How To Avoid Errors In Manual Data Entry

In spite of the huge influx of automated data entry tools in the market, manual data entry is here to stay. While it does sound like a bold statement in favor of manual data entry services, anybody who is in data entry business will agree with it. It is simply because primary data cannot be collected accurately without manual data entry services. As it has to be collected from a wide variety of sources, automated data entry tools don’t prove to be sufficient without manual intervention.

Having underlined the significance of manual data entry services, one must admit that it has its own share of challenges. Whether it is errors in capturing data, depicting the same information in ten different ways or delay in delivery of services, businesses have to be on their toes to avoid these inconsistencies. Even a single error in the primary data may cost you dearly. But all the challenges of manual data entry services can be dealt with by following a structured approach. If manual data entry is not your core business, it is best to outsource manual data entry services to a specialized service provider. Even in doing so, you should make sure that your outsourcing partner follows the steps discussed below. It not only gives you accurate manual data entry services but also frees up a lot of time and resources for you.

Choose the right services provider

In manual data entry services data has to be captured from a wide variety of sources. It means that you should have access to a team of dedicated data entry professionals that works exclusively for you. Unlike project outsourcing models where the outsourcing partner takes up the work and sends you the completed end product at the end of the project, a dedicated team is an extension of your in-house team. You can collaborate with your dedicated team in real time. This relationship works in our favor as you can give feedback and get the wrong entries corrected then and there.

Hire the most suitable skill sets

Whether you keep the manual data entry process in-house or you outsource it, your first priority should be to hire the most pertinent skill sets and in the right number. When you have access to the right talent with ample experience of manual data entry, you can rest assured about the quality of services. Outsourcing gives you the leeway to hire as many resources as you require at a fraction of the price that you would spend to hire local talent. Interviewing the resources personally and giving them tests is the best way to hire the most suitable skills.

Provide your resources with appropriate tools

As manual data entry is not all about pen and paper, you need to have access to the most appropriate software and hardware used in the process. For example to scan data from various sources you should opt character recognition and intelligent character recognition software handy. Similarly there a host of other hardware requirements that must be fulfilled to get quality services. If you do manual data entry in-house, you will have to spend on all these overheads. This not only dents your budget and finances, but also impacts the bottom line of your business. Outsourcing, on the other hand, gives you automatic access to the latest tools and technology at no extra cost.

Double check the entries

Adopting standard operating procedures does limit the number of errors in manual data entry, but inconsistencies do creep in due to varied sources of data. Hence, to make sure that every entry is accurate and as per the data entry guidelines, you should go in for a double layer of assessment. Before finalizing the data you should get it checked by supervisors. In an outsourcing environment, most of the vendors have a dedicated quality check team that supervises the data entry process.

Whether you outsource your manual data entry services or not, you should have all these provisions in place to ensure that there are no errors or inconsistencies in your data. Drop a mail to info@data-entry-india.com, if you are planning to outsource manual data entry services.