Auto-read / convert .pdf’s for bringing data into MAS 90/200

I've already received some viable options for this (see below) from our 90 Minds/OASIS group, but I'm interested in hearing any additional feedback – as well as any other options that might be available.

 

Is there a way to auto-read / convert .pdf’s (e.g., OCR – optical character recognition) for bringing data into MAS 90/200?

Have a client who receives lots of .pdf Sales Orders from a big Customer of theirs. Customer is not willing to provide an Excel format of the orders due to data security concerns. They are open to a true EDI solution but that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. So we’re wondering what other options might be available to help streamline and automate the entry of these Sales Orders. Initially I was thinking along the lines of a Document Management solution that has OCR functionality and can read in scanned invoices.

 

  • Check out http://www.datawatch.com/Monarch/monarch.php.  I see on their web site they indicate that PDF is one of the file formats they support reading from.
  •    I have had issues with the Monarch software converting certain PDF's that seem to create as an image. Perhaps the newer software handles it differently now.
  •    If the PDF really is created from text and not an image, Foxit PDF Reader can change it back to text.
  • ACOM has that capability over on the A/P side. Perhaps they have something for sales order. See www.acom.com.
  • Couldn't they (your client) set up a secure website where they could upload a text or Excel file?
  •    Secure website concept has a lot of merit because it is commonplace already in customer / vendor relationships for sending flat files via secure FTP and website uploads.