The construction and architecture industries are enormously important across the world, employing millions of people and generating billions of dollars in revenue each year. With industries of this scale, and with the massive amount of associated legal and regulatory considerations, a lot of paperwork is inevitable.
But paperwork is outdated. Not only is it difficult to store and impractical, but, in large quantities, it is expensive and wasteful. The answer to this is digitization.
Both industries have embraced digital storage of documents for many years now, but this doesn’t change the fact that paperwork is still prevalent, so it needs to be digitized. However, manually transferring information from physical to digital form is very labor-intensive, and usually results in a high error rate.
Basic optical character recognition (OCR) software can be an effective way for businesses to bypass manual transfer, but it too can have limitations. Now, a new generation of AI-powered OCR software is available, helping to overcome many of these limitations.
In this article, we look at the ways that OCR technology can transform the way construction and architecture organizations manage their data, and how your business could benefit too.
What is OCR for the construction and architecture industries?
OCR for construction and architecture is largely very similar to any other OCR technology but applied to the context of construction and architecture businesses. For example, it may be used to digitize any paperwork commonly used by these industries, from regulatory documents to invoices, contracts, and more.
However, most OCR technology is limited in how it can be used. The first major issue is a high error rate, often significantly higher than via manual transfer by a person. This can cause problems for businesses that rely on the accuracy of their data. Secondly, it often struggles to recognize and successfully digitize any complex or abnormal documents, making it is impractical for construction and architecture firms who encounter a wide variety of different document types.
More modern AI-based OCR software, including Digitise.AI, is not limited in these ways. The advanced AI is generally capable of much higher levels of accuracy and it can recognize a greater variety of document formats. These features make it a more practical and reliable digitization option for construction and architecture firms.
How can OCR benefit the construction and architecture industries?
More rapid digitization
A huge and immediate benefit for any business that incorporates OCR technology is the more rapid results they can enjoy. Traditionally, the manual transfer of data to digital form takes an unnecessarily long time, with an individual needing to painstakingly copy each character one-by-one.
OCR technology automatically and almost instantaneously recognizes all relevant data from a given document and transfers it to digital form, speeding up the entire digitization process.
Process more complex documents
A serious limitation of manual digitization and basic OCR software is that they can both struggle when it comes to processing complex documents. In the case of manual transfer, complex document formats take longer to decipher and can cause delays. In the case of primitive non-AI OCR, the software is often partially or completely incompatible with more complex document types, so users have to resort to manual transfer. These methods can also fall short with documents written in different languages, which are commonly encountered by many construction and architecture firms.
AI-powered OCR can often recognize and accurately convert information from even highly complex and unique documents without a drop in performance. Additionally, some AI-based OCR software features multi-language support, further guaranteeing compatibility.
More accurate data transfer
Another challenge caused by relying on manual data transfer or basic OCR software for digitization is that both of these methods tend to be inaccurate. Human error is always prevalent, and simple OCR can be prone to even lower rates of accuracy. This can cause significant problems for construction and architecture firms whose operations depend on the accuracy of their documents.
AI-based OCR, on the other hand, can regularly achieve higher accuracy rates than either manual digitization or basic OCR software, helping firms to rely on the accuracy of their data and documents.
Organize and store data more easily
As anyone who has worked in an office will understand, paper documents are difficult to store, organize, and keep track of. They take up large amounts of physical space, require complex filing systems, and can be easily lost. Furthermore, when it comes to backing up and sharing them, they must be mailed or manually scanned, requiring unnecessary extra time and effort.
Digital documents are far simpler to store, categorize, and retrieve, making them a more efficient option for any business. Additionally, they can be shared worldwide at the touch of a button, making them ideal for construction and architecture firms working with dispersed teams and across borders.
AI-based OCR facilitates the digitization of paper documents, eliminating the need for companies to store them in large quantities and making the storage, retrieval, and sharing of data more efficient.
Why choose Digitise.AI?
Digitise.AI is a software platform dedicated to the automatic transfer of physical documents into digital form. Our technology uses advanced AI to ensure construction and architecture firms can accurately, reliably, and rapidly digitize almost any document with ease, helping to streamline the admin process dramatically.
To help clients enjoy full compatibility, our AI experts can also pre-train Digitise.AI’s algorithms to understand and seamlessly transfer any specified document format automatically. Additionally, we offer multi-language support to ensure support for an even wider range of documents.
With Digitise.AI, you can rely on superior accuracy to that found with the average manual transfer or with many more primitive OCR platforms. We also provide more rapid document processing and in-built integration with your existing IT systems.
Talk to our team today to book a demo and see Digitise.AI in action.