COMPUTER APPLICATION IN ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT.

a) Data Capture
b) Storage
c) Indexing
d) Searching and Retrieval

 Data capture is the process of collecting data which will be processed and used
later to fulfil certain purposes. Ways of capturing data can range from high end
technologies (e.g. Synchrotron, sensor networks and computer simulation
models) to low end paper instruments used in the field. Data with good
metadata attached at the point of capture can expediate data sharing, publishing
and citation.
 Multiple methods are available for capturing data from unstructured documents
(letters, invoices, email, fax, forms etc)! The list of methods identified below is
not exhaustive but it is a guide of the appropriate usage of each method when
addressing business process automation projects.

Methods of capture from documents in electronic format are identified

below.

Whenever a method of capture is considered, it is advisable in the first instance to

consider the original documents, to determine if the document or form can be updated
to improve the capture/recognition process and method. Investigation of the existing
line of business systems, to determine what additional metadata can be extracted for
free using a single reference, can provide significant advantages!

The correct method(s) of metadata capture for a particular business process

automation project, will consider all the methods identified below and the use of one or
a number may be appropriate.

a) Manual keying

Manual keying of metadata from unstructured data is appropriate for data that is
received in low volumes and results in low levels of recognition by intelligent data
capture products (IDR, ICR). Process Flows has a Manual Keying service as part of
our Outsourcing Solutions, please click here for more information.

b) Nearshore keying

Have you considered outsourcing data entry?

Process Flows Managed Services is here to help. We provide manual data entry and
data management services from our office in Bulgaria. To find out more, please click
here.

Nearshore keying of Metadata is most appropriate for the following reasons:

High volumes of individual documents where the level of recognition achieved using
intelligent data capture products is low (can include documents with a high level of
handwritten data).

Potentially capturing the data that has not been successfully captured using an
Intelligent data capture product.

High volume of individual documents where the data to be extracted is not

consistent from page to page.

Can be very cost efficient based on the lower labour costs that can be achieved.

ProcessFlows has a Nearshore Keying service as part of our Outsourcing Solutions,

please click here for more information.

c) SingleClick

SingleClick is an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool that can be used to

capture machine produced characters in low volume ad-hoc capture applications and
populating a line of business application. For more on SingleClick, please click here.

d) OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

OCR as a technology provides the ability to successfully capture machine produced

characters in preset zones or, full page. OCR systems can recognise many different
OCR fonts, as well as typewriter and computer-printed characters. Dependent upon
the capabilities of the particular OCR product, this can be used to capture low to
high volumes of data, where the information is in consistent location(s) on the
documents. Please click here to learn more about OCR.

e) ICR (Intelligent Character Recognition)

ICR is the computer translation of hand printed and written characters. Data is
entered from hand-printed forms through a scanner, and the image of the captured
data is then analysed and translated by sophisticated ICR software. ICR is similar to
optical character recognition (OCR) but is a more difficult process since OCR is from
 printed text, as opposed to handwritten characters. Please click here to learn more
about ICR.

f) Bar code recognition

Dependent upon the type of barcode that is used, the amount of metadata that can
be included is high, as is the level of recognition. The application of single or
multiple bar codes to particular document types such as Proof of Delivery notes,
membership forms, application forms, gift aid etc, can dramatically increase the
effectiveness of a business process. For more about Barcodes, please click here..

2) Data Storage:

Data storage refers to the use of recording media to retain data using computers or
other devices. The most prevalent forms of data storage are file storage, block storage,
and object storage, with each being ideal for different purposes.

Types of Storage

There are four type of storage:

• Primary Storage

• Secondary Storage

• Tertiary Storage

• Off-line Storage

i) Primary Storage

• Also known as main memory.

• Main memory is directly or indirectly connected to

the central processing unit via a memory bus.

• The CPU continuously reads instructions stored

there and executes them as required.

• Example:

– RAM

– ROM
– Cache

i) RAM

• It is called Random Access Memory because any of

the data in RAM can be accessed just as fast as any

of the other data.

• There are two types of RAM:

– DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)

– SRAM (Static Random Access Memory)

ii) ROM

• This memory is used as the computer begins to boot up.

• Small programs called firmware are often stored in ROM chips on hardware devices
(like a BIOS chip), and they contain instructions the computer can use in performing
some of the most basic operations required to operate hardware devices.

• ROM memory cannot be easily or quickly overwritten or modified

iii) Cache

• Cache is a high-speed access area that can be either a reserved section of main
memory or a

storage device.

• Most computers today come with L3 cache or L2 cache, while older computers
included only L1

cache.

ii) Secondary Storage

• It is not directly accessible by the CPU.

• Computer usually uses its input/output channels to access secondary storage and
transfers the desired

data using intermediate area in primary storage.

• Example:

– Hard disk

Hard Disk

• The hard disk drive is the main, and usually largest, data storage device in a
computer.

• It can store anywhere from 160 gigabytes to 2terabytes.

• Hard disk speed is the speed at which content can

be read and written on a hard disk.

• A hard disk unit comes with a set rotation speedvarying from 4500 to 7200 rpm.

• Disk access time is measured in milliseconds.

iii) Tertiary Storage

• Typically it involves a robotic mechanism which will mount (insert) and dismount
removable mass storage media into a storage device.

• It is a comprehensive computer storage system that is usually very slow, so it is

usually used to archive

data that is not accessed frequently.

• This is primarily useful for extraordinarily large data stores, accessed without human
operators.

Examples:

– Magnetic Tape

– Optical Disc

Magnetic Tape

• A magnetically coated strip ofplastic on which data can been coded.

• Tapes for computers are similar to tapes used to store music.

• Tape is much less expensive than other storage mediums but commonly a much
slower solution that is commonly used for backup.

Optical Disc

• Optical disc is any storage media that holds content in digital format and is read using
a laser assembly

is considered optical media.

• The most common types of optical media are

– Blu-ray (BD)

– Compact Disc (CD)

– Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

Off-line Storage

• Also known as disconnected storage.

• Is a computer data storage on a medium or a device that is not under the control of a
processing unit.

• It must be inserted or connected by a human operator before a computer can access

it again.

Examples:

– Floppy Disk

– Zip diskette

– USB Flash drive

– Memory card

3.) Indexing

Document indexing in its simplest form refers to a means of organizing and storing
documents for later retrieval based on some logical system. It is also refers to the
digitization and organization of documents for easy retrieval and access. In a document
imaging and indexing system, any hardcopy document is scanned and turned into a
digital image.
4.) Searching and Retrieval

Information retrieval (IR) is the activity of obtaining information system resources

relevant to an information need from a collection of information resources. It means
the subsequent re-accessing of events or information from the past, which have been
previously encoded and stored in the brain. In common parlance, it is known as
remembering. Searches can be based on full-text or other content-based indexing.

Model this data so that they can return all the documents that are relevant to the query
term and ranked based on certain importance measures.

DATA PROCESSING MODES

Data processing, manipulation of data by a computer. It includes the conversion of raw

data to machine-readable form, flow of data through the CPU and memory to output
devices, and formatting or transformation of output. Any use of computers to perform
defined operations on data can be included under data processing

Data Processing modes or computing modes

Methods of Data Processing by electronic means –

i) Batch Processing

Batch Processing is a method where the information to be organized is sorted into

groups to allow for efficient and sequential processing. Online Processing is a method
that utilizes Internet connections and equipment directly attached to a computer. It is
used mainly for information recording and research. Real-Time Processing is a
technique that can respond almost immediately to various signals to acquire and
process information. Distributed Processing is commonly utilized by remote workstations
connected to one big central workstation or server. ATMs are good examples of this
data processing method.

ii) Transaction processing

Systems consist of computer hardware and software hosting a transaction-oriented

application that performs the routine transactions necessary to conduct business.
Examples include systems that manage sales order entry, airline reservations, payroll,
employee records, manufacturing, and shipping Each transaction must succeed or fail
as a complete unit; it can never be only partially complete.
iii) Interactive

Focused on the interfaces between people (users) and computers. Interactive

computing refers to software which accepts input from humans as it runs. Interactive
software includes most popular programs, such as word processors or spreadsheet
applications.

iv) Real-Time Processing

This technique can respond almost immediately to various signals to acquire and
process information. These involve high maintenance and upfront cost attributed to
very advanced technology and computing power. Time saved is maximum in this case
as the output is seen in real time. For example in banking transactions.

A real-time system is one where it has to respond within certain time limits, for
example, the avionics of a plane, or the control system of an industrial process.

iv) Near Real Time

Means effectively RealTime but without guarantees of hitting specific deadlines.

Near real-time refers to data processing and communications that quickly respond to
events soon after they occur. Unlike real-time processing, near real-time implies that
processing isn't optimized to be as fast as possible. The time involved in near real-time
processing depends on the problem space. A delay of minutes, seconds or milliseconds
is commonly considered near real-time. The following are illustrative examples.

 Communications

A messaging app usually delivers messages within a few seconds. This can be
compared to voice communications that require real-time data or conversations
become jumbled.

 Integration

An ecommerce platform informs a customer support platform of a new order within

a minute. It is technically feasible to do the integration in sub-second time but this
is deemed unnecessary as customers rarely reach a customer service agent in under
a minute.