How to manage contract versions and automatically extract data with OCR

When a contract goes through several rounds of revision before final signature, losing track of which version is the most recent is a common risk — linking each version to a card with history, and using OCR to automatically extract data from the signed PDF, fixes this problem at the root.

Where does the contract-version problem usually start?

A contract passed around by email, with each version saved under a different file name, is a recipe for someone signing or working on the wrong version.

How does Jestor manage contract versions with OCR?

  • Every contract becomes a card in a specific process, with an attachment field for the most recent version and a history of previous versions.
  • When you upload a new signed PDF, an OCR automation reads the document and automatically extracts data like the parties' names, contract value, and effective date.
  • An approval flow can be configured for each new version.
  • Automatic alerts can warn about contracts nearing their expiration date.

Data extracted by OCR Use in the process
Parties' names Contract identification
Contract value Financial tracking
Effective date Automatic expiration alerts

To configure contract version management:

  1. Create the contracts table with an attachment field and version history.
  2. Configure the OCR automation to extract the relevant data from the PDF.
  3. Define the approval flow for version changes.

Why choose Jestor to manage contracts with OCR?

Having version history and automatic data extraction in the same place removes the dependence on email and manual file naming.

Frequently asked questions

Does OCR work with any contract template?

It depends on the PDF's quality and layout, but extraction is configurable for each template's most relevant fields.

Can I see previous versions of a contract?

Yes, the version history stays accessible right inside the card.

Does swapping in a new version require approval?

Yes, when an approval flow is configured for that process.

Can I get an alert when a contract is close to expiring?

Yes, based on the effective date extracted automatically.

Reference video

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