Paper documents are very much part of businesses – both government organizations as well as other industries such as healthcare, legal, banking, real estate, logistics – even though many are transitioning to a “green” office. Documentation can be in different formats such as fax messages, forms, questionnaires, survey records, data sheets, invoices and so on.
These large volume documents must be efficiently indexed and stored for easy retrieval and use when needed. If they are lost, it may result in major issues including high financial costs for a business. Any risk of this nature can be avoided via digitization, the first step of which is document scanning.
Many businesses have indeed started digitizing their documents to manage them efficiently and reduce the dependency on paper files. However, when it comes to digitization of documents, businesses face challenges such as difficulty to find suitable competent manpower, slow and inefficient data entry staff, limited knowledge about technology and disaster recovery, excess time devoted to non- core manual tasks and so on. There are three options available for any company to digitize their huge volumes of documents, and these are:
Employing freelancers
Companies can hire freelancers who can provide data entry services. They are trained workers who can meet even challenging data entry requirements. Hiring freelancers for this job also helps the company to save the costs involved in training the existing staffs. They are an immediate and short- term solution for managing low volumes of files.
Though there are advantages, freelance data entry workers cannot ensure the quality of the data and the consistency of the work may also vary. Moreover, it may result in poor coordination when a number of freelancers are involved in the work. Another concern is whether security and confidentiality of the data may be compromised.
This alternative will work efficiently if you have a robust system in place to ensure proper management.
Performing data entry in-house
One of the effective solutions when it comes to managing huge volumes of data is establishing an in- house data entry management system. This requires you to make solid investment in resources and time, select skilled data entry personnel, implement the necessary technology and maintain the necessary infrastructure.
- If the data entry work is done in-house, you will have complete control over the entire data management process.
- There will be no concerns regarding security and confidentiality.
- With the use of advanced technology, processing of large volumes of data becomes easier.
Though effective, this solution has some cons. These include the costs involved in setting up infrastructure, advanced equipment, and recruiting and managing manpower. If the data entry is done by existing staff, they may find themselves working under considerable pressure, carrying out diverse tasks simultaneously. This may ultimately lead to loss of focus on the primary business goals.
Seeking Support from Data entry services
At present many business organizations are utilizing reliable data entry services. This option is a popular one because experienced providers offer dedicated services customized to suit each client’s requirements. Here are some of the other major advantages they offer.
- Efficiency in processing large volume data
- Round-the-clock availability of skilled and experienced manpower
- Use of advanced technology and software ensures accuracy with less errors
- Cost reduction as you can save on hiring and training manpower; reduces business overheads
- Works according to your requirements and thus provides flexibility
- Guarantees data confidentiality and security as the service provider ensures compliance with standard security and data confidentiality guidelines
Possible cons of this option include problems that could arise from a disparity between your expectations and the results obtained; less control over outsourced processes and deliverables; and concerns arising from communication and cultural barriers.
Both the first and second options require you to be constantly on the vigil ensuring coordination and task completion. The third option allows you to relax more because the entire data entry and quality assurance process is supervised by your service provider. Your only responsibility is to make sure that you are entrusting the job to a good data entry company that enjoys an excellent reputation and has loyal clients. Apart from cost-effectiveness and speedy completion of your project, you also get to enjoy peace of mind and can devote yourself to achieving your business objectives, knowing that you have a trusted partner to streamline your important business data.
