Different companies like Kofax, ReadSoft, AnyDoc and Abbyy developed data capture solutions for converting all the paper based invoices, checks, bills, and other documents into data to sent to the accounting or ERP systems. Large companies are using this software to increase the efficiency of the account department and they are successful in it. They have made productive gain in the accounts department.

But small company can not use this software. Instead they do the maximum work manually. They use software only to scan their paper containing accounts documents. This is not a cost-effective solution.

Reason for which small businesses are not using automatic account data capture software
Most important reason is cost of this software is high. So small business firm cannot bear it. Not only buy this software but you have to also bear the cost of:

1.. Licensing Fee for the software (User based or CPU based access)

2. Hardware upgrade to install the software

3. Training for your employees

4. Software support and maintenance


This Software may not be suitable for the interface used by you. Then you again have to change the interface to suit the software.

Invoice bill , checks comes in different size and shapes. Important documents like customer name, address, amounts are written at different places in the paper documents. Now if the paper documents contain hand written notes then it may create problem for the software as it may not scan the data properly. Vendors still embraced OCR and ICR technologies into their product to capture the account data accurately from the scanned images. So there is a long way to go to remove manual entry.

The solution for small businesses to improve their different Account process.

Small business must use offshore outsource vendor for different account processes. They can use their existing infrastructure to send the data securely through internet to offshore location to get process by offshore vendor. For more details read Cybelink Secure BPO.

Using an offshore provider will not change the process of management in the accounts department of the small business. Only change is per scanned images will be converted to accounting software or ERP system.

After receiving the scanned images, following are the typical tasks performed by the

offshore vendor.

• 1. Use automated and manual process to extract all the data like invoice number, invoice date, and check number from the images.

• 2. Hardware upgrade to install the software

• 3. Enter extracted data to small business accounts software

• 4. Perform other accounting operations like Invoice preparing, Bill payment, and Check Printing in the small business account software.

• 5. Export the work from the accounting software to a file.

• 6. Send the file to the small business to import it into their accounting software for verification.


After receiving the finished files from the offshore vendor, small business companies can import it into their accounting or ERP systems for verification and further processing it.

Cost of paper document reduces by 50% if this off shoring is done. Small businesses need to overcome issues like offshore security and offshore outsourcing cultural issues. But by carefully managing their offshore vendors’ small businesses can gain the cost reduction and operational efficiency in their accounts payable and account receivable operations.

By: Debmalya Choudhury

• Invoicing customers

• Accepting and processing credit cards

• Tracking orders

• Tracking inventory

• Paying vendors and suppliers

• Tracking customer activity

• Creating estimates…that these tasks take the most time and take away your time for doing what’s crucial to your business which is growing it.

Marketing your business is what you as the business owner should spend the majority of your time on, but instead you’re literally forced to spending that time on the elements above. Of course you could hire someone to take care of all of these tasks, which is probably a great idea in itself, but you still need a system for them to use to do all of this efficiently, and in an organized manner that’s going to decrease the chance of errors.

Besides, if you hired someone for each of these tasks, it’s hardly a small business you’ve got anymore. At least not man power wise.

So this is why Quickbooks is a blessing for your business. It takes care of all of the above in one program and not strewn out all over your computer in file folders which all look the same after a while…in spreadsheets that are so annoying to update that you’d almost rather do it by hand like the good ole’ days.

Don’t let yourself fall into the trap that destroys so many businesses – businesses which could have been great if they hadn’t become victim to the red tape virus.

More than 3 million businesses have discovered the brilliance of Quickbooks and have now given themselves a much greater chance of success. Small business accounting software isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Do yourself a favor and stop losing money, and start saving time now with the help of Quickbooks!

By: Bruce D Hunter