Intelligent document processing (IDP) with generative AI

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is a type of AI document processing that combines Optical Character Recognition (OCR), robotic process automation (RPA), and artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically extract and interpret data from documents—transforming unstructured content into structured, actionable information.

By converting raw document data into a format your applications can understand, IDP enables automated analysis, classification, routing, and decision-making. This significantly reduces manual effort, increases accuracy, and accelerates processing across a wide variety of document types—including applications, forms, and invoices.

IDP software can process structured, semi-structured, and unstructured documents such as invoices, forms, contracts, emails, applications, handwritten notes, and scanned images—even with varying layouts including tables, multi-line and merged cells supported via AI skill.

Designed for enterprise requirements, Appian’s IDP provides full auditability, with every data point traceable to its source.

AI plays a central role in Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) by making it more accurate, flexible, and scalable. AI transforms IDP from simple automation into intelligent automation—capable of handling the messy, inconsistent, real-world documents that drive business processes. Here's how AI helps:

• Understanding unstructured data. AI uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to interpret text in emails, PDFs, scanned forms, and other unstructured documents—even when layouts vary or handwriting is involved.
  

• Smart classification. AI can automatically identify document types (e.g., invoices, applications, contracts) without needing rigid templates or manual sorting.
  

• Accurate data extraction. Machine learning models are trained to locate and extract key information (like names, dates, totals) from complex layouts—learning and improving over time.
  

• Validation and error reduction. AI can flag inconsistencies or missing data, validate extracted content against known patterns, and reduce errors through confidence scoring.
  

• Continuous learning. Unlike rule-based systems, AI-powered IDP improves with use, adapting to new document types or changes in format without requiring full reconfiguration.
  

AI-powered IDP in the Appian Platform automatically extracts and structures data from documents, reducing manual effort, accelerating processing times, and significantly improving accuracy. By freeing employees from repetitive tasks, intelligent document processing boosts operational efficiency and enables faster, more informed decisions.

Because Appian embeds IDP in end-to-end workflows at scale, it supports broader enterprise digital transformation goals—driving cost savings, strengthening compliance, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Organizations often see measurable improvements within weeks.

Yes. AI-powered IDP is most effective when embedded directly into your business processes, enabling seamless automation and faster decision-making. You’ll spend less time handling documents and more time acting on the data inside them. Embedded IDP transforms documents into structured data that can be used in your processes instantly. Information flows seamlessly from document to action, accelerating results and improving accuracy.