Document Retrieval Options

If you have not yet decided on a plan for how to organize your scanned images for later retrieval, you should take some time to consider the possible options.  There are several ways to store your document images for later retrieval once they have been scanned with oscFile:

• Use oscFile Search to search and view documents
• Use oscFile QB to integrate your documents with QuickBooks
• Use a third-party document management system to provide advanced features and security
• Use Windows folders & filenames to organize your files and free viewers like Acrobat Reader to view them
• Use a database or spreadsheet such as MS Access and Excel to store the index data and provide links to the stored document images.  Clicking the links can open the image in a free viewer like Acrobat Reader.
• Integrate oscFile directly with your custom application using the Command Line Interface

The information on this page can also be found in the oscFile Manual.

Use oscFile Search

oscFile Search is included with all versions of oscFile and can also be licensed by itself.  oscFile Search implements the same oscFile interface in "Retrieval" mode, hiding all the menus and toolbars used for scanning.  Index fields normally used to assign values are used for searching instead.

The same oscFile installation is used to install oscFile Search, only the serial number is different.  Any oscFile Search workstation can be upgraded to a full copy of oscFile just by paying the difference in price and entering a new serial.

oscFile Search can use oscFile's built-in database to perform searches, or connect to any other database, even those for existing business applications.  Users simply type index values they want to find and oscFile displays the matches.  Partial matching and full text searches are also supported.  Displayed documents can be printed, e-mailed or opened in their associated application (Word, Acrobat, Excel, etc.).  oscFile Search can view several common image formats, PDF files (with Acrobat 7 Reader installed) and can preview files for any OLE-enabled application installed on your computer (MS Office, Adobe applications, AutoCad, etc.)

oscFile also has a Media Wizard that lets you copy your database and images to a CD or DVD automatically. The disc contains a start page that opens automatically when it’s loaded, giving the user the option to install oscFile or search the disc. oscFile configurations are created automatically and installed on the disc, allowing the user search the images in oscFile Search.  When searching images from a CD or DVD, the demo period is bypassed, allowing free use of the application for media you distribute.  This is an excellent solution for service bureaus and legal applications.

Using a Document Management System

There are a wide variety of small business and enterprise document management systems available on the market today. They perform the tasks of managing stored images and index data and giving users an interface to search for and view these images. Many perform advanced functions like workflow management, revision tracking and access auditing for HIPAA compliance. oscFile has the ability to interface with these systems, making it an ideal scanning front-end for use with most document management systems on the market.

Integration with document management software is done via the Index Log Files that oscFile creates. Documents are scanned and indexed with oscFile, and a log file is created that lists each image scanned and the index information associated with it. Virtually all document management systems come with standard or optional components that allow you to automatically import images and index information in the format oscFile provides.

Many document management systems have a scanning module that is sold separately, at significantly greater cost than oscFile. With a single scanner, oscFile can provide an easier and more cost-effective scanning interface than the default module. With multiple scanners, the low cost of oscFile makes it possible to implement Distributed Document Capture for a fraction of what it would cost otherwise.

  Using Windows Folders & Filenames

Unlike other document management applications, oscFile requires no additional software to find and view your images. All files scanned with oscFile can be stored using meaningful folder and filenames that let you find any document even if your database has become corrupt or obsolete. Many legacy document management systems have been phased out, leaving their owners with unsupported software, proprietary databases and numbered files that can’t be identified without a long and costly conversion. oscFile uses no proprietary databases, file types, naming conventions or anything else that will prevent you from accessing your critical documents at any future date.

Windows folders and filenames work just like a filing cabinet, organizing your files hierarchically and providing all the information you need to find the file you’re looking for. oscFile lets you create a Windows folder hierarchy very quickly and easily. Instead of manually creating each folder and typing the full filename for every document (like a traditional “Save As” window), oscFile lets you enter your folder and file labels as index fields, and then automatically applies these values to all the images. oscFile standardizes the folder and file structure, giving each of your documents a unique and meaningful label. Simply share the image folder and all the users on your network can now view these files on their computer without any additional software required. These folders can also be copied to CD or DVD for archival or distribution.

Since this option requires no additional software to search and retrieve documents, it is the best solution for small businesses or departments with limited budgets for scanning.

Using a Custom Database or Spreadsheet

The index file that oscFile provides can also be imported into a database or spreadsheet, allowing you to create a search and retrieval interface for your documents that is oscFile , cost effective and tailored for your specific application. oscFile can also be configured to interface directly with any database, eliminating the need to import the index files.

Using the Blank Database Wizard, anyone can create a generic database with built-in search and viewing functionality and connect it automatically to an existing oscFile job. The result is a completely free document management system that anyone with Microsoft Office can use. Those familiar with Access may customize the forms in this database to display descriptive field names and hide unused fields.

The following spreadsheet was created by opening the index file in Excel and adding the column headings.  The image file paths were automatically converted to hyperlinks by running this oscFile  macro:

Sub ConvertToHyperlink()
Dim oCell As Range
For Each oCell In Selection
   oCell.Font.Bold = True
   ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=oCell, _
      Address:=oCell.Value, _
      TextToDisplay:=oCell.Value
Next
End Sub

To use this macro, simply copy the code example into the Excel macro editor, select the cells in the Image File column and run the macro. Now users can simply click the cell and the image file will open in their default image viewer.