Accessorize Your DMS

Abbyy is a company that specializes in developing and distributing document recognition and linguistic technologies. If you’re curious about the origin of the company name, it comes from the Sino-Tibetan language and translates to “keen eye,” reflecting the company’s focus on processing information that originates in paper documents and electronic images.

The list of specialty applications Abbyy offers is too lengthy to detail here. However, some of the specific tools that you may find useful in your DMS deployment include the following: Abbyy Fine Reader (OCR application that converts image files into editable text), Abbyy PDF Transformer (provides an alternative to Adobe Acrobat as a tool to create PDF files), and Abby Scan To Office (application that converts scanned images into editable MS Word and Excel files).

Kofax — www.kofax.com

Kofax is another company that specializes in technologies to enable the processing of data captured through scanned documents, faxes and other electronic images by converting them into machine readable text. Its most popular application is Kofax VRS (Virtual ReScan.) This software takes scanned document images and analyzes the content of the document so that it can be “cleaned up.” This cleanup includes blank page detection and deletion, character clarity, de-skewing, image cropping, hole punch marking elimination and more. The bottom line is that VRS takes your scanned images and transforms them into more legible images that can be more accurately processed by other applications, specifically OCR tools such as the Kofax Document Capture Software.

Fujitsu — www.fujitsu.com

While there are many manufacturers of quality scanners, Fujitsu has earned the reputation as a premier provider of scanning devices. One of the features that has helped Fujitsu establish itself as a leader in this market is the fact that it has scanners that are top sellers at all levels of the scanner market — portable, desktop, workgroup and commercial. One of the company’s most popular models is the portable ScanSnap device. This is a practical and affordable desktop scanner for personal scanning that supplements your workgroup scanners.

Nuance — www.nuance.com

The name Nuance aptly applies to this company. They offer dozens of applications that specialize in document image processing and speech recognition. Examples of some of their products include the following: PDF Converter 6 which lets you create, edit and convert PDF files; OmniPage OCR software; and Nuance Recognizer V9 speech recognition software, which facilitates the process of capturing speech as an input method and interpreting it to execute a workflow. Think about when you call into a company and you have to answer a series of recorded questions that you respond to in order to determine how your call is routed. It is likely we’ll see speech recognition software play a bigger role in our workflow automation because, for a lot of us, talking is a whole lot easier than typing.

XCM Solutions — www.xcmsolutions.com

One of the key attributes we evaluate in our review of DMS solutions is the inclusion of workflow functionality. Workflow software means a lot of different things, but essentially it is about the functionality that lets you manage the flow of engagements in a paperless environment. XCM distinguishes itself as a developer of workflow software that is not dependent on any one DMS solution. The company offers two workflow solutions: XCM and XCM Essentials. Both applications are designed by a team of tax and accounting professionals and are offered as web-hosted solutions. XCM is a robust workflow application that provides sophisticated workflow management capabilities to enable a firm to have complete management of all their engagements electronically. XCM Essentials is a trimmed down version of the workflow software that is designed to be more compatible with the needs of smaller firms. n