---
title: "Dow: Optical Character Recognition | Shockoe"
description: "How Shockoe built a tablet app for Dow that uses computer vision and OCR to check materials and locations during chemical charging, replacing paper."
canonical: "https://shockoe.com/our-work/dow/"
---

# Optical Character Recognition

> How Shockoe built a tablet app for Dow that uses computer vision and OCR to check materials and locations during chemical charging, replacing paper.

[← All case studies](https://shockoe.com/our-work/)

Dow

Client

*Dow*

Sector

Manufacturing

What we did

Product strategy, design, tablet app development, and system integration

*A tablet showing a task list for a chemical charging operator, with industrial pipework and sky behind it.*

## Every charge, checked by camera.

### The challenge

Dow is a global leader in materials science, with a strong commitment to safety, quality, and operational efficiency. In its chemical charging operations, verifying raw materials and charge locations was largely a paper-based process that needed more than one operator to validate. Dow needed a tool that worked inside the plant, reduced user error, and did not compromise safety or add work.

### The build

A tablet app that brings computer vision and optical character recognition to the charging process. Operators validate task locations quickly through image recognition, and scan product labels to capture material IDs, lot numbers, and product names.

Task lists streamline their workflow, charge and material ID scanning confirms safety and quality before charging begins, and photos and scan logs are stored with their errors for audit. Barcode scanning and offline use are supported.

The app integrates with Dow's existing DeltaV automation system and warehouse operations. Shockoe and Dow worked side by side to define, design, build, and roll out the tool.

## The result

By replacing manual steps with a computer-vision platform, Dow expects fewer charge errors, better safety and quality, paper processes eliminated, better data and analytics, and a tool that scales across sites.

## Project images

* *The task list on a tablet, with each charging task listed by product name, batch ID, and protective equipment required.*
* *A validation step on a tablet where the camera view of a material container highlights the label to scan, with a checklist of material ID and lot number for each raw material.*
* *The server export tool, with options to export photos, error logs, and analytics logs by date range.*

## Questions about this project

### What does the app do?

It helps operators check materials and locations before a chemical charge. The app scans task locations with the camera, reads product labels to capture material IDs, lot numbers, and product names, and validates each charge before it starts.

### What problem did it solve?

Checking raw materials and charge locations was largely paper-based and needed more than one operator to validate. The app replaces those manual steps with scanning, so checks do not rely on human verification alone.

### How does it connect to Dow's systems?

It integrates with Dow's existing DeltaV automation system and with warehouse operations.

### Is there a record of what was scanned?

Yes. The app stores photos and scan logs, and extracts errors from them, so there is a record available for audit.

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Source: https://shockoe.com/our-work/dow/