Document Capture
Document Capture is the process of converting paper or physical documents into digital information that can be stored, searched, processed, and used in business systems.
What is Document Capture?
A Practical Guide for businesses still using paper.
Why is Document Capture Important?
Document capture is important because it transforms paper and unstructured information into digital, usable data that organisations can search, process, and act on. By capturing documents at the point they enter a business, companies reduce manual data entry, minimise errors, and significantly speed up workflows. It enables automation, improves compliance and security, supports remote and hybrid working, and ensures critical information is preserved and accessible. Ultimately, document capture is a key foundation of digital transformation, allowing organisations to operate more efficiently, make better decisions, and scale without being constrained by paper-based processes.
1. Document Scanning
Document scanning is the entry point of document capture. Physical documents are converted into digital images using scanners, multifunction devices, or mobile capture. This step ensures paper-based information is brought into the digital world in a consistent, high-quality format, ready for further processing.
2. Image Clean-Up and Enhancement
Once scanned, images are automatically cleaned and enhanced to improve readability and accuracy. This includes deskewing, cropping, removing background noise, correcting orientation, and improving contrast. High-quality images are essential to ensure reliable OCR and data extraction in later stages.
3. Data Extraction
Data extraction uses OCR and intelligent capture technologies to identify and extract text and key fields from documents. This can include full-text recognition or targeted data such as names, dates, invoice numbers, totals, or IDs. Advanced systems use AI to understand document structure and context, even when layouts vary.
4. Validation
Validation ensures the extracted data is accurate and complete before it is used downstream. Rules, confidence thresholds, and human verification are applied to catch errors, confirm values, and handle exceptions. This step is critical for maintaining data quality and trust in automated processes.
5. Redaction
Redaction automatically identifies and removes or masks sensitive information such as personal data, financial details, or confidential content. This helps organisations meet privacy, security, and regulatory requirements while safely sharing or storing documents.
6. Release and Metadata
In the final stage, documents and extracted data are released to target systems such as ECM, ERP, CRM, or archives. Metadata—such as document type, date, customer name, or reference number—is attached to make documents easy to find, manage, and integrate into business workflows.
Metadata: The Superhero of Document Capture.
And why capture without it is a Dead End
Document capture often promises efficiency, but without the right metadata it delivers little more than digital filing. Metadata is what gives documents meaning, context, and direction. In this article, we explain why capture without a clear metadata strategy is a dead end — and how to get it right from the start.
Metadata: The Magic in a Successful Capture Solution
Metadata is where document capture truly delivers value. While scanning and extraction digitise information, metadata gives documents meaning, context, and usability. It is the structured information—such as document type, customer name, date, reference number, or case ID—that transforms a static digital file into an intelligent business asset.
In a successful capture solution, metadata is what enables search, automation, integration, and compliance. It allows documents to be instantly found, routed to the right system or workflow, and linked to transactions in ERP, CRM, or ECM platforms. Without accurate metadata, even perfectly scanned documents become digital clutter.
Metadata also drives automation at scale. Business rules, workflows, retention policies, and security controls all rely on metadata to function correctly. Whether it’s triggering an invoice approval, enforcing GDPR retention, or restricting access to sensitive files, metadata is the control layer that makes capture solutions operationally effective.
In short, scanning creates images, extraction creates data, but metadata creates value. It is the difference between storing documents and truly using information.
