The Purchasing Insight blog has taken a timely look at the issue of scanning accuracy percentages, and how claims of 99% scanning accuracy through OCR, are misleading.

As the blog post points out, all this means is that 99% of the characters are recognised:  it does not mean that they accurately interpreted.  It’s what happens after scanning that is the critical step in automation – for example, the ability to recognise and interpret a purchase order number, or a tax reference.

It is only this intelligent capability which is truly meaningful in the context of automation, enabling functions such as line matching.  It’s useful to have a reminder that we shouldn’t be blinded by data! 
read more at  http://purchasinginsight.com/lies-damn-lies-and-statistics-interpreting-accuracy-claims-for-scanning/