OCR data entry?

[ivan]

I have developed an Access 97 order entry program specific to my business.
Due to the merchandise sold, the orders require a lot of custom information
(size dimensions, color combos, material, imprint info etc.). All of my
orders are taken on paper at the customers location, then bought back to my
location and entered. My problem is that I can take a hundred different
orders at
a time, from a hundred different customers. So this means that I sit at the
customers location, spend 7 hours reviewing or writing orders with
customers, then have to re-enter most of the data into the Access database
for billing purposes. As an example, yesterday I received 74 orders, that I
will now spend 5 hours re-handling, re-entering and generating statements
for. Not a fun way to spend a day.

It occurs to me that I have a few solutions.
A) I could hire someone to re-enter the orders (I am not prepared for this
financial option yet).

B) I could bring a laptop and portable printer to the sales site and enter
right there. The negative to this is that it would still be double work,
first filling out a paper form and then hand-entering the data (I can not
dispense with the paper form since many customers come with it prefilled in,
or it is used as a worksheet, plus I want a copy of the custom data in their
handwriting). This would greatly slow down the sales process at the POS.

C) I could bring a laptop, portable printer and portable OCR equipment. This
would allow me to just scan the paper order form info into Access, with the
data going to the appropriate fields. This would save me mega-time and
postage (since I can generate the statements right there for the customer.)
Not sure if this is a viable option, in terms of current accuracy of
equipment and software, time required to scan and import data for each
customer, etc. I have many customers on line waiting to place orders (dont
want to lose them to boredom while waiting their turn). I could always do a
visual on the imported data and correct any import mistakes at the time of
import.

If "C" is a viable option, I have no idea where and how to start... ie.
portable scanners available, the best software to get the data into Access,
the procedure for importing, is there a way to import directly?, etc.
Actually I do have an idea where to start... this newsgroup ; )

Any ideas or OCR info would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

Ivan

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

The real problem here is that I know of no OCR software that reads
handwriting with any degree of accuracy.

So, while it is common to use OCR for typed material, for handwritten, you
get no benefit at all. I use OCR stuff to read in typed letters and
documents all the time. However, the key here is that those documents are
typed, and not hand written.

The only real solution is to build a VERY efficient data entry screen to
enter the information (tons of pick lists etc to reduce typing to mim. You
would also want the whole process from start to end be EASILY entered via
the keyboard without mouse intervention).

You can certainly setup and use a OCR wand to speed up data entry, and I
seen some real slick data entry systems that use ocr wands (but, the wand is
used to scan products, and data entry stuff from a PRE BUILT OCR form that
used to simply speed up the data entry process. Note again, we are not
talking about reading hand written stuff. The ocr sheet has ocr things like
color, weight, delivery method etc. A few quick scans from the special order
sheet saves a LOT of manual typing. In fact, often the reason why these OCR
wand systems work so well is that you don't have to enter data in any
particular order, and field skip is not a issue.

(I can not
dispense with the paper form since many customers come with it prefilled in,
or it is used as a worksheet, plus I want a copy of the custom data in their
handwriting). This would greatly slow down the sales process at the POS.

If you can't dispense, or force your customers to fill out a electronic
form, then you really are in trouble here. I would consider giving each
customer a program, or even better is give them a web site where they can
enter the order, and then print off a copy for themselves. You then of
course will not have to re-type the info.

So, there is no such general technology right now that going to read hand
written material on a general form. There is some stuff out there right now
that works reasonably well with cheque processing...but it is not simple
technology to use, or setup.

For sure, a good form is ms-access is MANY TIMES FASTER then writing orders
by hand (just like typing is many times faster then handwriting). If the
form is not many times faster then handwriting, then those forms need to be
re-desinged.

 

[ivan]

Thanks for the reply Albert. I guess what I was trying to do was to get
the initial data scanned in i.e. Name, address phone etc.etc... You are
correct, the real problem is that I have trouble reading their handwriting
(teenagers), so ... an OCR program certainly wouldn't be able to do it. My
Access data entry screen is straight forward (especially for me since I
designed it). I guess the best solution will be to try data entry at the
off-site location (schools). Since I have to go over each order manually
with each customer anyway, I guess data entry at the site will be the best
timesaver (beats re-entering at the office).

I do, however, have many locations on the order form where the customer
"pencils" in a "bubble" for choice of material, color etc. This might be
the place to use the "wand". If so... do you know how I would "import"
this data into Access"?

Thanks again for your reply.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

I do, however, have many locations on the order form where the customer

"pencils" in a "bubble" for choice of material, color etc. This might be
the place to use the "wand". If so... do you know how I would "import"
this data into Access"?

You don't import the data, but use the wand to "enter" the data. I mean, if
you where to "import" the data, you would have to somehow tie the data that
you are importing into ms-access to the existing record.

Using the OCR want to "scan" the users choice will not really work in your
case. However, what you do is use a pre-made OCR sheet, and use the wand on
that sheet to speed up entry of choices. (however, it is still the human
that is reading what the user choose, and then you scan the correct code
from that pre made sheet. In some situations, this set up is fantastic, but
in your case, I don't think it will help too much. However, if there is a
series of 10, or 15t questions in a row, then a OCR sheet might help. This
type of OCR works very well for simple order processing, and really works
well when you have existing customers reply using some type of return card
with their customer number. A magazine subscription card would be a great
example, as then you scan the customer number, which type of subscriptions,
and how the payment is to be made. You thus eliminate all of the time to
search for the customer, and then enter some options. This type of data
processing works very well with OCR. As mentioned, I don't think your setup
will quite work that well. However, you could re-design, or change the
workflow process you have to better take advantage of OCR wands.

Most OCR wands simply plug in to the keyboard, and ms-access does not know
the difference between you typing in OCR stuff, or using the keyboard. Of
course, when you build those OCR sheets for data entry, you do have to write
a bit code to figure out what field the data is going to be typed into (or,
you force the user to tab to the correct field...but then you hardly save
any time...right?).

 

[Kelvin]

Ivan, have you looked into seeing if the school will give you the student
list ahead of time. Then have the students use their student ID numbers to
place the order instead of their name. This will probably save a ton of
time. If not possible, then how about creating your paper form with boxes
for the student to enter their data (like most governmental forms), which
would scan in much better. A good program to use is called OmniForm (the
same company that makes OmniPage). This program is speciafically designed
to scan in forms. I haven't used it in a while, but last time I did, I
remember it being able to store the forms in a propriatary database then
exporting that data as a CSV or TXT file.

Kelvin

 

[ivan]

Ivan, have you looked into seeing if the school will give you the student
list ahead of time. Then have the students use their student ID numbers to
place the order instead of their name. This will probably save a ton of
time. If not possible, then how about creating your paper form with boxes
for the student to enter their data (like most governmental forms), which
would scan in much better. A good program to use is called OmniForm (the
same company that makes OmniPage). This program is speciafically designed
to scan in forms. I haven't used it in a while, but last time I did, I
remember it being able to store the forms in a propriatary database then
exporting that data as a CSV or TXT file.

Kelvin

Thanks Kelvin....

But... how then do I get those 70+ orders into Access

Ivan

 

[Kelvin]

Access can import CSV and TXT files directly into a table. Or you can
import it into Excel first, convert from text to table, then move columns
around.

Kelvin