To the average person, electrical firms are all about grit, only fixing your cables and appliances to work and move to the next job. However, behind all that manual labour, every project they work on demands precision and accountability to the letter, as every other business. Not only does this help them maintain good efficiency, but it also gives them a competitive edge over others.
It’s no surprise that electrical contracting firms are now turning to modern technology to speed up documentation that keeps the business functional. One piece of technology doing this is optical character recognition (OCR), which digitises text from scanned documents. However, OCR is so much more than that, and it’s playing a revolutionary role in transforming the sector digitally.
Paperwork: The Backbone of All Businesses
Documentation is a crucial part of running a business. If it’s not noted, then there’s no evidence that it happened. Electrical contracting firms require a lot of paperwork to ensure a job gets done. These include job orders, delivery slips, invoices, compliance certificates, reports, etc. Even with the widespread use of computers, most firms still use paper documentation as backup. Many of these documents require someone to type them into computers first.
This process is time-consuming and prone to spelling errors, inconsistent data, and even misplaced records. With tools like an OCR, these errors can be minimised as data can be lifted from the source as it is. An optical character recognition (OCR) tool extracts texts, numbers, and characters directly from scanned documents. The data extracted is also organised in such a format that it can be edited and searched through. One of the advantages of an OCR is that data can be extracted from virtually anywhere it’s written, or from images and PDFs.
OCR Saves Time and Improves Efficiency
An OCR takes away the tedious process of manual documentation. This way, electrical firms can juggle multiple projects with the extra time this technology affords them. Efficiency is boosted as you can scan easily from mobile devices or portable scanners. Scanning can be done on-site and sent immediately to the office systems. Workers doing the manual labour and those on documentation are in better sync with real-time updates on installations and orders.
Better Accuracy and Compliance
Compliance is a crucial aspect of electrical installation, as the slightest oversight can cause hidden dangers. Whether it’s regulations from authorities or electrical codes, traceable documentation is required to show that everything is adhered to. OCR helps firms meet these standards by extracting data as accurately as possible. These scanners will capture information as shown and organise it for you to check and edit, if necessary.
On-Premise OCR for Data Security
One reason many businesses still rely heavily on paper documents is that they can’t be hacked or leaked as easily as data on the Internet. Hence, OCR companies have developed on-premise scanners to keep data within the customer’s IT infrastructure. One such reputable company is OCR Studio, which does not collect data or require an Internet connection to store it. As a result, electrical firms can keep their data confidential and hack-proof from competition with an on-premise OCR.
Endnote
With advancements in technology, electrical firms have no choice but to explore tools like OCR for better efficiency. OCR helps improve accuracy, save time, and promote business growth. The advent of on-premise scanners also puts their minds at ease regarding data security.
