One of the often overlooked and underestimated elements of a Document Imaging project is the automation and human cost of lifting data from the images. Systems engineers frequently respond to data entry requirements with automation-only solutions that fail to recognize the accuracy demands of most applications. We have all heard horror stories about lost images due to improper indexing and major errors due to inaccurate invoices, claim forms and etc.

The off-the-shelf key entry component of most document imaging systems is seldom up to the job. They lack the attention to data entry cultures and automation costs that are critical in high volume, high accuracy data entry operations. Ongoing labor costs for data entry are often the largest element of the operating costs. Unnecessary operating costs are the result of failure to provide state of the art data entry methods and techniques. Controlling these costs can mean the difference between economic success and failure of imaging projects.