| Forms provide a wealth of information for companies | | | | same or separate line as street) |
| and organizations - information that can be harnessed | | | | § Post Office Name (city), State, and ZIP |
| to empower future CRM, marketing and web initiatives. | | | | Using lines and boxes to improve clarity |
| Every year, companies spend millions of dollars | | | | Preprinted lines and boxes can be used for many |
| manually converting paper-based information on forms | | | | purposes - from paths to guide a respondent through |
| into electronic data. The process is time-consuming | | | | a form to boundaries, offering breaks between |
| and expensive, and the data entered is often | | | | different sections. |
| inaccurate. | | | | Boxes define the area of a field better than a simple |
| Today, more and more companies are turning to data | | | | line or open space. Giving respondents a specific area |
| capture technologies to automatically extract data | | | | with which to work lets them adjust their answers to |
| from forms and reduce the time, costs and errors | | | | fit into the area and makes it easier to identify the |
| associated with manual processing. Recognition and | | | | information and capture it. |
| data capture providers now offer advanced | | | | Field boundaries should be two to three character |
| technologies that can easily and accurately recognize | | | | spaces around each side or edge. If possible, additional |
| a variety of fields on a form, including machine-print, | | | | spacing within a field is recommended to account for |
| hand-print and cursive text, as well as marks, | | | | variances in scanning the form. |
| checkboxes and barcodes. | | | | Medium thickness lines and boxes should be used; |
| The automated data capture process is achieved | | | | broken or faint lines can be mistaken as part of the |
| through specialized recognition technology such as | | | | filled in information and heavy lines can block filled in |
| hand print recognition (Intelligent Character Recognition | | | | information. Instruct respondents to use blue or black |
| or ICR), machine print recognition (Optical Character | | | | pen to avoid lightly written strokes. |
| Recognition or OCR), unconstrained handprint and | | | | Preventing "noise and intrusion" on forms |
| cursive recognition (Natural Handwriting Recognition or | | | | An important forms design consideration is the amount |
| NHR) and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR). | | | | of noise or intrusion around the fill in area. Noise can be |
| Forms design is essential to the success of recognition | | | | caused by dark background colors, heavy graphics |
| processing. Forms should be well designed to reduce | | | | and tight space between fields. On a business reply |
| illegible, inaccurate, misinterpreted or missing data. Using | | | | card, for example, marketers may prefer designs that |
| special design techniques, you can make "forms | | | | incorporate colorful backgrounds and images to appeal |
| smarter" and improve the amount and quality of data | | | | to respondents, however, these designs can hinder the |
| that is filled-in and automatically recognized. | | | | process of completing the form as well as recognizing |
| Getting respondents to complete all of the information | | | | the information filled in. You can accommodate both |
| on a form | | | | needs by using lighter colors for background and |
| The Importance of Field Placement | | | | applying graphics to the outer perimeters. |
| The placement of key fields - such as name, address, | | | | Other form attributes |
| social security number, account number and barcode - | | | | Using special symbols to separate fields |
| is critical to the data capture process. Key fields should | | | | Information that is collected often can be written in |
| be located near the top of the page whenever | | | | multiple characters: numeric, alphabetic and |
| possible to account for any shifts during scanning. If the | | | | alpha-numeric. Numeric fields experience the highest |
| important information is placed at the top, there is less | | | | read-rates because there is a smaller set of possible |
| of an offset than at the bottom of the page, reducing | | | | answers (0-9). Alphabetic fields also have high |
| the chance of errors in processing. | | | | accuracy rates with a well-defined database of letters. |
| The use of captions | | | | The difficulty comes with alpha-numeric fields where |
| Captions tell the respondent what information needs to | | | | many symbols can represent a letter or number. For |
| be filled in within a particular field. Whenever possible, | | | | example, without the use of context, it is difficult to |
| the caption should be placed outside the box - above, | | | | decipher if "1" is the letter "L" in lower case or the |
| or to the left - to eliminate interference and to better | | | | number "1." You can eliminate this confusion by splitting |
| call out the information being recognized. This identifies | | | | numeric and alphabetic characters whenever possible. |
| the information to be filled in and helps guide the | | | | If a field has both alpha and numeric parts, such as |
| reader. Captions should NOT be used under a line or | | | | "AA-####," then create two separate boxes with a |
| box, where they can be mistaken for the caption | | | | dash in between and offer a sample of the format. |
| below it. | | | | Another alternative is to create six individual boxes, |
| Pre-printing special characters required for certain | | | | one for each character. Either way, you have reduced |
| fields can also improve data quality. If left to the | | | | the chance that information will be filled in incorrectly or |
| discretion of the respondent, the information may not | | | | misread by software. |
| be completed in the required format. For example, it is | | | | The role of color in reducing interference |
| not uncommon for respondents to leave out an area | | | | Drop-out ink provides significant advantages when |
| code completely when filling in phone numbers. When | | | | employing OCR, ICR and NHR engines. When people |
| requesting this information, fill in the parentheses and | | | | fill out forms, they don't always stay within the lines |
| dashes to separate the area code and seven-digit | | | | provided. If the pre-printed form does not use drop-out |
| number. | | | | ink, the data that the respondent enters may intersect |
| Separations - such as slashes, symbols, text boxes or | | | | with preprinted lines, creating false answers. Drop-out |
| any combination - can be applied to some of the most | | | | ink can help to guide respondents as well as minimize |
| common fields including name (first, middle initial, last), | | | | intrusion between pre-printed information and data that |
| phone number, date, social security number, etc. The | | | | is filled in by the respondent. This pre-processing |
| use of symbols to show the proper format, especially | | | | technique allows recognition engines to see only the |
| for special fields and characters, improves the quality | | | | data that was entered. |
| of information that is completed and helps to ensure | | | | In addition, black tones are not recommended for |
| automatic recognition. | | | | pre-printed text. Two color options that benefit the |
| Designing your form for maximum recognition | | | | respondent and recognition process are: green ink on |
| accuracy | | | | white paper and red ink on white paper. Both of these |
| Properly designed forms allow for better image | | | | are easy on the eyes and can be easily separated. |
| processing so that image quality becomes the only | | | | Conclusion |
| concern. The following suggestions will help forms | | | | With more companies turning to data capture |
| managers perfect the design for optimum | | | | technologies to automatically extract data from forms |
| performance. | | | | and reduce the time, costs and errors associated with |
| Tips for "key" fields processed by OCR | | | | manual processing, smart forms design has become |
| The more intuitive the form, the more likely it will be | | | | critical. Selecting the right recognition technology is also |
| completed accurately. "Key" fields should follow | | | | an integral part of the data capture process. |
| standardized formatting and placement, including:o | | | | Recognition technologies, such as Parascript's Total |
| Name - First and last name should be identified using | | | | Recognition technology, easily capture information on |
| two separate fields, with first name listed before last. | | | | forms, including machine-printed, hand-printed and |
| The natural tendency is to write in the order of first | | | | cursive text, marks, checkboxes and barcodes. |
| then last; any other placement may cause errors.o | | | | Properly designed forms, along with sophisticated |
| Addresses - Advanced recognition technology often | | | | recognition software, will enhance image processing |
| incorporates the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) database | | | | and reduce the occurrence of illegible, inaccurate, |
| to verify address information for improved accuracy | | | | misinterpreted or missing data. These technologies will |
| and data quality. The best way to streamline address | | | | help you to take full-advantage of the data you have |
| recognition is to format information according to USPS | | | | collected, providing your organization with greater |
| standards: | | | | efficiencies, cost savings and customer knowledge for |
| § Street Name, PO box or Rural Route Number | | | | a competitive edge. |
| § Apartment or Suite Number (can be on the | | | | |