Are structured and unstructured documents processed differently?
Yes. Since data placement in structured documents is consistent, a template is created which assigns zones where the data on the document will be every time, and you then define what types of data will be contained within these zones. The location of data on unstructured documents, such as A/P invoices and Explanation of Benefits (EOB) forms, is inconsistent and therefore requires something more flexible than a template-based solution. An example of this is the purchase order number. The software searches the document for “P.O. No.,” “P.O. #,” and several other variations of the term. Once it locates and captures that data on the document, it remembers the location each subsequent time that particular vendor’s invoice is processed, thereby accelerating processing time.
