Batch Process Step

Can be one of the following types:

Specifies the Activity (such as image processing, recognition, extraction, export, or review) that will be executed for each item in scope during this step.

• The selected activity determines the type of work performed.
• Activities may be attended (requiring human review) or unattended (automated).
• Changing the activity may affect available configuration options and scoping.
• Choose the activity that matches the business objective for this step.

Can be one of the following values:

The 'Scope' property determines the level in the batch hierarchy targeted by the activity, directly affecting which items are selected for processing and how tasks are distributed.

Scope Values:

• Batch:
  The entire Batch is processed as a single unit.
  • Example: Use for activities like batch-level review, separation, or export where all contents are handled together.
• Folder:
  Each Batch Folder at the specified 'Folder Level' is processed individually.
  • Example: Use for document-level extraction, validation, or export.
  • Tip: Set 'Folder Level' to 1 for top-level documents, 2 for sub-documents, etc.
• Page:
  Each Batch Page is processed as a separate task.
  • Example: Use for parallel OCR or image processing to maximize throughput and performance.

Relationship to 'Folder Level':

• When 'Scope' is set to Folder, the 'Folder Level' property specifies which level of folders in the batch hierarchy are targeted.
  • Level 1: Immediate children of the batch (e.g., main documents).
  • Level 2: Children of level 1 folders (e.g., sub-documents).
  • And so on for deeper hierarchies.

Practical Examples:

• To extract data from all documents in a batch, set 'Scope' to Folder and 'Folder Level' to the document level.
• To perform OCR on every page, set 'Scope' to Page for maximum parallelism.
• To run a review step for the entire batch, set 'Scope' to Batch.

Performance and Workflow Impact:

• Choosing the correct scope is critical for efficient processing.
  • Page scope enables parallel task execution for descendant pages.
  • Folder scope enables parallel task execution for folders at a specific level, and is best for document-centric operations.
  • Batch scope submits a single task is used for operations that must consider the batch as a whole.
• Incorrect scoping can lead to performance bottlenecks or missed processing targets.

Best Practices:

• Match the scope to the nature of the activity (e.g., use Page for OCR, Folder for extraction, Batch for batch-level review).
• Always review the batch structure and set 'Folder Level' appropriately for multi-level hierarchies.
• Test with representative batches to ensure the scope targets the intended items.

See also: 'Folder Level', Batch Folder, Batch Page, Activity.

• A value of 1 targets top-level Batch Folders (e.g., documents directly under the batch).
• Higher values target nested folders (e.g., sub-documents).
• This property is ignored unless 'Scope' is set to 'Folder'.

Example:

• For a batch with packets at level 1 and documents at level 2, set 'Folder Level' to 2 to process all documents.

See also: 'Scope', Batch Folder.

• If set, this property overrides the default queue assignment for this step.
• For attended activities, specifies the Review Queue for human review.
• For unattended activities, specifies the Processing Queue for automated processing.
• Leave blank to use the default queue from the Batch Process or system settings.

Best Practices:

• Assign queues to balance workload and control task routing.
• Use queue overrides for exception handling or specialized review.

See also: Review Queue, Processing Queue, Batch Process.

Can be one of the following values:

Usage Notes:

• Use 'Manual' for steps requiring user intervention before processing.
• Use 'Retry' or 'Always' for reprocessing or error recovery scenarios.
• The "Retry" mode does not create a processing loop to retry failed tasks. The "Retry" mode does not retry failed tasks from a previous step in a Batch Process. The "Retry" mode will simply resubmit tasks that have previously failed when a user executes the "Reset" command. When the Activate Mode is "Normal", the same result is achieved by setting the Reset command's Reset Scope to "Errors". Most users find this is the easiest way to achieve the same result.

Can be one of the following types:

When enabled, Grooper logs detailed statistics for each item processed by this step, including counts, timing, and outcome data. These statistics are used for monitoring, reporting, and troubleshooting batch processing performance and results.

What Is Collected

• Step Metrics:

  • Number of items processed in this step
  • Processing duration and execution time
  • Error counts and rates
  • Custom statistics generated by the step's Activity

• Scope:

  • Applies only to this step.
  • If not set, inherits the value from the parent Batch Process.

Where Statistics Appear

• Stats Queries:

  • Step-level statistics can be filtered, grouped, and reported using Stats Queries.
  • Users can analyze performance and outcomes for specific steps across batches and time periods.

• Stats Page:

  • Step statistics are included in reports generated and managed from the Stats Page.

• Batch Stats Viewer:

  • Step metrics are displayed in the Batch Stats Viewer, allowing users to review and compare results for each step.

Configuration Guidance

• Enable this property to collect metrics for steps where tracking throughput, timing, or errors is important.
• Disable for steps where statistics are not needed, such as utility or test steps, to reduce database overhead.
• If not set, the value from the parent Batch Process is used.

Impact

• Enabled:
  • Statistics for this step are collected and available for reporting and dashboards.
• Disabled:
  • No statistics are recorded for this step, even if enabled at the process level.
• Null (not set):
  • Inherits the setting from the parent Batch Process.

The 'Should Submit Expression' is evaluated for each folder or page in scope. If the expression returns false, the item is skipped for this step.

Examples:

• Submit only items not flagged: Item.Flagged = False
• Submit only folders with valid index data: DirectCast(Item, BatchFolder).DataIsValid
• Submit only color pages: DirectCast(Item, BatchPage).PixelFormat = GrooperImage.PixelFormat.Pixel24bppBgr

Usage Notes:

• Use this property to implement conditional processing, exception handling, or custom business rules.
• If all items are skipped, the step is effectively bypassed.
• When using flag status in a Should Submit Expression, you cannot use the "Flag" Error Disposition. If the Flag disposition is enabled, the flag from the previous step will be cleared before the Should Submit Expression evaluates. Disabling the Flag disposition will allow you to utilize flag status in a Should Submit Expression.

See also: 'Scope', Batch Folder, Batch Page.

The 'Next Step Expression' is evaluated after this step completes. It can return a specific Batch Process Step or Nothing to complete the batch.

Examples:

• If the batch has flagged pages, go to Rescan; otherwise, proceed to OCR:
  If(Batch.HasFlaggedPages, Rescan, OCR)
• If the batch has data errors, go to Data Review; otherwise, proceed to Export:
  If(Batch.HasDataErrors, Data_Review, Export)

Usage Notes:

• Use this property to implement dynamic workflow, branching, or exception handling.
• If not set, the next step in the process order is used.