Running a Pilot Batch for Document Indexing

Choose a representative sample

Include every document type and era in scope, and deliberately include the hard cases: handwritten entries, poor scans, multi-page instruments, and unusual forms. A pilot built only from clean recent documents will overstate accuracy.

Build an answer key

Have staff verify the correct value of each required field for the sample records. This is the yardstick for accuracy. Agree on rules for edge cases — abbreviations, name order, missing values — before measuring.

Measure at the field level

Report accuracy per field and per document type, not as one overall figure. A high overall number can hide a weak field, such as legal descriptions, that matters most to your users.

Review the exceptions

Count how many records were flagged for review and why. Exception volume drives staff time and cost, and the reasons point to fixes — better images, clearer field rules, or different handling for one document type. See why exception review matters.

Test the export

Load the pilot output into the target system, or a test copy of it. Mapping and validation problems are far cheaper to find here than after full production.

Decide

• Proceed when accuracy meets the acceptance criteria and exception volume is manageable.
• Adjust and re-pilot when one field or document type is weak but fixable.
• Re-scope when results show the material or budget needs a different approach.

Use pilot results to finalize the estimate in scoping and budgeting.