How to Extract Data from PDF Documents for Businesses

Portable Document Format (PDF) has become one of the most popular digital business document formats. Many organizations use PDF files to store contracts, reports, invoices, orders, receipts, claims, rebates, and other documents.

Extracting information from PDF files transferred to business systems is becoming increasingly important. For example, companies need to carefully extract information from PDF sales or medical records to organize sales analysis or process medical invoices. One of the many emerging PDF data extraction tools can handle such tasks.

In this article, we review PDF data, the process of extracting data from PDF files, and the technologies and software that aid in this process. This article may be useful for small and medium-sized businesses interested in document processing automation.

Extract PDF

Despite its numerous advantages, PDF also has its drawbacks. Information is often locked within a digital PDF file. PDF data is not editable and requires an extraction process. This process is similar to extracting data from physical documents.

Essentially, PDF files represent scanned or photographed images of a document. Sometimes, businesses may create documents using a digital word processor or spreadsheet and then convert them to PDF. Scans of handwritten documents are becoming less common.

Everyone has opened a PDF file and noticed that they can't copy and paste text from the PDF to another file format. Sometimes extracting PDF files isn't an easy process. Large companies need to find an efficient and accurate way to extract PDF data. For example, using extraction technologies that can export this data.

Methods to Extract PDF Data for Business

The first is the manual method. You have to hire employees or an external company. They then manually read and transcribe the information from PDF files into another format. Unfortunately, this method is time-consuming, inappropriate for handling thousands of documents, and can lead to errors.

The second option is to use PDF data extractors. These tools automate and simplify the data extraction process for employees. However, they may not be sufficiently effective when handling large amounts of data.

The third option is to extract data programmatically, employing programmers and creating special data extraction scripts. This is a more effective and accurate method for businesses.

The fourth is to use an intelligent PDF document processing software such as SwifDoo PDF. It provides comprehensive data extraction automatically and securely, including extracting tables from PDF files. The program handles massive amounts of data and can demonstrate a return on investment.

PDF Data Extractor

This tool helps companies extract PDF data more automatically. A PDF data extractor reads and processes the information. There are different versions of these tools, each with different functions. You can use a free PDF data extractor or purchase a professional version with more features and capabilities.

PDF extractors are available as software, web-based solutions, and mobile apps. They typically convert PDF files to DWG, Excel (XLS or XLSX) or CSV formats, allowing for precise table retrieval. Converting PDF files to XML is also popular.

PDF extractors work in the following steps: they digitally scan a PDF file, extract data from it, and display the extracted data in the appropriate format. For example, Adobe PDF extractor reads the data and converts it from a PDF file to a JSON file.

A PDF data extractor, also known as a PDF scraper, can be used to process invoices, receipts, passports, and other business documents.

However, PDF extractors cannot handle thousands of documents. Bulk data extraction is not possible with these tools. Employees must perform PDF data extraction for each document individually.

Extracting PDF Data by Programming

Small businesses sometimes don't need to process many business documents. They're also not ready for fully featured, automated platforms. Such companies may be interested in using text extraction software. This method is less effective for extracting PDF data in large companies, but it shouldn't be ignored.

Variants of Extracting Text from a PDF File using Programming

One option is to use the most popular programming language for data extraction, Python. There are many resources with tutorials on extracting data from PDF to Excel using this language. This process requires basic knowledge of Python and is useful if your company uses Microsoft Excel.

Another option is to use Microsoft's Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language. There are tutorials available on extracting data from PDF files to Excel using VBA. Alternatively, you can use Microsoft's PowerShell tool. This is the easiest way to programmatically extract tables from PDF files to Excel.

Some companies require extraction technology, but not for converting data into code or another format. They are interested in transferring information from a document to the appropriate areas of their business systems. Programmatically extracted data can be useful, but it doesn't match the precision and efficiency of automated data extraction platforms.

Automated PDF Data Extraction Practices

Automated extraction is the most professional way to extract data from PDF files. This simplifies the entire process of extracting and importing data into your business system. Automated software is reliable, secure, efficient, fast, scalable, and competitively priced. It can manage scanned documents as accurately as native PDF files.

In comparison, other tools only help extract data from a PDF file into another format. This data then requires manual entry into business systems. Previous tools only accelerate one part of document processing, leaving other steps to be handled by humans.

Automated software extracts and imports PDF data into the appropriate business system fields without requiring active human intervention. Such a platform can recognize documents, process data, and transfer it to target fields in systems such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Sales Force.

Automated PDF data extraction uses a combination of AI, ML/DL, OCR, RPA, pattern recognition, text recognition, and other technologies to ensure the most accurate and fastest results.

Advanced extraction software is typically based on artificial intelligence (AI). It can apply machine learning and deep learning technologies to continuously improve extraction accuracy. It helps determine how and where to extract data from PDF files and place it in unique business systems. As a result, all information from documents is extracted automatically and accurately.

There are also pre-trained extractors that can handle specific document types. It's even possible to create custom AI models to extract data from different document types.

Automated PDF Data Extraction Software

Automated software is an effective and comprehensive solution that can streamline all stages of data extraction from PDF files. It uses artificial intelligence to autonomously develop and minimize human resources in the data entry process. The latest generation of automation software is called Intelligent Document Processing (IDP). It combines AI and other leading technologies to extract data from unstructured documents such as invoices, receipts, and claims. IDP can capture, export, and process data from various document formats.

Simpler tools focus solely on reading a PDF file and extracting the raw data into a programming language format. IDP uses artificial intelligence to export information directly into the business system used by the company to process documents. It can seamlessly extract data from multiple PDF files into the desired format. IDP makes the extracted data immediately available and ready for use when needed.

Summary

Depending on the size of your company or your business needs, you can choose from a variety of methods for extracting data from PDF files. Organizations that don't need to process thousands of documents and simply need to export and import data from PDF to other formats can use simpler PDF data extractors. Companies can automate data extraction through programming.

However, some companies require extraction technologies that go beyond data conversion. They need to export information from a PDF document and import it into the appropriate fields of their business systems. In this case, investing in automated software powered by artificial intelligence is worthwhile.