Forms processing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:05, 22 March 2010

Revision as of 15:27, 11 June 2010

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<br>'''Overview:'''<br>

In the broadest sense, forms processing systems can range from a small application form to a large scale survey form. There are several common issues that are involved in forms processing when done manually. These are a lot of tedious human efforts put in, the data keyed in by the user may result in typos, and many hours of labor result from this lengthy process. If the forms are processed using [[computer software]] driven applications these common issues can be resolved and minimized to great extent. Most methods for forms processing address the following areas :<br />

1. Manual data entry<br />

This method of [[data processing]] involves human operators keying in data found on the form. The manual process of data entry implies many opportunities for errors, such as delays in data capture, as every single data field has to be keyed in manually, a high amount of operator misprints or typos, high labor costs from the amount of manual labor required. Manual processing also implies higher labor expenses in regards to spending for equipment and supplies, rent, etc.

2. Automatic form input system<br />

Manual data entry is theThis method of [[data processing]] where the data is keyed in by a human operator while Automatic Form Input System is that which can automate the data processing by using pre-defined templates and configurations. A template in this case, would be a ''map'' of the document, detailing where the data fields are located within the form or document.<br> As compared to the manual data entry process, automatic form input systems are more preferable, as it helps in eliminating all the above mentioned problems faced during manual data processing.

The manual process of data entry implies many opportunities for errors, such as delays in data capture, as every single data field has to be keyed in manually, a high amount of operator misprints or typos, high labor costs from the amount of manual labor required. Manual processing also implies higher labor expenses in regards to spending for equipment and supplies, rent, etc.

As compared to the manual data entry process, automatic form input systems are more preferable, as it helps in eliminating all the above mentioned problems faced during manual data processing.

Automatic form input system uses different types of recognition methods such as [[Optical character recognition|Optical Character Recognition]] (OCR) for machine print, Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) for check/mark sense boxes, [[Bar Code]] Recognition (BCR) for barcodes, and [[Intelligent Character Recognition]] (ICR) for hand print. ICR accuracy depends on user hand writing patterns, but certain recognition engines have been designed specifically for this purpose.