Challenges regarding the application of the OCR technology

Implementing OCR technology can come with several challenges that need to be addressed. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the OCR system can accurately recognise and interpret different fonts, characters, and languages. This requires the OCR system to have a high level of accuracy and be able to handle a large volume of data. It is argued that the best accuracy level reached using this technology is 85-90%. That means human intervention and manual effort may still be needed to double-check, correct and clean data.

Another challenge is dealing with image quality issues such as blurriness, distortion, and uneven lighting, which can affect the OCR system’s ability to read the text correctly. Furthermore, OCR technology may struggle with recognising handwritten or cursive text, which can be a major hurdle for certain applications.

OCR technology may also have difficulty with recognising text that is formatted in a nonstandard way, such as tables or columns. This can lead to errors in recognition and formatting issues in the final document. In addition, implementing OCR technology can be expensive, especially for small businesses involved in international trade who may not have sufficient resources to invest in this type of technology.

Overall, implementing OCR technology requires careful consideration of these challenges and finding effective solutions to overcome them.

OCR technology has the potential to transform international trade by increasing efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. By digitising critical trade documents such as invoices and bills of lading using OCR technology, traders can process their documents faster, reduce errors, and save costs. As international trade continues to grow, it is expected that OCR technology will play an increasingly important role in the digitalisation of trade processes.

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