The process can involve traditional computer vision algorithms, convolutional neural networks or manual labor.
While document processing involved data entry via keyboard well before use of a computer mouse or a computer scanner, a 1990 article in The New York Times regarding what it called the "paperless office" stated that "document processing begins with the scanner".
[5] In this context, a former Xerox vice-president, Paul Strassman, expressed a critical opinion, saying that computers add rather than reduce the volume of paper in an office.
For instance, in the world of business and finance, technologies may be used to process paper-based invoices, forms, purchase orders, contracts, and currency bills.
[11] In medicine, document processing methods have been developed to facilitate patient follow-up and streamline administrative procedures, in particular by digitizing medical or laboratory analysis reports.
Specific approaches were developed for various sources, including textual documents, such as newspaper archives,[16] but also images,[17] or maps.
[18][19] If, from the 1980s onward, traditional computer vision algorithms were widely used to solve document processing problems,[20][21] these have been gradually replaced by neural network technologies in the 2010s.
Sometimes, specific 2D scanners must also be developed to adapt to the size of the documents or for reasons of scanning ergonomics.