Outsourcing data entry ensures that this crucial back office task is handled by an outside expert. Both large and small businesses need to manage their data but doing so on their own would require commitment, time and additional resources. They would need to maintain a team dedicated to entering data into the company’s database or document management system. Outsourcing provides the solution by enabling accurate, prompt and cost-effective services by experts.
Possible Trend towards Data Entry Outsourcing
According to one report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that:
- 30% of the 400,000 workers in the data processing field in the US are employed in governmental organizations or in the educational field, while rest spans various industries including the corporate sector
- The number of in-house data entry professionals is decreasing. In fact, 2016 could see a decline of 35% in the number of American employees carrying out data entry work for their respective organizations
It does not, by any means, indicate that there is less data to deal with – just that more and more organizations are outsourcing the task. That said, transportation, pharmaceutical, electronic and general merchandise industries are expected to add more data entry workers. These industries could come to a later realization of the importance of data entry outsourcing, though it is a common arrangement in most other fields.
Why Outsourcing Works for Data Entry
Accuracy is everything in data entry. In cases of large volumes of data to be entered, the chances of strained in-house staff getting the facts or figures wrong are great. Outsourcing to an experienced and reliable provider helps mitigate the risk:
- With sophisticated hardware and software tools employed, companies providing data entry services can handle the task with professional accuracy and also deal with various specialized fields
- The sophistication of data entry tools, including those dealing with optical character recognition (OCR) and barcode recognition, is one of the major factors contributing to the cost-effectiveness of outsourcing
- Specialized software for validating ZIP codes, phone numbers and addresses adds efficiency
- Standardized information can get imported into the databases, accounting, customer relationship management, and other such applications of the client company
- Quality control measures will ensure that the final output is error-free
- The staff in these outsourcing companies is trained, and performance checks are conducted from time-to-time
With a reliable data entry outsourcing company as your partner, managing your data will be much easier, making it much easier for you to succeed in today’s competitive global economy.
