Did you ever have to rename a batch of PDF files based on their content? Checking the content inside, renaming them, and reorganizing the files? If so, you probably wondered whether there were ways to make this process easier and faster.
Nowadays, PDFs are one of the most used files to share information between organizations. Often, the file name is unrelated to the content of the document. This makes it very difficult to organize your documents and identify specific documents.
Fortunately, we are here to tell you that we have the perfect solution for you. With an Intelligent Document Processing software (IDP software), you will be able to rename files based on their content, identify files more quickly, and get the insights you need without ever having to open the files.
Are you curious to find out how it works? In this blog, we will explain why you should rename PDF files, the challenges of doing it manually, and how Klippa DocHorizon can automate such tedious tasks.
Why do you need to rename PDF files at all?
PDFs are here to stay. In today’s business world, they are the document format of choice for most companies due to their non-editability and convenience.
However, organizing a large number of PDF files in your company’s archives or Document Management System (DMS) can be a real challenge. Most of the times, the file names have nothing to do with the content of the document.
Let’s take the example of a client who sends out an invoice in PDF format. Every organization follows a different file naming convention. Therefore, the client might send an invoice named ‘’Organization A’’ but Organization A wants to rename the invoice to “Invoice – Organization A – October 2022”.
Another example is when a company has engineers working in the field. They often send pictures or documents to the head office, but the engineers don’t have the time to pay attention to the file names. At the head office, however, they want to easily identify what the files are about, so someone in the back office has to rename the files. Typically this is based on a certain file naming convention (FNC).
A proper FNC provides structure and also helps others to navigate through your work and provide better understanding. Here are some examples of the difference between a clear FNC and a non-existent or unclear FNC:
Files that employ a consistent and clear FNC:
- 20220108_ABCProject_Designsheet_Johnson.pdf
- 20220110_ABCProject_Minutes_Sales_Meeting.pdf
- 20220202_ABCProject_Data_Sheet_Employee_Survey.pdf
- 20220227_ABCProject_DataAnalysis_John.pdf
- 20220420_ABCProject_Advisoryreport_Final.pdf
Files without using a clear FNC:
- Data_sheet_2022
- Data_analysis
- Project design.pdf
- Advisory_report_Emma
- Minutes meeting Jan 22
When you name your files in a consistent way, it provides you with a sneak peek of the content of the file. Moreover, all files are organized in a logical manner.
The FNC needs to include some strict guidelines that need to be agreed upon within the team that employs the FNC. There are some basic directives that can be followed, like using consequential abbreviations, agreeing on which components need to be included, and documenting these decisions.
However, when not followed correctly, the FNC can crack and fail to function very quickly.
If that happens, you have to rename a lot of files to fix the naming structure and organization of the files. In the next section, we will discuss the two ways in which you can do this.
Two ways to rename PDF files
When it comes to renaming PDF files you have two options:
- Manually renaming PDFs
- Automatically renaming PDFs
Manually renaming PDFs
If you only have a few PDFs, you can easily do this manually. This is how it works:
1 – Find and select the target PDF or folder
2 – Check the internal content
3 – Tap the ‘’Rename’’ icon at the top-right corner of the PDF window
4 – Enter the new name and tap the ‘’Change‘’ button
Although this seems like the most straightforward and easy option, once you have to rename hundreds of files every week, this will become your worst nightmare.
Imagine the time wasted just trying to go through the documents and having to check them one by one. Someone in the back office has to open each file, read the internal content, rename it, and finally reorganize the document in your DMS.
Furthermore, manually renaming PDF files is prone to errors. Someone might not use the agreed FNC in the right way, which in turn leads to a suboptimal organization of your DMS.
Automatically renaming PDFs
It’s safe to conclude that manually renaming PDFs is not the ideal way, especially when you have a lot of documents to rename.
In that case, the most efficient way to rename and organize PDFs is to use an Intelligent Document Processing software (IDP software).
An IDP solution can automatically rename PDF files based on content and offers a wide range of other benefits with the help of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and AI technologies.
With IDP software, you can identify text in documents and convert it into machine-readable data. This data can then be used to rename the file. For example, the software can identify the date, client name and document number on the document and add them to the file name.
In addition, IDP software is able to process large volumes of native and non-native PDFs (e.g. scanned PDF), saving up to 70% in processing time.
IDP software is without a doubt the best option if you have to rename many PDF files in bulk. In the next section, we will dive into its working in more detail.
How to rename PDFs based on content with an IDP solution?
As stated above, IDP solutions can help you in automating the process of renaming PDFs based on content. The most important benefits of these solutions are that they are fast, accurate and secure.
An example of an IDP solution that can rename PDF files is Klippa DocHorizon. Let’s have a look at how this solution works:
- Submitting the PDF – In the first step, the PDF files need to be submitted to our platform. This can be done by providing us with a Google Drive folder or emailing the files to us. You can even grant Klippa access to a server where the files are located, and we do the rest.
- Scanning of the PDF – When the software scans the PDF, the quality of the document is enhanced. The brightness of the image is optimized and the contrasts are improved in order to increase the recognition accuracy.
- Extraction of the information – At this stage, all the data from the PDF is extracted. Depending on the specific use case, our solution can recognize which part of the PDF is in fact what. If it is an invoice, for example, it will determine which part is the total amount, which is the address or the due date.
- A renamed copy is provided – Based on the criteria you define beforehand, the PDF file will be renamed. This can be done based on numbers (e.g. invoice numbers), client names, dates, and so on. All of this happens in the blink of an eye.
- The document is saved – The file is saved and reorganized in your archives or any other platform that you use with no manual work involved.
A proven IDP solution provides you with a secure and up-to-date file management system. This not only leads to tremendous time savings, it will also increase employee satisfaction. Your workforce will have more time for strategic thinking and other meaningful tasks, giving instant gratification.
Use cases of renaming PDF files with an IDP solution
Do you agree that an IDP solution can bring many good things to your company? In order to give you an even better understanding of how you can benefit from such a solution, we will present you with two use cases:
- Renaming case files for projects or clients
- Digitizing legacy archives
(Re)naming case files for projects or clients
Imagine having folders full of documents and different files from various clients that need to be organized. You start opening all the documents, looking for specific information, and then renaming them in a consistent way. For example, based on the date, document number, and project name. Afterwards, you place the files in the desired folder.
Imagine the amount of work and time this will take and how prone to errors this method is. Maybe for one document this still sounds doable. But what about thousands or millions of files? Manually renaming files and organizing them based on projects, clients, or other characteristics can be very time-consuming.
Fortunately, there are solutions that can help you automate these types of processes. With Klippa DocHorizon, you can automatically read, understand, and extract the contents of documents. This allows you to automatically open documents like invoices, identify specific data points like the customer’s name, and use them to change the file name and/or folder location.
All invoices from client X go to folder X and all invoices from client A to folder A. Within a matter of seconds, your files are renamed and structured in a consistent manner, without any mistakes, and easily accessible for you and your team.
Digitizing legacy archives
In case you still have an old archive filled with filing cabinets and thousands of paper documents, it’s hard to find a document when you need it. Even if you have a logical naming structure in place, it’s a time-consuming and outdated process.
What if your organization has decided to move your old files to a digital environment, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or perhaps a DMS? How will you make sure that everything is named, tagged, and organized correctly? This can be a very tedious process if you have to do it by hand.
This is where an IDP solution comes in handy. With an IDP solution, you can transform a scan, image or PDF of a document into structured data.
This allows you to identify for each document who the sender was, which client or project it was about, on which date it was sent, and many other things. This information can then be used to automatically change file names and folders. Lastly, the renamed documents can be imported into the database or DMS that you use.
Automatically rename PDF files based on content with Klippa DocHorizon!
With Klippa DocHorizon you will be able to rename PDF files in almost real-time, identify files faster, and get all the insights you require without having to open any files manually.
Klippa can help you by processing your PDF files effortlessly, in a way that benefits both your company and your employees. We can guarantee you that your employees will be thankful for being freed from such time-consuming tasks.
In case you’re curious about how Klippa can help you, schedule a free demo using the form below, or contact us for more information.