Organizations wrestle with a constant influx of information. Documents pile up in various formats – emails, contracts, invoices, reports – creating a chaotic sprawl that hinders productivity and knowledge sharing. Manually processing and organizing this information is a time-consuming and error-prone task.
This is where Microsoft Syntex steps in as a game-changer. As an intelligent document processing and management solution, Microsoft Syntex leverages the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline information workflows and empower your organization to work smarter, not harder.
What is Microsoft Syntex?
Microsoft Syntex is a content understanding, processing, and compliance service that uses intelligent document management, content artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced machine learning. It automatically and thoughtfully finds, organizes, and classifies documents in your SharePoint libraries, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive for Business, and Exchange. With Syntex, you can automate your content-based processes—capturing the information in your business documents and transforming that information into working knowledge for your organization.
The Challenge of Manual Content Processing:
Time-consuming and error-prone tasks: Manual data entry, filing, and retrieval of documents require significant time and effort, increasing the risk of human errors.
Reduced productivity and efficiency: The manual handling of documents slows down processes, negatively impacting overall productivity.
Lack of scalability: Manual processing becomes increasingly challenging as businesses grow and document volumes increase.
Increased operational costs: Manual document management involves expenses related to labor, storage, printing, and maintenance of physical documents.
Data security and confidentiality risks: Manual document handling increases the risk of unauthorized access, loss, theft, or damage.
Compliance and regulatory challenges: Manual processing makes it difficult to comply with regulations, exposing businesses to penalties and legal consequences.
Inefficient collaboration and communication: Manual document processing limits collaboration among teams.
Lack of real-time accessibility and visibility: Physical documents are often stored in filing cabinets or archives, making it challenging to access information when needed.
Benefits of Using Microsoft Syntex (Content Processing with Microsoft Syntex):
Automating Content-Based Processes: Microsoft Syntex automates by capturing information in business documents and transforming that information into working knowledge for your organization. This automation reduces the time and effort required to process documents manually.
Intelligent Document Processing: Rather than clicking and sorting through hundreds or thousands of files, Syntex extracts, analyzes, and categorizes the data for you. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to automatically and thoughtfully find, organize, and classify documents in your SharePoint libraries, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive for Business, and Exchange.
Enhanced Search and Filtering: Microsoft Syntex provides advanced search and filtering capabilities to improve search findability and retrieval. This feature allows users to quickly and easily locate the information they need.
Content Assembly and Document Management: With Syntex, you can use content assembly to generate standard repetitive business documents automatically. It also offers prebuilt models for document processing to save time processing and extracting information from contracts, invoices, or receipts.
Compliance and Security: Microsoft Syntex can apply security and compliance labels automatically. This feature helps ensure that your organization’s content management practices comply with relevant regulations.
Collaboration and Workflow Automation: Microsoft Syntex integrates with Microsoft 365 Apps, allowing users to create no-code AI models for document processing and content assembly. It also enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing with metadata extraction and content summarization.
Microsoft Syntex Use Cases and Applications
Microsoft Syntex can be applied in a variety of scenarios to enhance content understanding and management:
Site Template Solutions: Use SharePoint site templates for Syntex to manage, process, and track the status of business documents. This can be particularly useful in areas like accounts payable and contracts management.
Routine Document Generation: Syntex content assembly can create modern templates to generate files regularly, for example, routine maintenance reports.
Bulk Document Generation: Syntex content assembly can generate large amounts of similar documents. This can be useful for tasks like contract renewals.
Incoming Document Handling: Syntex can manage and process incoming business documents, such as insurance forms, business verifications, and rental contracts. This can be applied to insurance claims, rental contract management, and construction of documentation and verification.
Information Retrieval: Syntex can make business documents and employee information in document libraries easier for users to find and use. This can be particularly useful for policies and procedures.
Content Detail Discovery: Syntex can centralize, organize, and retrieve content to make the specific details easier to discover. This can be applied in areas like patent information.
Document Compliance: Syntex can help comply with retention and sensitivity requirements for your business documents. This can be useful for event or conference files.
Getting Started with Microsoft Syntex (Call to Action)
STEP 1: In the Microsoft 365 admin center, select Setup.
STEP 2: Select "Use content AI with Microsoft Syntex" under the Files and Content section.
STEP 3: On the Use Content AI with Microsoft Syntex page, select "Manage Microsoft Syntex".
STEP 4: Select the Microsoft Syntex service you want to set up.
The setup process may vary depending on the specific Syntex service you want to set up. Here are some services and their respective setup instructions.
Syntex Services
Prebuilt Document Processing: Provides prebuilt models to automate information from files. These models are preconfigured to recognize specific document types and entities from them.
Structured and Freeform Document Processing: Uses AI models to identify and classify uploaded documents to SharePoint document libraries and extract the information you need from each file. Document processing models are custom models trained to recognize and extract common values from structured, unstructured, and freeform documents.
Unstructured Document Processing: Designed to handle documents that don’t have a consistent structure, such as emails or notes. The AI models can still identify and extract key information from these documents.
Content Assembly: This lets you generate documents like contracts, statements of work, vendor agreements, HR documents, sales proposals, etc. at scale using Content Assembly. You convert an existing document into a modern template by adding fields to the documents for dynamic text, which changes from one document to the other.
Image Tagging: This allows Syntex to automatically tag images based on their content, making it easier to organize and search specific images.
Taxonomy Tagging: Includes capabilities that let you watch and analyze term creation and usage throughout Microsoft 365. These reports are delivered to the SharePoint admin center.
Document Translation: This can automatically translate documents into different languages, making it easier for collaborating global teams.
Video Translation: Similar to document translation, Syntex can also translate audio into videos, making them accessible to a wider audience.
Syntex eSignature: Allows you to add electronic signatures to your documents, making it easier to get approvals and sign-offs.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Uses OCR technology to scan .pdf files, image files, and .tiff files. There are specific requirements for OCR processing, such as file format, file size, image dimensions, and quality of scans.
Microsoft 365 Archive (Preview): You can archive your Microsoft 365 data for long-term storage and compliance.
Microsoft 365 Backup (Preview): Provides a backup solution for your Microsoft 365 data recovering your data in case of any loss.
System Requirements for Microsoft Syntex
Microsoft Syntex has several system requirements and limitations, depending on the type of model you choose. Here are some key requirements:
Supported File Types: Microsoft Syntex supports a wide range of file types including .csv, .doc, .docx, .eml, .heic, .heif, .htm, .html, .jpeg, .jpg, .md, .msg, .pdf, .png, .ppt, .pptx, .rtf, .tif, .tiff, .txt, .xls, and .xlsx.
Supported Languages: Microsoft Syntex supports multiple languages. You can check the list of supported languages.
OCR Considerations: Microsoft Syntex uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to scan .pdf, image, and .tiff files. There are specific requirements for OCR processing, such as file format, file size, image dimensions, and quality of scans.
Multi-Geo Environments: When setting up Syntex in a Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo environment, you can only configure it to use the model type in the central location.
Multi-Model Libraries: If two or more trained models are applied to the same library, the file is classified using the model having the highest average confidence score.
Licensing and Billing: Microsoft Syntex is available on a pay-as-you-go basis through an Azure subscription. Users must have a valid Office 365, Microsoft 365, or SharePoint Online license to be eligible to use Syntex.
Permissions: You must have Global admin or SharePoint admin permissions to access the Microsoft 365 admin center and set up Microsoft Syntex.
Please note that the requirements may vary based on the specific use case.
Microsoft Syntex Pricing
Microsoft Syntex uses a pay-as-you-go licensing model for new and renewing customers. Here are the details:
With pay-as-you-go, you can use Syntex without any license commitment or purchasing.
Any user in your organization can use Syntex services and only pay if and when services are used.
Pay-as-you-go requires an Azure subscription.
Pay-as-you-go services are billed based on the type and number of transactions.
The billing is based on the total number of pages processed per service.
Prebuild document processing - $0.1/transaction
Structured and freedom document processing - $0.05/transaction
Unstructured document processing - $0.05/transaction
Content Assembly - $0.15/transaction
Image Tagging - $0.001/transaction
Taxonomy Tagging - $0.05/transaction
SharePoint eSignature - $2.00/transaction
Document translation - $15.0/1M Characters
Optical character recognition - $0.001/transaction
Microsoft 365 Archive (Preview) - $0.05/FB/Month ($0.00167/GB/day)
Microsoft 365 Backup (Preview) - $0.15/GB/Month ($0.005/GB/day)
Conclusion
Microsoft Syntex automates document processing, strengthens information governance, and fosters knowledge sharing, freeing your organization from chaos information. As AI and machine learning evolve, Syntex will remain at the forefront of intelligent information management.
Getting started is easy. Explore resources on the Microsoft website or consult a partner to tailor a Syntex implementation for your needs. Businesses of all sizes and industries can benefit, from finance departments managing invoices to legal teams handling complex documents. Pricing varies based on your needs, but a free trial lets you experience the power of Syntex firsthand. By adopting Microsoft Syntex, you're investing in empowered employees, a streamlined information landscape, and a future fueled by productivity and innovation.