We are investigating scanning in Supplier BOL and Packslip documents at receipt time and attaching them in Receipt Entry in Epicor 10.
We currently do a similar process with other documents where we scan the documents using MFP devices, rename them, then manually attach them to the appropriate record in Epicor. However, since receiving is a high volume function, we want to implement as efficient a process as possible, so we are interested to here if other companies are doing to efficiently scan and attach documents.
What approaches or software have you used to make scanning and attaching documents in Epicor as efficient and mistake-proof as possible?
I need to do exactly the same – we’re just going live with docStar, and want to get the documents attached for exactly the same purpose as you. Interested in this post, and will try and remember to share my experiences if I test any devices.
I believe I heard in DocStar that you can install a DocStar workstation that will sweep a folder. The interesting thing is if you provide a properly coded file (XML I think) then you can pass in metadata into DocStar. I just don’t think it goes back and links it to the record in Epicor though.
It certainly can link to a record in Epicor, that’s one of it’s main reasons for existing. Just working with a docStar consultant today – we’re nearly there.!
There are 2 different types of OCR possible in docStar – native one, and one via 3rd party plugin. The native one is good for documents where the expected characters are in the same place, think scanning in your own created documents such as signed delivery notes, etc. The 3rd party one is called IDC (Intelligent Data Capture), and can find items anywhere on the page even without being taught it – very impressive.
Anyway once the other bit of software has done it’s job, it exports an image and xml to docStar which then has workflows which you can configure. You can lookup data against E10 for validation, and post items such as AP Invoices.
On the point of getting documents into docStar, you can certainly monitor a folder on a file share and monitor an email inbox. It also has a small client that you can install which has a scanner interface – this is what I need to test for our warehouse goods in dept.
Yes, of course. We are doing that now. But can DocStar sweep a document (with its XML file) AND link it to records inside of Epicor in the same operation?
Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I set our system up to do this. It is kind of a dirty way of doing it. When an operator scans in a document, he scans it into a folder with a specific naming convention.
For example, if it is a packlist, our guy scans it in with the name as follows “PONum.PacklistNum”. Epicor will then take that file, rename it, and save it to the receipt. Not always perfect, but it seems to get the job done, and removes the task of them having to manually attach it.
OK, had a DocStar session today. You’re showing the AP interface, and yes, that will take an AP invoice and link it in Epicor. If you’re doing just plain E10 attachments, there is no built-in way to import into DocStar and have the XFileRef and XFileAttach records created.
So you want to drop a document into docStar, and then have it link to the related item in Epicor and created the link back to docStar? That’s also possible.
In the docStar workflow designer, you need to add a step. The action is E10_Attach to E10 or something similar.
We don’t see that Action. It must appear when the AP module is licensed. (We’re cloud, so we’ll license it when we’re ready to for AP invoices.)
If the Intelligent Data Capture is unable to identify a valid PO number or Packslip number from a scanned document, how would the user go about manually setting those values? Can that step be inline with the workflow, so that once those values are set, the workflow will completes as usual?
There are a bunch of applications related to docAlpha including a Verification Station, this is where you help the IDC on bits that it hasn’t been able to do. It will then continue on to docStar Workflow, and again if anything doesn’t validate the user is emailed and can correct in docStar.
@Mark_Wonsil If you login as admin@docstar.com, then look at Integrations - is this all configured to link to your E10 instance?
I’m guessing once we turn on the AP module, we’ll see those items.