No. From experience we know that every project is different and we treat each client’s project with the special attention that it deserves. We also know what to look for in a sample that might save money, or cost more because of special features.

• If you would like to discuss a project with us click HERE. We will respond right away.

Yes we can.

• Depending on the size of the project and the type of application we will set up a temporary or permanent imaging station at your office. We will still apply our proprietary document and data tracking process to ensure the accuracy of the project and the security and reliability of your data.

Currently, 95% of business information is held on paper which is expensive to store and slow to access. Document conversion, electronic document creation and management address these issues by removing the requirement to store and handle paper. By removing the need to physically locate and retrieve paper files, staff members are left free to use their time far more productively and effectively. Organizations can also save time and money by making documents accessible electronically instead of making multiple copies and disbursing among employees.

• At Southport, over the years, we have converted millions of paper documents to electronic images; helping our clients to implement solutions varying from simple to very complex. We even host image files for some clients, allowing them authorized online access from offices across North America. Try doing that with paper documents.

Optical Mark Recognition is the process of using a machine to detect marks on a page that may or may not occur in a predetermined position.

• At Southport we scan the documents then use special software to detect and interpret the marks on the image. An easily recognizable example of OMR is the use of a #2 or HB pencil to fill in a bubble on a multiple choice examination form.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is the use of a machine to translate the words on a page into machine editable text. Most commonly today documents are scanned and the images processed by software using powerful algorithms and artificial intelligence to covert the printed words into text that can be edited using any word processing software. Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) uses similarly powerful software to convert handwriting into editable text.

• At Southport we have a number of very powerful software tools at our disposal. We can convert clean typewritten text with an extremely high degree of accuracy (99.9%). We also use leading edge technology for handwriting recognition.

The process of scanning or imaging involves the use of digital scanners to copy the contents of documents into images that are stored on computers.

• At the SDS Service Bureau in Markham we have enough high-speed scanners to convert over 100,000 pages into digital images in one eight hour shift.

Document Conversion is the conversion of data from “hard” formats, usually from paper, images or microfilm to a digital format. This is most often done in one of two ways, either by scanning or by data entry using a keyboard.

• With over 100 workstations, a number of high speed digital scanners and strong OCR/OMR software SDS is able to convert any document into useful digital images and data.

Double Keying is a process of increasing the accuracy of keyed data by entering it twice i.e. keyed by one operator and verified (re-keyed) by a different operator. Special software compares the 2 versions of the keyed data and indicates any discrepancy between the two.

• At Southport all data is double keyed unless otherwise requested by our clients. We use double keying, and other software tools to guarantee accuracy rates of 99.9% or higher on data entry projects.

Data Entry is the process of entering data into a file which is stored on a computer. Key Data Entry is the process of entering the data using a computer keyboard.

• At our Service Bureau we boast over 100 key data entry workstations providing our clients with significant capacity and the ability to meet very tight deadlines.

Data Conversion is the transforming of data from one data file system or type into another. One example is the conversion of image files from a jpg format to a PDF format. A more complex example could be converting files from an older IBM legacy format into a web-enabled format.

• At Southport we are experienced in engineering solutions to complex data conversion challenges.