Optical Character Recognition for Logistics Reporting

Contributors: Joy Kamunyori, Mike Frost, Ashraf Islam

A recording of the WebEx session can be found here: https

://jsi.webex.com/jsi/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=75382732&rKey=f3bc9ca3232b8b42

 

Testing Methodology

Select Tools

Collect FormsPerform & Document

OCR Tools

• OmniPage Professional 18 (desktop-based, licensed)• Abbyy FineReader 11 (desktop-based, licensed)• Tesseract-OCR (desktop-based, open-source)• Evernote (mobile phone–based, free)• Captricity (web-based, paid)

Testing Protocol

1. Pass field-filled logistics management information system (LMIS) form through application

2. Fill out blank LMIS form carefully and pass through

3. Record number of correctly vs. incorrectly identified fields (numeric)

4. Calculate character recognition accuracy rates.

Form 1: Tanzania Essential Medicines R&R

Form 2: Tanzania Essential Medicines Supplementary Form

Form 3: Zimbabwe ARV R&R

OmniPage Professional 18

• Licensed tool—$499.99• General impressions:

– Easy to use after initial orientation – Fast processing (less than 1 minute)– Can verify/validate recognized text

Interface

Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jam ii Integrated Logistics SystemFOMU 2C: FOMU TUPU YA TAAR I FA NA MAOMBI (R&R) TA DAWA/VIFA A VYA TIBA VYA ZIA DA N° 388151

MALI YA ZIADANamba ya MSD Mali Kip Wadi ya Kilichopokele we kipindi hikiUPotevu, Wadi ya Makadirlo ya. Kia51! ,Kiasi Kilichoagi Bei Gharama (GxH))(Iasi Gharama

' I'm cha UgaviKuanzla (B) MarekebishoMwisho Matumizi Kinacholutajika(G) (H) (i) Kilicho iltyo(A) (C) (D) [A+B+C.D] (E.3)x7-D] idhinishwaidhinishwa

1E) (F) (J) (K)10 l0 ‘1) CD(ACt tA -t.DC. 9CA., C) e) O a ii. s--G, a-A ;71C.AD. .

3 A-bat-kl..-710101 D 3,s- "`2„tou_CA IA -Q4Pc- Cx-k--i L...bC..) O 0 C c 2 kl- 6-6) Rr c:ND r)C93"1:'' V triffrivcpi 0 0 0 0 0 kr.C1 q2:: 9 oo 0 .go g . c 0 .y...,,, I, Lz.1 . .,...,..2)to io to ^../1.1 IN ryll p_S lel I CLANkl_r-3-& CD 0 0 C 24 S—LA 0.3 Zii IDOttVi-ID to L 0 ._62 C_./....L 4.krv. t. r- cCD 0 0 0 0 \ g6" z 20 t Deo '3)

L:7^ ^_c,r...3lootO \_)3I t VI. -f.) C c C c) i q s („) 3 4-,,Dot ;ha_ _r-tt-:%,t, , /}

e,-co„),:2_,_ks,_,,--4:to 01,, v., t-__Ty,k Lu.st (A-) C 0 C.) 0 1 g, `7 („ .____, k-i-I C'o •

4

_...,

Zahanati au kituo cha afya kutuma kwa DMO nakala ya juu na ya kali. Tunza nakala ya chini. Vihlaya kutuma MSD nakala ya juu. Tunza na nakala ya kati. Tupa nakala ya chiniJumlaGharama: Jumla Wyo. :'.... --`,:.-13 g2CADidhinishwa:

Hospitali kutuma MSO nakala ya 1:111 Tunza nakala yake

Output

OmniPage Professional 18

Accuracy rates (numerical fields):•Forms filled out in the field:

– TZ essential medicines: 13%– TZ supplementary form: 21%

•Forms filled out by tester:– TZ essential medicines: 53%– TZ supplementary form: 76%

Abbyy FineReader 11

• Licensed tool—$169.99• General impressions:

– Easy to use after initial orientation—harder to learn to use than OmniPage

– Fast processing (1–3 mins)– Can verify/validate recognized text

Interface

Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa JamiiIntegrated Logistics SystemFOMU 2C: FOMU TUPU YATAARIFA NA MAOMBI (R&R) YA DAWA/VlFAA VYA TlBA VYA ZlADAN° 088151Zahanan aj kituo cha afya kutuma kwa Df/O naka*a ya juu na ya kali Tunza nakala ya chini. Wtlaya kutima MSD nakala ya juu. Tunza na nakala ya kali Hospitali kutuma MSD nakala ya juu Tunza nakala yakeTupa nakaia ya chiniMALI YAZIADAMamba Mali Kipimoch Idadi ya Kilichopo Upotevu/ Idadi ya Makadiri Kiasi Kiasi Bei Gharama Kiasi Gharama

icvoro2Jo

CouQv\-OcV^/Vt^uuT 0 o 6 £ o £Tk s> SH/ioo •

IDIDID Cou-Ct v\ D ft D o o Q ^ 3 33>rtoo 3

laowr<?o

V iTfvTvwibB o o O O o toe. 22)?» 2> ^OGO 0.6

.ojmo

vj Cv oa\ (OPi - CDmu^Se^ D o o o o 2 if Sb. 3 Sfr.OOt ■6CAl-Av^v O o o o o 3> 2adOC . 3

UjtoiO PlCKb . c? a o o o 3><^ 3 2^001: 'jtDtolo ^fecbo^- r- o o o o \ Q. 3> ^ 3 ^&oo 3

•

JumlaGharama: 13^,20

Jumla iliyo-^dhinishwa: *•

Output

Abbyy FineReader 11

Accuracy rates (numerical fields):•Forms filled out in the field:

– TZ essential medicines: 10%– TZ supplementary form: 10%

•Forms filled out by tester:– TZ essential medicines: 39%– TZ supplementary form: 43%.

Tesseract-OCR

• Open-source tool• General impressions:

– Does not have a graphical user interface– Is a command line tool—needs to be run from command line– Difficult for users who do not know command line use– Requires input file in image format (i.e., .png, .jpg)

Tesseract-OCR

• In the example below, we ran Tesseract with a scanned image file and an output file to hold the recognized text:

Program install location

Program name Scanned imageOutput text file name

Interface

Source File

Output

Evernote

• Can send pictures of documents• Not useful for character recognition or data entry• Allows tagging on the image, e.g., district/facility

Captricity

• Web-based, paid service• Offers several tiers of pricing:

– “Pay as you go”—$0.01 per field– Discounts as number of fields increase– “Premier” tier—$335/month for 50,000 fields

• $0.0067 per field

– “Enterprise” tier—custom tier, depending on volume• provides dedicated account manager and support

• volume discounts.

Captricity

Process:

1.User creates template for form

2.System creates digital fingerprint from template

3.Compares uploaded form to digital fingerprint– Fixes skews, or flips form, if needed

4.Does human validation field-by-field– never see the entire form– preserves privacy

5.Output in .csv file.

Captricity

General impressions:•Initially, time intensive

– must separate forms into single files, per page– must set up templates for each page, e.g., one page form

took 10 minutes to create

•Requires Internet connection•Approximately 24-hour turnaround for first time

– turnaround time is reduced after first processing.

Interface

Output

Captricity:

Accuracy rates (numerical fields)•Forms filled out in the field:

– TZ essential medicines: 65%– TZ supplementary form: 99%– Zim antiretrovirals: 52%

•Forms filled out by tester:– TZ essential medicines: 98%– TZ supplementary form: 100%– Zim antiretrovirals: 98%

Research conclusion: Captricity looks most promising

Digging deeper…

Captricity Positives

• Shows best results– Validation of output is critical

• Fast turnaround time • Digitization is accurate

– data entry staff did not introduce new errors

• Cloud storage can store data indefinitely• Output in .csv format (readable by a database).

Captricity Negatives

• Requires Internet connection; must be used at higher levels of supply chain

• Set up is time-intensive; must— – split up forms– create templates– rotate to landscape

• Validation/reconciliation can be time consuming• Cost can be high, but discounts available for high

volume– Cheaper than hiring data entry clerks?

Use Cases for LMIS Reporting Using Captricity

Use Case 1

SDP/CHW: Send paper report

District: Upload and verify

Central database

Use Case 2

SDP/CHW: Take photo of form

District: Upload and verify

Central database

Use Case 3

SDP/CHW: Send paper report

District: Aggregate

reports

Central databaseCentral: Upload and verify

Thank You! Questions?