The best OCR SDK with AI for document capture | Konfuzio

With AI-based OCR SDK you will improve the efficiency of your project and reduce the development time. You can have data automatically extracted from your documents within seconds.

From bills to insurance policies, vehicle documents and other forms - the OCR SDK allows you not only to optimize data processing, but also to customize it to your individual needs.

Definition: OCR SDK

OCR SDK means Optical Character Recognition Software Development Kit. The OCR software reads documents. The SDK refers to a group of tools that make it possible to program mobile applications.

In this way, individual solutions can be developed and adapted to the requirements of a company. 

An example of the use of OCR SDK is the ability to automatically rotate images and documents and read the content. 

An AI-based OCR SDK converts content from documents or emails into actionable information for your processes and applications. 

At the same time you have full flexibility:

• Conversion independent of text structure, format or source
• Software usable from the cloud, hybrid or on-premises

You can choose between different SDKs:

• Licensed solution with a larger scope of services for a fee
• Open source 
• Free SDK Tools

OCR SDK: features and benefits

The functions of the OCR SDK are focused on 3 areas:

1. Classification & Separation by category, format and layout
2. Extract specialized datae.g. master data, transaction data and context data
3. Enrich & validate operationse.g. by fuzzy matching, by plausibility or by enrichment

Since you can customize functions through the Software Development Kit, the following advantages arise

• Mature flexibility and purchase directly from the manufacturer 
• Solution templates for process optimization for media breaks in processes 
• Autarkic individual developments for your customers and users 
• Fast and simple innovation cycles through comprehensive and daily updated documentation

Data Protection 

Data security is as important as control over data to ensure compliance with the GDPR and avoid data breaches. 

If you use an on-premises solution, you have full control over security measures because you can implement your own security standards in the OCR software. 

With a cloud solution, the cloud provider contributes to the security measures. 

OCR SDK integrations thanks to API

A modern application programming interface (API) allows you to integrate the services into any OpenAPI application.

AI for DMS/ECM

With the AI-based OCR SDK, for example, you can extend your existing content services within a few days. This gives you a decisive advantage in the development of future-proof Enterprise Information Management (EIM).

AI for CRM and ERP

Efficient OCR software for automated transaction capture is also important in customer relationship management and ERP. 

You can use it to, for example:

• Capture emails automatically
• Extract data intelligently
• Automate workflows

Here, too, the SDK enables individual adaptation to your document type and required data.

OCR SDK in practice at Konfuzio

The API based IDP solution from OCR and AI from Konfuzio reads documents reliably and intelligently. Through the Software Development Kit (SDK), ready-made SDK modules can be used in the development of individual solutions and thus be adapted to the needs of each company. 

This allows companies of any size to customize Konfuzio and use it securely installed in the cloud or on their own servers.

With EU-compliant data protection and reliable text recognition in more than 100 languages, Konfuzio is the perfect alternative to AWS textract, Google and Co.

Automatically rotate PDF documents: Small step, big effect 

Let's take a look at how the horizontal and vertical display of documents is handled automatically by OCR SDK.

A practical example is the automatic rotation of images and digitized documents.

This step sounds simple, but it makes the processing of submitted documents much easier, especially when dealing with large volumes of documents. 

Manual, repetitive turning and flipping of invoices, applications and co. costs valuable time and causes delays in the processing of documents, which are rooted in the manual work of rotation. By using an OCR SDK, you can eliminate this automatically.

Document rotation is therefore important for the smooth and effective flow of digital processes - this forms the basis for many downstream tasks. 

For example, text recognition and information processing are tied to the correct rotation of documents. Intelligent document classification components can help reduce manual input and interventions like these through digital automation, while significantly increasing data quality.

Before

After

By automating the correction of documents (PDFs, images), OCR SDK can increase processing efficiency in enterprises. 

This leads, in addition to a Acceleration of all processes also lead to the fact that the Management costs significantly reduced and employees are not held up with simple, tedious as well as repetitive tasks. 

Practical example

Assuming 100,000 scanned documents, 10% of which are submitted in the wrong orientation, staff are busy turning over about 10,000 documents to review and correct either before or after the update. A huge time commitment and a waste of valuable in-house staff resources. 

Thus, the advantages of automatic rotation:

• Reduction of manual effort
• Acceleration and optimization of processes
• Higher data quality of archive documents through archivable PDF files
• Saving resources

Advantages of API based OCR SDK in the application

Using the AI-based Software Development Kit (SDK), document rotation can be implemented and Konfuzio's OCR solution can be customized to meet individual business needs. 

Through professional AI training, the software adapts to common documents in different companies and the text from PDF and paper documents, as well as images or scans, is extracted and converted into structured information even more reliably. 

In addition, the OCR SDK can ensure compatibility with different platforms and operating systems. 

The Konfuzio OCR works on different platforms and has almost all relevant interfaces. This way, the OCR software from Konfuzio can be easily integrated even into complex processes. 

Tesseract OCR as an alternative?

Many companies use Tesseract as their OCR solution. The software enjoys widespread popularity, but brings with it a number of weaknesses that produce errors in processes and workflows. These are mainly related to the accuracy of character and text recognition, as well as the selection of unclear data sources, including documents in the wrong orientation. 

Tesseract cannot solve the problem that manual rotation means enormous effort for employees and slows down processes. More information about the weaknesses and possible alternatives of Tesseract can be found on the page of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Besides the OCR SDK, a REST API interface offers the possibility to extend own software with data capturing from Konfuzio. This is also provided by Konfuzio to provide high quality text extraction. By simply uploading the documents via the Konfuzio interface, the OCR API an intelligent text recognition for 70+ languages and a digital Extraction of all relevant information from the respective text.

OCR SDK: Rotate and save PDF

One feature that the OCR SDK offers is automatic rotation and alignment of incoming documents. 

Whether already submitted as a scan or image, Konfuzio's software first converts them into the archivable PDF format and then converts the information they contain into the machine-readable JSON format. The software recognizes before the Extraction of the information contained, the correct orientation of the scanned document and rotates it directly into the appropriate position in the process of uploading. This way, the text is correctly aligned and can be accurately understood by the AI.

Other options: Handwriting recognition and JSON format

In addition to reliably extracting relevant information from scanned text and automating the rotation of submitted documents, Konfuzio's OCR SDK enables additional features. 

This includes the detection and processing of handwritten text as well as the extraction of documents from PDF into machine-readable JSON format.

Other tools: OmniPage Capture SDK for Windows, Adobe, etc.

Depending on your requirements and existing infrastructure, different providers are suitable for your company.

Omnipage Capture SDK for Windows

For example, a well-known OCR SDK tool is OmniPage Capture SDK. This application can be run only in the Windows environment. In addition to OCR technology and versatile APIs, you can also complement your critical applications with add-on packages for document classification, forms processing, and comprehensive language support.

Adobe

Part of Adobe Developer is an OCR service. If you already use Adobe and the PDF Services API, your developers can take action here themselves.

ABBYY Fine Reader Engine

ABBYY FineReader Engine is an OCR SDK software that can be used in Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. The vendor targets large enterprises in various industries. The range of functions is broad and includes, for example, a complete set of recognition technologies, support for cloud use and virtual environments, or preconfigured business card and MRZ recognition.

You benefit from the choice of different OCR SDK providers. If you choose the right one, the features will accelerate the workflow of your entire organization.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion: Optimize your text recognition with OCR SDK

If you need more than simple OCR software, you can't get around a particularly flexible OCR SDK. 

You thus create a daily updated and efficient processing of all accruing documents and sustainably optimize the processes in your company.

With a flexible and high-quality OCR SDK, you'll gain an edge in the market while improving document processing and becoming an effective business.

What do you think of the OCR SDK? Do you already use it or are you still looking for the right provider? Feel free to write your opinion on this topic in the comments!