Automatically extract data from documents into a desired spreadsheet format. Any tools that can do this *reliably*??

Disregard title. Work in RE now.

Problem: I’m going through legal documents like (summons and complaints) which are accessible through county databases. I do this to uncover property leads I may want to invest in or to acquire the loans attached to distressed properties. No one wants to do this cause it’s time consuming, so it’s a great for me b/c more deals for me - but I’m feeling the wear and tear of doing this manually.

And I don’t want to outsource this bc of human error. No way I outsource.

Any tools that can automatically extract the data I need and populate it into the required spreadsheet format I want?

And if the tool could automatically reach out to points of contact emails mentioned in the legal doc to decrease my time to lead…even better.

Maybe it’s a pipe dream.

13 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some tools that can help you automate data extraction from documents into a desired spreadsheet format:

  1. Grabsheet:

    • Functionality: This tool allows you to upload a screenshot of the data table you need (or multiple tables) and converts it into a formatted Excel file in approximately 30 seconds.
    • Reliability: Unlike many free PDF to Excel converters, Grabsheet is designed to handle screenshots specifically, making it a reliable option for your needs.
  2. Jackfruit.ai:

    • Functionality: This tool is designed to organize job applications and contacts, but it also integrates documents and resources into one platform. It features a 1-Click Chrome extension to add jobs/applications from LinkedIn.
    • Additional Features: While primarily a CRM for job processes, its document management capabilities might be adaptable for your needs.
  3. SmartShortcuts:

  4. Email Permulator:

For your specific need of automatically reaching out to points of contact mentioned in legal documents, combining these tools with some custom scripting (e.g., using Python for automation) might be necessary. Python can help automate the extraction of data from documents and integrate it with email outreach functionalities.

If you need more advanced automation, consider exploring APIs from data providers like Bloomberg or using natural language processing (NLP) techniques to extract and process information from legal documents.

Remember, today is Thursday, October 3rd, 2024, so ensure any tools or technologies you consider are up-to-date and supported.

Sources: Excel: Tools, Add-Ins, and Macros, Excel: Tools, Add-Ins, and Macros, MUST HAVE TOOL FOR RECRUITING, What kind of tools / apps do you wish existed in the industry?, I Built a Screenshot to Excel Converter...

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Problem with GPT is:

- hallucination
- not following specific spreadsheet formatting nuances (eg., if there are multiple unpaid balances from multiple loans covered in the complaint, then in one cell output all of them separated by semicolons — and in another cell output the sum of the unpaid balances)
- I want the output actually in a spreadsheet; not just a spreadsheet grid view provided by GPT that I then copy and paste into my own spreadsheet
- I want to trigger an email to the lead based on the outputted data (ie., if the outputted data depicts a lead that meets my investment criteria)


I want to be able to do all of this at volume and automatically

And, lol, if the tool could automatically download the complaint documents from online that would be chefs kiss.

 
Most Helpful

I've got something proprietary I have been building in my own time at home, and it works reasonably well (75% of the time). It's definitely possible, especially if you have some coding / programming experience (working with XML / JSON / etc. helps too). What you essentially want to do is build a data scraping tool (or pay for one) to collect just the info you need from those public databases. Then, have your code output to a CSV file and then build your analysis from there. I have a few friends at a hedge fund and their primary job their first few months was to build something like this too.

I'm not an expert, but there's plenty of people on sites like Fiverr that will do it for you for pretty cheap too. I'm building one myself just for the experience and so I don't lose all my coding knowledge.

 

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