As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the need for efficient document processing has never been greater. Applications demand accurate, structured data that's ready for immediate use, reducing the steps required to prepare it. At Hyland, we've embraced this challenge with our Document Filters product. Our strategy? Shift left.
What Does It Mean to Shift Left?
Shifting left means moving essential tasks, such as data extraction, content enrichment, and quality control, to the start of the document processing workflow. For Document Filters, this translates into advanced capabilities that deliver output in a format instantly usable by downstream applications. By addressing complexity earlier, the entire process becomes streamlined, ensuring content is cleaner and more structured from the beginning.
Historically, document processing involved numerous stages—starting with raw data extraction, followed by rounds of post-processing to clean, enrich, and structure content. Each phase added time, complexity, and sometimes manual intervention. Shifting left disrupts this model by embedding intelligence into the initial extraction phase, so the output is refined and structured right from the start.
This approach significantly reduces the steps needed to prepare data for use, allowing systems to handle documents more efficiently. Whether dealing with structured data, clean text, or processed images, the output is ready to integrate into applications or workflows, minimizing the need for further refinement. By prioritizing data readiness at the earliest stage, shifting left ensures faster, higher-quality outcomes.
The Benefits of Shifting Left
1. Reducing Complexity and Streamlining Workflows
By enriching content earlier in the pipeline, downstream applications face fewer steps to manage. The result is cleaner, structured output requiring little to no further refinement, cutting down the time spent on data preparation. Shifting left with Document Filters simplifies the entire workflow.
This streamlined process improves operational efficiency by eliminating redundant steps and reducing the need for manual corrections. The cleaner the data, the fewer post-processing tasks are required, helping applications run more smoothly and deliver faster results.
2. Improving Computational Efficiency
Delivering high-quality, ready-to-use output early on means less processing power is needed to prepare data. Applications no longer need to rerun processes to clean or format data, conserving valuable resources.
This approach is particularly beneficial when managing large datasets or complex documents, where computational overhead can become a bottleneck. Complex documents, such as contracts or technical manuals, often demand extensive computational power. Shifting left tackles this by producing cleaner data early, reducing the workload for downstream systems.
By minimizing the extra steps required to get data ready for use, organizations can process documents more efficiently and at a lower cost. This not only reduces the time spent on each document but also allows systems to scale without significant increases in computing power or storage.
3. Accelerating Data Processing
By shifting left, Document Filters produces output ready for immediate integration, cutting down the time it takes for data to move from extraction to application. As McKinsey highlights, “Most data will need to be prepped—for example, by converting file formats and cleansing for data quality…To speed up performance, [Chief Data Officers] need to standardize the handling of structured and unstructured data at scale.” By delivering high-quality data from the start, applications can run faster and more efficiently.
This increased speed translates into quicker decision-making and reduced time-to-value. With fewer data preparation steps, content is available when and where it's needed, minimizing delays from manual adjustments or processing errors.
4. Scaling with Ease
As businesses grow, their document processing needs become more complex. Shifting left allows Document Filters to handle increased workloads without adding complexity. Cleaner, more structured data from the outset makes it easier to manage large volumes without extra processing power or manual intervention.
Scaling often introduces bottlenecks, especially with new workflows or applications. By shifting left, Document Filters simplifies scaling by streamlining core data processing. This ensures that as document volumes grow—whether through mergers, acquisitions, or organic growth—the underlying infrastructure remains efficient and scalable.
This scalability enables businesses to process more documents and expand services without overhauling document processing workflows.
5. Improving Integration with AI and Machine Learning Systems
Shifting left offers significant advantages when integrating document processing with AI and machine learning (ML) systems. By structuring, enriching, and cleansing files earlier in the workflow, it improves the accuracy of insights and predictions for AI/ML applications immediately, without the need for further preprocessing.
As Gartner notes, “Through 2025, at least 30% of GenAI projects will be abandoned after proof of concept due to poor data quality, inadequate risk controls, escalating costs, or unclear business value.” High-quality data is essential for the success of AI initiatives. If foundational data isn't clean and structured, even the most advanced AI technologies risk failing to deliver.
McKinsey emphasizes that “If your data isn’t ready for generative AI, your business isn’t ready for generative AI.” It’s not just about having the right tools—it’s about having the right data. Shifting left ensures that data is enriched before reaching AI systems, improving data quality and enhancing AI performance.
By delivering structured and clean data early, organizations can fully leverage AI capabilities, reducing computational costs and enabling faster, more accurate outcomes. With less need for preprocessing, businesses can apply machine learning models to refined datasets sooner, driving actionable insights at a lower cost.
Advancing Document Processing
Shifting left is not merely a tactical improvement—it’s a strategic vision for the future of document processing. As Document Filters evolves, our focus remains on delivering solutions that enhance workflows and boost application performance from the outset.
Document Filters is built to anticipate the changing needs of modern document workflows. As organizations increasingly rely on data-driven insights, the demand for clean, structured data will only grow. Our development efforts focus on providing tools that not only address current needs but also offer flexibility and scalability for future challenges.
By streamlining data preparation and reducing unnecessary steps, Document Filters positions applications to process documents more effectively. This forward-thinking approach ensures that content is not just extracted but immediately usable, enabling faster, more efficient workflows.
A Vision for the Future
At its core, shifting left is about reducing friction in document processing. By moving key tasks earlier in the pipeline, we enable more efficient workflows, reduce computational costs, and allow businesses to scale seamlessly. As Document Filters evolves, we remain committed to this vision—ensuring applications can work with data that’s ready to use, right from the start.
This is just the beginning. Shifting left is delivering tangible benefits—helping organizations optimize workflows, reduce time-to-value, and unlock new levels of operational efficiency.
Document Filters Resources
