.

Portrait

Page format where the height of the page exceeds the width.

Prep / Preparation

Preparation refers to the pre scanning process. Removing staples and paperclips, ensuring the pages are the right way up, removing blank pages and putting the document in a suitable order for scanning. Preparation is need to speed up the scanning process.

Production Scanners

Scanners that can process high volumes of documents.

Purchase to Pay

A digital package that will automate all accounting processes from purchasing to the payment process. Also referred to as procure to pay.

Record

A record is a document - a piece of information in paper or electronic form.

Redaction

Redaction is when certain pieces of information (normally sensitive data) have been edited out.

Resolution

The quality of the image scanned. This is measured in DPI - dots per inch.

Retention Period

The amount a time a file is legally required to be kept. After the retention period, it is allowed to be destroyed.

Saturation

The emphasis of certain pixels of an image.

Scan on Demand

Retrieving specific documents upon request from storage and scanning them into digital format. Documents can be scanned from storage and returned to the client in digital format within 2 hours.

Scan-Enable

A program previously incapable of scanning is edited to enable this function.

Scanner

The device that will capture your physical documents and convert into electronic files.

Scanning Bureau

A scanning bureau is equipped with scanning technology and operators, and will offer a wide range of document scanning services.

Scanning Services

The document scanning services offered by the scanning company. Scanning services include the digitisation of a wide range of documents including large format, photo and drawing scanning, and microfilm.

Secure Document Storage

A document storage facility that has security measures in place to protect your documents. Security measures include CCTV, water and fire detection systems.

Semi-Structured Document

A document with set information, giving the document some structure, but the data fields could be in any order. Eg. an invoice has to have certain data but the positioning of the field differs depending on company and their structure.

Straight Through Processing

When a scanned document doesn't require any manual assistance. Instead it can pass straight through the automated workflow.

Structured Document

A document which has a specific data structure. For example the location of specific fields will always be the same on application forms and invoices. This makes it easier to capture.

Synchronisation

Where completed batches of documents are uploaded to other scanning stations.

TIFF

TIFF or Tagged Image File Format is a type of file used for scanned images.

Unstructured Documents

A document which has no structure. There is no certainty as to the type of information and its location in the document.

Validation

Checking the data is correct. This can be done manually or electronically. Electronic validation compares data against the information in a database.

Verification

Manually checking the data is absolutely correct. Operators will key in data from a scanned image to ensure it is perfect.

Versioning

This is part of the document management process and allows you to check different versions of documents after changes have been made.

Workflow

Automated procedures for business processes. Electronic documents pass through the relevant process after scanning.