The following topics are discussed in this chapter:
WebCenter Enterprise Capture is documented in the following guides:
Oracle WebCenter Enterprise Capture provides organizations with a single system to capture both paper and electronic documents. Capture supports both centralized and distributed image capture from a user-friendly web interface capable of using high-volume, production-level scanners. Support for the industry-standard TWAIN scanning interface enables Capture to use a wide variety of industry-leading document imaging scanners to digitize paper content. Existing electronic document files can be easily captured by users or automatically captured through an importing process that can monitor an email server or network folder. Once captured, documents are organized and indexed by applying metadata through manual or automated processes that use bar code recognition technology. After documents are completed, they are committed into a content management system. Capture is fully integrated with Oracle WebCenter Content: Imaging and with Oracle WebCenter Content to provide organizations with one system to capture, store, manage, and retrieve their mission critical business content.
Capture is also integrated with Oracle WebCenter Forms Recognition which uses intelligent data capture capabilities to recognize, classify, and extract information from documents. For more information, see WebCenter Capture 10g Integration Overview in Oracle WebCenter Forms Recognition/Capture Integration Guide.
With the above added capabilities, Capture facilitates processing large volumes of business documents to automate data extraction and minimize the need for human intervention.
Batches and documents are the primary drivers of work in Capture. In Capture, documents are scanned or imported and maintained in batches. A batch consists of scanned images or electronic document files (such as PDF or Microsoft Office files) that are organized into documents and assigned metadata (index) values. Each document shares a set of metadata values.
WebCenter Enterprise Capture involves the following main processes:
Capture: Scan or import documents into batches within a Capture workspace.
Conversion: Convert non-image documents such as PDFs or Microsoft Office documents to a standard image format.
Classification: Separate a batch into its logical documents and assign a set of metadata values to each document.
Commit: Write all of a batch's documents (image and non-image) and their metadata in a selected output format to a specific location or content repository, and then remove them from the Capture workspace.
The Oracle WebCenter Enterprise Capture client is the end-user application that a knowledge worker, business application user, or scan operator uses to create batches using scanners or by importing electronic document files. It is installed and launched as a native desktop application that does not require a web browser. After batches are created, users can classify and index documents.
The client's main functionality includes:
Scanning and importing documents, using the industry standard TWAIN-compliant interface to scan from desktop scanners or other TWAIN-compliant input devices
Reviewing, editing, and indexing documents
Releasing batches so that documents can be further processed, checked in to a content repository, or attached to business application records
An Oracle WebCenter Enterprise Capture workspace represents a complete Capture system, providing a centralized location for metadata, configuration profiles, and batch data for a particular environment. A workspace manager can define more than one workspace. Workspace managers configure and manage workspaces they have been granted access to and control others' access to the workspace. Capture client users create and access batches within the workspace to which they have been granted access.
This section covers these topics:
A Capture workspace provides these benefits:
A separate work area useful for managing document capture for a department, division, or even an organization
Shareable elements for re-use in multiple Capture components
Secure access to workspaces, provided by Capture's user/group restrictions on workspaces
Ability to copy a workspace, for easily adapting its configuration for another environment
Ability to restrict access to batches created within a workspace
The Capture workspace console provides a central configuration location in which workspace managers set up workspaces for use throughout the Capture application. For example, workspace managers create and configure workspaces and their elements, create metadata fields, choice lists, database lookups, configure profiles, then use them in multiple areas such as client profiles and batch processor jobs.
For more information on the roles of a workspace manager, see About Capture Administrator and User Roles in Managing Oracle WebCenter Enterprise Capture.
Oracle WebCenter Enterprise Capture provides the following processors, which workspace managers configure for automation in the workspace console:
Import Processor: Provides automated bulk importing, from sources such as a file system folder, a delimited list (text) file, or an email server account folder. The import job monitors the source and imports at a specified frequency, such as once a minute, hour, or day.
Document Conversion Processor: Automatically converts non-image documents and attachments to a specified format in Capture using Oracle Outside In Technology and/or an external (third party) conversion program. For example, the Document Conversion Processor can convert document files such as PDFs or Microsoft Office documents to TIFF image format. Documents and attachments can also be merged in various ways during conversion.
Recognition Processor: Automatically performs bar code and patch code recognition, document organization, and automatic indexing.
Commit Processor: Executes commit profiles to automatically output batches to a specified location or content repository, then removes the batches from the workspace. Supported document and attachment output formats include multiple page TIFF, image only PDF, and searchable PDF. A commit profile specifies how to output the documents and their metadata, and includes metadata field mappings, output format, error handling instructions, and commit driver settings.
Capture's user login, access, and authentication are integrated with Oracle Platform Security Services (OPSS). After authentication, users' permissions depend on their assigned Capture roles, which the system administrator assigns in Oracle Enterprise Manager.