Glossary of Terms

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B

Back-Office Capture Capturing and processing batches of documents in a mid- to high-volume, centralised, production-level environment, as opposed to a front-office environment where the documents originate.

Backfile Conversion The process of scanning and indexing a repository of documents, most commonly paper-based but including microfilm and microfiche, then storing them in a digital format. Typically done when an organization first begins using a digital imaging system so that past, as well as future, records all will be in the same digital format.

Ball-Point Pen Filtering
A scanner's ability to sense the difference between printed text and ink. When enabled, the scanner uses an algorithm that detects the reflective light characteristics of ink and adjusts itself to produce a better-quality scanned image.

Bar Code A method of portraying information as a sequence of machine-readable vertical lines of varying widths. The rectangular black bars and white spaces between them are known as elements. Predetermined groupings of elements form characters as defined for specific bar code types. There are dozens of types of bar codes, with the UPC found on most items sold at retail probably the best known. In document imaging, bar codes typically are used to encode index data and/or separate documents.

Batch A group of one or more documents processed in a single scan operation.

Batch Class A definition of all the settings for processing a batch, including the types of documents in the batch and the processing queues through which they will pass.

Bitonal An image made up of pixels that either are white or black (i.e., an image that includes no shades of gray or color).

Black Border Cropping Removal of black border pixels from a scanned image. Cleans up an image and reduces the height and width by the size of the black border. Helps reduce the size of a document, and the space needed to store it

Black Border Removal Replacement of black border pixels on a scanned image with white pixels. Cleans up an image without changing its height and width.

Bleed-Through Text or images printed on one side of a page that are visible, in whole or in part, on the other side of the page, often because the paper weight chosen was not heavy enough for the printer. Can cause an imaging system to mistakenly believe that the blank side of a page actually holds content.

Business Process Automation Business Process Automation, or BPA, is the process a business uses to contain costs. It consists of integrating applications, cutting labor wherever possible, and using software applications throughout the organization.

Delivering Business Process Automation
There are four main techniques for delivering automation of a process.

Extension of existing IT systems
As most IT systems are inherently automation engines in themselves, a valid option is to extend their functionality to enable the desired automation, creating customized linkages between the disparate application systems where needed. This approach means that the automation can be tailored specifically to the exact environment of the organization, on the down-side it can be time-consuming to find the necessary skills either internally or in the marketplace.

Purchase of a specialist BPA tool
Specialist companies are now bringing toolsets to market which are purpose-built for the function of BPA. These companies tend to focus on different industry sectors but their underlying approach tends to be similar in that they will attempt to provide the shortest route to automation by exploiting the user interface layer rather than going deeply into the application code or databases sitting behind them. They also simplify their own interface to the extent that these tools can be used directly by non-technically qualified staff. The main advantage of these toolsets is therefore their speed of deployment, the drawback is that it brings yet another IT supplier to the organization.

Purchase of a Business Process Management solution with BPA extensions
From the discussion below, it can be seen that a Business Process Management system is quite a different animal from BPA, however it is possible to build automation on the back of a BPM implementation. The actual tools to achieve this will vary, from writing custom application code to using specialist BPA tools as described above. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are inextricably linked – the BPM implementation provides an architecture for all processes in the business to be mapped, but this in itself delays the automation of individual processes and so benefits may be lost in the meantime.

Purchase of a Middleware solution

Business Process Automation (BPA) vs Business Process Management (BPM)
An area of discussion exists as to whether Business Process Automation is a distinct field of activity in its own right or merely a subset of a wider activity known as BPM. Given the similarity in terminology it is not surprising that most casual observers would believe them to be closely related if not identical. However, to experts in these areas they carry very distinct meanings, even if they are ultimately complementary concepts. To explain this further it is necessary to summarize the views of each camp:

The BPM camp asserts that before any process can be automated, it is necessary to define (often at a very strategic level or enterprise-wide) all of the business processes running inside an organization. From this the processes can be re-defined and where necessary optimized, including automation.

The BPA camp state that until a process is automated, there is no real value in analyzing and defining it, and that the cycle of business change is so rapid that there simply isn’t time to define every process before choosing which ones to address with automation, and that delivering immediate benefits creates more value.

There is no consensus amongst which view will prevail, however it can be seen that both perspectives are at least complementary to some extent. Process improvement methodologies such as Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma appear to align well with the Business Process Automation view of the world, as they constantly look for incremental opportunities to make processes more efficient and reduce defects, however these methodologies can also be used downstream of a BPM deployment.

Glossary compiled from a variety of sources, including Kofax, MS Tech Net and Wikipedia.

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B
Back-Office Capture	Capturing and processing batches of documents in a mid- to high-volume, centralised, production-level environment, as opposed to a front-office environment where the documents originate.
Backfile Conversion	The process of scanning and indexing a repository of documents, most commonly paper-based but including microfilm and microfiche, then storing them in a digital format. Typically done when an organization first begins using a digital imaging system so that past, as well as future, records all will be in the same digital format.
Ball-Point Pen Filtering	A scanner's ability to sense the difference between printed text and ink. When enabled, the scanner uses an algorithm that detects the reflective light characteristics of ink and adjusts itself to produce a better-quality scanned image.
Bar Code	A method of portraying information as a sequence of machine-readable vertical lines of varying widths. The rectangular black bars and white spaces between them are known as elements. Predetermined groupings of elements form characters as defined for specific bar code types. There are dozens of types of bar codes, with the UPC found on most items sold at retail probably the best known. In document imaging, bar codes typically are used to encode index data and/or separate documents.
Batch	A group of one or more documents processed in a single scan operation.
Batch Class	A definition of all the settings for processing a batch, including the types of documents in the batch and the processing queues through which they will pass.
Bitonal	An image made up of pixels that either are white or black (i.e., an image that includes no shades of gray or color).
Black Border Cropping	Removal of black border pixels from a scanned image. Cleans up an image and reduces the height and width by the size of the black border. Helps reduce the size of a document, and the space needed to store it
Black Border Removal	Replacement of black border pixels on a scanned image with white pixels. Cleans up an image without changing its height and width.
Bleed-Through	Text or images printed on one side of a page that are visible, in whole or in part, on the other side of the page, often because the paper weight chosen was not heavy enough for the printer. Can cause an imaging system to mistakenly believe that the blank side of a page actually holds content.
Business Process Automation	Business Process Automation, or BPA, is the process a business uses to contain costs. It consists of integrating applications, cutting labor wherever possible, and using software applications throughout the organization. Delivering Business Process Automation There are four main techniques for delivering automation of a process. Extension of existing IT systems As most IT systems are inherently automation engines in themselves, a valid option is to extend their functionality to enable the desired automation, creating customized linkages between the disparate application systems where needed. This approach means that the automation can be tailored specifically to the exact environment of the organization, on the down-side it can be time-consuming to find the necessary skills either internally or in the marketplace. Purchase of a specialist BPA tool Specialist companies are now bringing toolsets to market which are purpose-built for the function of BPA. These companies tend to focus on different industry sectors but their underlying approach tends to be similar in that they will attempt to provide the shortest route to automation by exploiting the user interface layer rather than going deeply into the application code or databases sitting behind them. They also simplify their own interface to the extent that these tools can be used directly by non-technically qualified staff. The main advantage of these toolsets is therefore their speed of deployment, the drawback is that it brings yet another IT supplier to the organization. Purchase of a Business Process Management solution with BPA extensions From the discussion below, it can be seen that a Business Process Management system is quite a different animal from BPA, however it is possible to build automation on the back of a BPM implementation. The actual tools to achieve this will vary, from writing custom application code to using specialist BPA tools as described above. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are inextricably linked – the BPM implementation provides an architecture for all processes in the business to be mapped, but this in itself delays the automation of individual processes and so benefits may be lost in the meantime. Purchase of a Middleware solution Business Process Automation (BPA) vs Business Process Management (BPM) An area of discussion exists as to whether Business Process Automation is a distinct field of activity in its own right or merely a subset of a wider activity known as BPM. Given the similarity in terminology it is not surprising that most casual observers would believe them to be closely related if not identical. However, to experts in these areas they carry very distinct meanings, even if they are ultimately complementary concepts. To explain this further it is necessary to summarize the views of each camp: The BPM camp asserts that before any process can be automated, it is necessary to define (often at a very strategic level or enterprise-wide) all of the business processes running inside an organization. From this the processes can be re-defined and where necessary optimized, including automation. The BPA camp state that until a process is automated, there is no real value in analyzing and defining it, and that the cycle of business change is so rapid that there simply isn’t time to define every process before choosing which ones to address with automation, and that delivering immediate benefits creates more value. There is no consensus amongst which view will prevail, however it can be seen that both perspectives are at least complementary to some extent. Process improvement methodologies such as Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma appear to align well with the Business Process Automation view of the world, as they constantly look for incremental opportunities to make processes more efficient and reduce defects, however these methodologies can also be used downstream of a BPM deployment.