ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Document processing

Okay kiddo, let me explain document processing to you like you're five.

Do you remember writing a letter or drawing a picture on paper, and how you had to put it in an envelope to send it to someone? Well, when grown-ups work in offices, they also have to deal with a lot of papers and documents – things like letters, forms, contracts, and reports. And some of those papers need to be organized, edited, and sent to other people too!

Now, imagine you have a big pile of papers on your desk, and you need to make sure they go to the right person or are processed in the right way. You don't want to lose any papers, forget to sign a form, or send the wrong document to someone by mistake. That's where document processing comes in!

Document processing is like a special job that helps grown-ups handle their papers and documents correctly. Usually, they use computers to do this job. The computer can scan or read the papers and turn them into digital files on the screen. That way, the grown-up can see the documents on the computer and work with them without needing to hold physical papers.

Sometimes, the documents need to be sorted or filed in a certain way. For example, if a company receives a lot of job applications, they might use document processing to sort the applications by the position or department. This makes it easier for the hiring manager to find the right person for the job.

Other times, the documents need to be reviewed or edited. Imagine you wrote a letter to your friend, but you made a spelling mistake. You can use an eraser to fix it or cross it out, right? But if the grown-up needs to fix a mistake in a document, they don't want to use an eraser or cross it out. That would look messy and unprofessional! Instead, they can use the computer to make changes to the digital file, without changing the original copy. Then, they can save the corrected version and print it out again.

Finally, when the documents are ready to be sent to other people, the grown-up can use the computer to send them by email or upload them to a website. That way, they don't need to put the papers in an envelope and send them by mail. It's faster and more convenient!

So, that's basically what document processing is. It's a way to help grown-ups handle their papers and documents more easily and efficiently. And who knows – maybe someday you'll grow up to be a grown-up who does document processing too!