Question

Automatically Importing batch documents with Lookup to a SQL table for template fields data

Laserfiche Quick Fields Scanning Import Agent

Updated March 8, 2024

asked on March 7, 2024

We have a document type that generates about 100 documents daily during certain seasons of the year, which need to be scanned and indexed into the repository. Currently, we have a dedicated clerk using Quick Fields with real-time lookup to a SQL table. The setup involves using two indexing fields (TaxPayerID + LocationID) to populate the rest of the template’s fields.

However, our business process is evolving. Instead of relying on a dedicated QFs staff member, users who handles these documents will now be responsible for scanning them.

Is there a way we can automatically import these documents without human intervention? If users can scan them into a network folder with filenames structured as TaxPayerID + LocationID, could we leverage Import Agent or Quick Fields Agent for this?

Manually indexing these documents is very time-consuming, and equipping 8-10 users with QFs would be too costly.

We would greatly appreciate any advice on finding an efficient and cost-effective solution for this task. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

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replied on March 8, 2024

Thank you, Kevin and Mark, for your replies! I'm delighted to learn that either Quick Fields Agent or Import Agent along with a workflow can automate the process in real-time!

We are currently in the process of upgrading our licensing module to a Business subscription, which I believe includes both Quick Fields Agent and Import Agent. I have a question about the Quick Fields Agent: Can one QF Agent monitor multiple network folders, all containing the same document type? Additionally, does each QF Agent or QF consume one full license?

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replied on March 8, 2024 • Show version history

We don't use QF so I can't answer that part. I can tell you that Import Agent can monitor multiple folders (using multiple profiles in the agent config), and also Import Agent does not take up a user license at all.

This page may help you with your QF Agent question:

https://doc.laserfiche.com/laserfiche.documentation/11/administration/en-us/Subsystems/LFAdmin/Content/QuickFieldsAgent/QuickFieldsAgentServer.htm

This is the base page for QF Agent:

https://doc.laserfiche.com/laserfiche.documentation/11/administration/en-us/Subsystems/LFAdmin/Content/QuickFieldsAgent/QuickFieldsAgent.htm

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replied on March 8, 2024

Think of the Quick Fields Agent as kind of a task scheduler that runs existing Quick Fields sessions. If you have multiple sessions that monitor different network folders, the agent can run as many sessions as frequently as you'd like.

Yes, each instance of QF consumes a license, but, since one agent can run multiple sessions, you most likely only need one agent running on a server that has QF installed.

In our environment, we only have one on-site QF agent per site, and it runs on the same server as our Import Agent.

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replied on March 7, 2024 • Show version history

You can definitely use a combination of Import Agent and workflow(s) to do this. We have a lot of shared folders that get documents dropped into them, which I pick up with Import Agent and run through workflows. The files are named in a certain way (i.e in your example, TaxpayerID + LocationID) that can be parsed in a workflow to process the files. Just make sure the delimiter is only found between the fields you want to break apart and not within the fields themselves - i.e. 4567_34344 or 4567~2323, or whatever. In the workflow you can pick apart the fields by splitting on _ or ~ or whatever you choose as the delimiter and then do all the other processing you need to do.

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replied on March 7, 2024

Quick Fields Agent or Import Agent and a workflow would be able to do what you're asking in real-time.

If you don't have Quick Fields Agent, I believe your only option would be Import Agent and a workflow. As Mark mentioned, using a workflow, you'd have to parse the original file name (which you would get either by saving the document using the original file name or saving the original file name as a metadata field via your Import Agent profile), then perform the SQL lookup.

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