What is data capture?

One definition of the term ‘data capture’ is ‘any process for converting information into a form that can be handled by a computer’. Essentially, it is the extraction of key data from a form, template or just a simple piece of paper which then has to be input into an I.T system.

For example, when purchase invoices arrive in a company’s accounts department, the first task is to enter the figures into an accounts system before payment can be authorised. Likewise, data from timesheets and leave sheets must be fed into a payroll or HR system and personal details of employees, hospital patients or customers are also used to create databases of information.

The question is, what is the most efficient and cost effective way of doing this? The answer is, there are several options:

1.Keyboard data entry
2.Scanners and OCR (optical character recognition)
3.Barcodes
4.Digital pen

The merits and demerits of each of these will be discussed in detail in future blogs or you can call The IPC Group on 08081 45 46 47 for further advice.