By training Zia with sample images, you could create and enrich CRM records with data extracted from standard printed text.

Today, we're giving this ICR tool more power: Zero-shot prompting using VLM.
In the context of ICR, VLM identifies field values from input files based on ICR rules, extracts them, and associates them with CRM record forms without any manual intervention or guidance. We call this capability field prompting.
Here's field prompting at work.
Scenario: The front-office executive of Banyan Hospital uses ICR to transfer form-based, handwritten patient information into their CRM system.
There—extracted, verified, and saved as a record—super quick! All you had to do was to tell Zia which field values to extract and where you'd like to store the input image.
- You don't have to tell Zia where each value in the source image is located.
- You can extract multiple field values from a single form value in the image.

- If the input values and the picklist values have different representations, you can fix them as you extract them.

- You can even use images in various orientations, custom die-cut images, and typographic scripts.

Let's explore extraction with ICR using a few examples:
- Imagine your client needs a list of hardware for their organization and approaches you with an RFQ. They've a defined bill of material (BOM) that has all the essential business information and requirements. Using ICR, you can capture this BOM directly to create a record and forward it to the presales and quotation team—the very next minute.
- Imagine you're an ecommerce aggregator who works with as many sellers as you do with customers. Using ICR, you can onboard these partners with whatever documents they submit. Whether it's a business card, address documentation, a tax identification number—ICR can extract seller information without having to train beforehand.
- Let's look at a car dealership that buys and sells used cars always requires each car's registration certificate. The dealership can use their RC to capture owner information and start listing it while simultaneously validating its authenticity.
From predictable orientations to creative ones, ICR can transform your data from image format to CRM records in an instant so you can dedicate your valuable time and effort to the process.
Summary:
- ICR in this release is equipped with zero-shot field prompting and VLM.
- It can detect and extract data from various image sources (printed or handwritten text, as well as portrait, landscape, or custom orientations) with increased accuracy and an acceptable latency for extraction.
Next in line:
For our next update, we'll be enhancing Zia's ICR with the following capabilities:
- Parse images and the objects from source files.
- Extract data from various formats, including PDF.
- Subject tables and store them in subforms.
- Enhance field-level prompting by allowing users to add custom instructions that guide the extraction of specific fields according to their organization’s preferences.
That's all for now! We'll bring you even more enhancements to ICR. See you soon!
ICR availability: Enterprise, Ultimate, Zoho CRM Plus, and Zoho One (Coming soon to Professional)
Enhancement applies to: Customers in US, EU and IN DCs.
Thanks and have a good one!
Kind regards,
Saranya Balasubramanian
Zoho CRM Marketing
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