In our previous article, we discussed how an AI document processing solution could help your business save time and money. We also covered questions you can ask to find out whether your company is a good candidate for this technology. Now, let’s dig in and see what it takes to bring it to life if you decide to move ahead.

Designing a New Document Workflow

Before working on the technology details, we recommend you map the existing process and the desired end-state using the AI solution. See the example below. In this scenario, this company has a manual process where their accounting team receives an email with a vendor with an invoice to process. The team member types in the invoice details into their accounting system.

Current Accounts Payable Process

Future Accounts Payable Process

The updated process utilizes an AI document intelligence solution to automatically extract the details from the submitted invoice. It also contains workflow software to move the data through the AI solution and insert the results into the accounting system. In addition, it contains an exception process for documents that can’t be handled automatically.

Here is a call-out of the AI parts of the process, along with the workflow software needed to move the data to and from the AI solution.

Build it or Buy It?

After mapping out your desired process, it is time to plan your implementation. There are many solutions on the market that use AI to process documents. In addition, some developers or data scientists will choose to write their own custom software and models to accomplish this, using common tools such as Python.

Microsoft provides a comprehensive solution called Azure AI Document Intelligence. You will need to work with a developer or a technical resource to utilize this solution. The main advantage is a quicker implementation time due to many details being handled by the platform. The main disadvantage is a fee that is charged by Microsoft each time you process a document. This cost could be a barrier for small startups or projects that have limited budgets.

Implement a Document Intelligence Solution in 5 Steps

Regardless of which solution you choose, there are five steps involved in implementing a document intelligence solution for your company. As a business leader, you don’t need to understand all the details here. You can leave that to the tech nerds like us.

  1. Assemble sample documents: These can include invoices, purchase orders, receipts, contracts, tax forms, legal documents, healthcare records, shipping and delivery documents, insurance documents, real estate documents, utility bills, and identity documents. The more sample documents you can provide, the better! Selecting the right data – and enough of it – will greatly impact the accuracy of your model. Choose a dataset that’s large enough to train your model, and ensure the data is relevant to the problem you want to solve.
  2. Build and train the model using the sample documents: Now you have to prepare that data for use in your model, which may involve anything from cleaning and preprocessing the data to dividing it into training and testing sets.
  3. Test the model: Once the foundation has been laid, it’s time to test everything out and evaluate its performance. If it’s not performing as well as you had hoped, you may have to make some adjustments or try out a different algorithm or architecture.
  4. Deploy the model: If the model tests well, it’s time to deploy it for real-world use.
  5. Integrate the model into your business: Integration is key here, and your document intelligence solution should fit seamlessly into your existing business context. As with any new implementation, it is necessary to monitor, adjust, and tweak progress moving forward.

AI document processing is increasingly becoming a vital implementation in today’s businesses, from healthcare to government to law. Not only can it decrease employee work load, it can increase accuracy and efficiency – reducing the chance of costly human error.

But while an AI document parsing solution may sound great on the surface, it must be tested and implemented the right way. That’s why you need professionals like us behind you to ensure it’s done right.

Need an Expert? We Can Help

We understand how overwhelming it can be to consider implementing an AI document solution for your business. But if you’re tired of losing valuable time sifting through mountains of business documents, we can take care of implementation for you so you can save crucial time and money. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Let us evaluate your situation and help you determine if an AI document parsing solution is right for you.