The Keys to a Clean and High-Quality Scanning Process for Invoices

Unleashing the Magic of OCR for Invoice Processing

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is reshaping invoice processing for the restaurant industry. It’s like a magical spell that automates data extraction, making your business operations smoother. But to experience the full power of this tech wizardry, we need to get our invoices ready for scanning in the best way possible. So, let’s dive right into why a spick-and-span scanning process is so essential for your invoices, and will lead to an efficient ordering and inventory process.

Dedicated Scanners and Mobile Apps are your friends

Most importantly, when you’re getting your invoices set for OCR, think about leaning on a dedicated scanner or a trusty mobile scanning app. These handy gadgets and apps are crafted to snap crisp, clear images, making it a breeze for the OCR software to read. With a dedicated scanner, you’re getting a top-notch resolution and cutting-edge image enhancement features for a world-class scan quality. But don’t underestimate mobile scanning apps; they’ve got the power of convenience and flexibility, letting you capture invoice images with just a click on your smartphone.

A couple recommendations from the Bevspot team:

• AI-powered scanning apps
  • Genius Scan (Apple App Store)
  • Genius Scan (Google Play)

• Compact Mobile Document Scanner

Let There Be Light! (But Not Shadows or Reflections)

Lighting is a bit of a superstar when it comes to high-quality scans for OCR. Make sure your invoice is basking in the glow of a well-lit setting, without any pesky glare, shadows, or reflections playing spoilsport. The best approach is using natural light or a stable and evenly spread artificial light source. Just lay the invoice on a flat surface and tweak the lighting to shoo away any uninvited variations in brightness or contrast. Perfect lighting boosts the text’s legibility, letting the OCR software extract the needed info spot on.

Alignment is Key: Keep the Invoice Square in the Scanning Area

For a smooth OCR run, remember to align your invoice neatly within the scanning zone. Keep the edges of the invoice parallel to the scanning bed’s edges or follow the guidelines your mobile scanning app provides. This crucial step makes sure your whole invoice gets into the image without being cropped or distorted. The right alignment makes the OCR software’s job easier, leading to pinpoint text recognition and data extraction.

Quality Check and Redo Scans if Required

Finally, once you’ve got the scan, take a quick minute to eyeball the image quality before firing up the OCR. Keep an eye out for any blurriness, smears, or other gremlins that could throw off OCR’s accuracy. If you spot any, just retake the scan to get a clearer, sharper image. Trust us, it’s totally worth spending a few extra moments for a top-quality scan rather than risking wonky results in the OCR stage.

Getting your invoices primed for OCR starts with a clean-as-a-whistle, top-drawer scanning process. By buddying up with dedicated scanners or mobile scanning apps, mastering the right lighting, kicking out shadows or reflections, and getting the invoice alignment just right, you can boost OCR accuracy big time. A neat and sharp scan lets the OCR software read the text and extract the needed info like a pro. Embracing these best practices will help your business speed up invoice processing, save time, and cut down errors, ultimately pumping up your operational efficiency. How cool is that?

Here are some other tips for choosing the right technology to help run your business.