Document Capture, Archiving and Digitization

Automatically capture physical and digital documents, process their data and transform them into enterprise information.

Invoices, application forms, contracts, emails, customer records, technical documents and other content received through different channels play an important role in initiating and executing business processes. Manually classifying these documents, entering their data into systems and transferring them to the appropriate archive can lead to lost time, data-entry errors and operational delays.

With IBM Datacap, IBM Content Collector and OpenText Capture, BBS enables organizations to receive physical and digital documents through multiple channels, improve image quality, classify documents automatically, extract required information and transfer documents and data to enterprise systems. Existing information sources—including email, file-system and SAP content—can also be transferred to enterprise archives according to predefined policies. Documents are therefore not merely digitized; they are transformed into searchable, accessible and secure enterprise information that can be used within business processes.

Why Is Document Digitization Essential?
Scanning a document and converting it into an image file does not, by itself, constitute digital transformation. The document type must be identified, its information extracted and validated, associated with the relevant business record and securely stored in a managed content repository.

End-to-end document capture and digitization solutions enable organizations to:

• Receive physical and digital documents through multiple channels
• Automatically improve document image quality
• Identify document types automatically
• Convert document content into structured data fields
• Validate extracted data using business rules
• Route low-confidence results for user verification
• Transfer documents and data to relevant enterprise applications
• Store email, file-system and SAP content in a centralized archive
• Access documents through metadata and full-text search
• Apply retention, access and disposal policies
• Reduce manual data-entry and document-processing costs

End-to-End Document Processing Lifecycle
The document capture, archiving and digitization lifecycle consists of seven main stages:

1. Capture: Documents are received from scanners, emails, files, web channels, mobile applications or enterprise systems.
2. Image enhancement: Skew, noise, orientation and image-quality issues are corrected.
3. Classification: The system identifies whether the document is an invoice, contract, form, application or another document type.
4. Data extraction: Text, fields, tables, barcodes and marks within the document are recognized and extracted.
5. Validation: Extracted information is checked against business rules and enterprise data.
6. Transfer: Documents and data are sent to ERP, CRM, workflow or content management systems.
7. Archiving: Content is securely managed according to access and retention policies.

IBM Datacap

Automatically Capture, Classify and Process Documents

IBM Datacap is an enterprise document capture solution that automates the capture, recognition, classification and processing of physical and digital documents. It analyzes documents received through different channels and transforms their content into structured information that can be used within business processes.

IBM Datacap helps reduce manual classification and data entry in high-volume document operations. Once information extracted from documents has been validated, it can be transferred to IBM FileNet, workflow solutions, ERP platforms and other enterprise applications.

Multichannel Document Capture
Documents do not reach organizations solely as physical records. Email attachments, electronic forms, PDF files, images captured on mobile devices and documents generated by enterprise applications are also part of document-processing operations.

IBM Datacap supports the intake of content from different sources into a unified capture and processing workflow:

• Document scanners
• Multifunction devices
• Emails and email attachments
• File systems and shared folders
• Web-based document upload interfaces
• Document images captured on mobile devices
• Electronic documents received from enterprise applications
• Batch file and document transfers

Intelligent Recognition and Data Extraction
IBM Datacap uses different recognition technologies to transform document content into machine-processable data:

• OCR: Recognition of printed text
• ICR: Processing of handwritten fields
• OMR: Recognition of checkboxes and optical marks
• Barcode recognition: Reading one- and two-dimensional barcodes
• Field extraction: Extracting specific data fields from documents
• Table processing: Extracting information from rows and columns
• Full-text generation: Making documents searchable

Recognition performance may vary depending on the document type, image quality, language, template and project-specific rules. BBS therefore designs and tests each automation using real document samples.

Key Capabilities

• Multichannel capture of physical and digital documents
• Automated document separation and classification
• Image cleaning, rotation and deskewing
• OCR, ICR, OMR and barcode recognition
• Data extraction from fixed or variable field locations
• Metadata generation
• Data validation through business rules
• Verification against databases and enterprise systems
• Confidence-based process routing
• User-assisted data validation interfaces
• Batch and high-volume document processing
• Process monitoring and reporting
• Integration with IBM FileNet and other content repositories
• Data transfer to workflow, ERP and custom applications
• Web services and enterprise integration options

Human-in-the-Loop Validation
When information extracted from a document falls below a predefined confidence level, the relevant fields can be routed for user verification. Users only need to review fields that require attention and correct missing or inaccurate information.

This approach allows employees to focus on exceptions instead of manually processing every document. It increases automation while maintaining the required level of control over critical data fields.

IBM Datacap Use Cases

• Incoming invoice and delivery-note processing
• Customer application and account-opening documents
• Credit and financing files
• Insurance policy and claims documents
• Human resources and employee records
• Contracts and legal documents
• Public-sector applications and official forms
• Healthcare and patient documents
• Procurement and supplier documentation
• Technical service and maintenance forms
• Bulk digitization of legacy physical archives

IBM Content Collector – ICC

Collect Enterprise Content Through Policies and Archive It Centrally

IBM Content Collector is a family of archiving solutions that collects content generated in email systems, file systems and other supported enterprise sources according to predefined rules and transfers it to centralized content repositories.

IBM Content Collector can archive continuously growing email and file content without requiring manual transfer operations. Policies can determine which content is transferred, when it is transferred, under which conditions and to which target repository.

Policy-Based Content Collection
Archiving policies can be created using criteria such as:

• Content creation or modification date
• File or message type
• Content size
• Source system or folder
• User or user group
• Metadata and content properties
• Retention and governance requirements
• Organization-specific business rules

Content that meets the relevant policy conditions can be automatically collected, indexed and transferred to IBM enterprise content repositories at scheduled times.

Email Archiving
IBM Content Collector supports the centralized archiving of email messages and attachments. Transferring email content to an enterprise content management system can help organizations:

• Control data growth in user mailboxes
• Centrally search emails and attachments
• Apply retention policies to business correspondence
• Maintain user access to archived emails
• Support audit, review and legal discovery processes
• Reduce the fragmentation of email content across personal archives

Supported email platforms and available functions should be evaluated according to the selected ICC component and product version.

File-System Archiving
Large volumes of content can accumulate over time on file servers and shared folders. Files that have not been used for extended periods, duplicate documents and outdated project content consume storage capacity while creating information-governance risks.

IBM Content Collector can transfer eligible files to an enterprise content repository based on predefined policies. Centralized access, search, retention and security policies can then be applied to the archived content.

Archiving Microsoft SharePoint Content
Relevant IBM Content Collector components can be used to transfer and archive content created in SharePoint environments to IBM content repositories. This enables SharePoint content to be brought within the scope of enterprise retention and records-management policies.

Compatibility with the current IBM product version, licensing scope and deployed SharePoint architecture should be technically verified before implementation.

IBM Content Collector for SAP Applications
IBM Content Collector for SAP Applications enables SAP data and associated documents to be archived in an external enterprise content repository.

Orders, invoices, human resources documents and content associated with other SAP business objects can be stored on content management platforms such as IBM FileNet. Authorized users can continue to access archived documents through the SAP interface.

Benefits of SAP Archiving

• Management of SAP data and document volumes
• Preservation of relationships between SAP business objects and archived documents
• Storage of content in a secure external enterprise repository
• Access to archived documents from within SAP
• Application of retention periods and legal holds
• Movement of legacy SAP content to more appropriate storage tiers
• Support for improving system performance and storage utilization
• Simplification of SAP migration and modernization projects

Key IBM Content Collector Capabilities

• Policy-based content collection
• Scheduled and automated archiving
• Email and attachment archiving
• File-system content archiving
• Archiving of SAP data and related documents
• Metadata creation and preservation
• Centralized content indexing
• Integration with IBM enterprise content repositories
• Support for retention and information-governance policies
• Monitoring of archiving operations
• Support for enterprise search and access infrastructures
• Controlled transfer of large content volumes

OpenText Capture

AI-Assisted Intelligent Document Processing

OpenText Capture is an intelligent document capture and processing solution that automatically captures and classifies paper and digital documents, extracts their data and routes the resulting information to the appropriate users or enterprise systems.

The solution can process different content types, including scanned documents, emails, PDF files and images captured on mobile devices. Extracted information can be converted into structured, business-ready data and transferred to ERP, CRM, content management and industry-specific applications.

Continuous Machine Learning
OpenText Capture uses Continuous Machine Learning – CML capabilities to improve document classification and data-extraction performance. Corrections made by users in validation interfaces can help the system process subsequent documents more accurately.

This reduces the need to prepare extensive labeled training data from the beginning for every new document type. The system can improve using validation results generated during live operations.

AI-Assisted Document Understanding
Optional AI-powered document understanding capabilities can support the processing of content that is challenging for conventional recognition technologies, including:

• Documents containing handwriting
• Low-quality or degraded scans
• Complex tables
• Documents with variable layouts
• Infrequently encountered document types
• Long and unstructured text

OpenText extends these capabilities through the Capture Aviator add-on, which uses large language models. Available AI functions may vary according to licensing, product version and deployment model.

Key Capabilities

• Multichannel capture of paper and digital content
• Processing of emails, PDFs and mobile images
• Image enhancement and document preparation
• Automated document separation
• Document type classification
• OCR and intelligent data extraction
• Processing of tables, fields and checkboxes
• Continuous machine learning
• Large language model-assisted information extraction
• Human-in-the-loop validation
• Confidence-based process routing
• Data validation using business rules
• Full-text and metadata generation
• Automated initiation of workflows
• ERP, CRM and content management integrations
• On-premises, private cloud and hybrid deployment options
• Microservices-based deployment options

Human-in-the-Loop Data Validation
OpenText Capture provides user validation interfaces for automatically extracted data. Low-confidence fields can be highlighted, directing employees to the information that requires review.

User corrections can contribute not only to the accurate processing of the current document but also to more accurate recognition of future documents through continuous machine learning.

Automated Transfer to Enterprise Systems
Processed documents and extracted data can be routed to:

• OpenText content management solutions
• ERP and financial applications
• CRM systems
• SAP applications
• Workflow and process automation platforms
• Industry-specific business applications
• Enterprise archiving systems
• Custom-developed enterprise applications

OpenText Capture Use Cases

• Supplier invoice processing
• Procure-to-pay processes
• Customer onboarding and identification documents
• Employee onboarding and personnel records
• Insurance claims files
• Credit and financing applications
• Contracts and legal documents
• Public-sector applications
• Audit documentation
• Technical and field-service forms
• Digitization of legacy physical archives

How Do These Solutions Work Together?

The three solutions perform complementary roles throughout the document and content lifecycle:

1. Documents are captured from scanners, emails, files, web channels or mobile devices.
2. IBM Datacap or OpenText Capture improves document image quality.
3. The document type is identified automatically.
4. Required text, fields, tables and marks are extracted.
5. Data is validated using business rules and enterprise systems.
6. The document and its metadata are transferred to the relevant content management platform or business application.
7. A workflow or approval process is initiated automatically.
8. IBM Content Collector transfers existing email, file-system and SAP content to the enterprise archive according to defined policies.
9. Content is managed throughout its lifecycle according to access, retention and disposal rules.

Positioning IBM Datacap and OpenText Capture
Both solutions provide document capture, classification and data-extraction capabilities. Product selection should be based not only on a list of features but also on the organization's existing content management platform, integration requirements and technology strategy.

Evaluation Area	IBM Datacap	OpenText Capture
Primary purpose	Enterprise document capture and data extraction	Intelligent document capture and processing
Native ecosystem	IBM FileNet and IBM automation solutions	OpenText Content Cloud and OpenText content solutions
Document processing	OCR, ICR, OMR, barcode recognition and rules-based extraction	OCR, classification, CML and AI-assisted extraction
User validation	Supported	Human-in-the-loop validation and continuous learning
Target systems	Content management, workflow and enterprise applications	Content management, ERP, CRM and business applications
Best-fit positioning	IBM-centric content and automation architectures	OpenText-centric content and business application architectures

The final product and architecture selection should be based on analysis and pilot studies conducted with real document samples.

BBS Document Capture, Archiving and Digitization Services

BBS provides end-to-end services for document capture and digitization projects, from analysis through production deployment:

• Document inventory and volume analysis
• Identification of document types and input channels
• Review of manual processing and data-entry steps
• Automation potential and feasibility analysis
• Product and solution architecture consulting
• Licensing and capacity planning
• Proof-of-concept studies using real document samples
• Installation of scanning and document capture infrastructures
• Definition of image-enhancement rules
• Development of document classification models
• OCR, ICR, OMR and barcode recognition configurations
• Development of data-extraction and validation rules
• Design of user validation interfaces
• Definition of email, file-system and SAP archiving policies
• Integration with IBM FileNet and OpenText content repositories
• ERP, CRM and workflow integrations
• Bulk digitization of legacy physical archives
• Design of quality-control and sampling processes
• Performance testing and system optimization
• User and system administrator training
• Maintenance, technical support and system updates

Why Choose BBS?

BBS combines document capture and digitization experience with expertise in enterprise content management, workflow, integration and custom software development.

• Product experience across IBM and OpenText solutions
• Expertise in high-volume document-processing projects
• End-to-end approach from document capture to enterprise archiving
• Testing and measurement methodology based on real documents
• Organization-specific classification and data-extraction rules
• SAP, ERP, CRM and content management integrations
• Controlled migration of existing physical and digital archives
• Comprehensive services from licensing to production deployment
• Post-implementation maintenance, support and continuous improvement

Transform Documents into Processable Enterprise Information
Contact the experienced BBS software team to reduce manual document processing and data entry, digitize physical archives and securely manage enterprise content.