What are the most common issues to avoid in maintaining an RPA process with OCR?

1 Issue 1: Poor image quality

One of the main challenges of using OCR in RPA is ensuring that the images of the documents are clear and readable. Poor image quality can result from factors such as low resolution, poor lighting, distortion, noise, or blurriness, leading to errors or delays in the RPA process. To avoid this issue, you should adhere to best practices for scanning or capturing images. This includes using a high-resolution scanner or camera that can capture at least 300 dpi (dots per inch), adjusting the brightness, contrast, and color settings to enhance visibility of the text and reduce background noise, aligning the document properly and avoiding any tilt, skew, or rotation that can distort the text, removing any staples, folds, or creases that can obscure the text or create shadows, and scanning or capturing the document in the same orientation and format as the original without cropping or resizing that can cut off the text.

3 Issue 3: Missing or incorrect data

Ensuring that the data extracted from documents is complete and correct is a third challenge of using OCR in RPA. Poor image quality, inconsistent document layout, or human errors can lead to missing or incorrect data, resulting in incomplete records, inaccurate calculations, or wrong actions. To avoid this issue, you should implement quality checks and validations to verify and correct the data. For example, use a confidence score or threshold to measure the accuracy of the OCR tool and flag any low-confidence or doubtful data for manual review or correction. Additionally, use a validation step or script to compare the extracted data with the original document and check for any missing, mismatched, or duplicated data. Moreover, use a verification step or script to cross-check the extracted data with other sources such as databases, systems, or websites and check for any inconsistencies or errors. Finally, use an exception handling or escalation mechanism to notify or alert users of any issues that occur in the OCR or RPA process and provide options for resolution or recovery.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?