Avoid Data Entry Mistakes While Saving Time & Money

The introduction of various technological advancements has led to the automation of a plethora of human-driven tasks. Living in the age of automation makes it a lot easier for the companies to get the tasks done by machine as compared to humans as it tends to be quick thus saves a lot of time albeit, even though automation is making working and getting tasks easier, there are some tasks which still are best carried out by humans. Data Entry is one of those tasks and for a long time now companies have been outsourcing their data entry practices.

The growth of the company is linked to how well the company manages its data. In this age of global competition the improvement of the accuracy of data assists in forming a strong base for a firm that is technology-driven. Various companies have been outsourcing the data entry services as it allows them to save both time and cost. Outsourcing the data entry service to India can be beneficial to the outsourcing firm in the following ways:

– Low in cost.

– Churns out high-quality outputs.

– Access to a pool of skilled resources.

– Large number of individuals having English communication skills.

– Provides an advantage of time zone difference.

– Accessibility to globally approved telecom services.

ERRORS IN DATA ENTRY

1. ERRORS RELATED TO TRANSCRIPTION: While making the entry of the data, the individual is required to have a high level of concentration otherwise there are high chances of occurrence of following issues while typing-
   1. Typos
   1. Duplicity of words.
   1. Omission of various words and numbers.
2. ERRORS IN TRANSPOSITION OF DATA: These types of errors occur when there is swapping of the numbers and letters, which is not done intentionally. To avoid these types of errors the data entry individual needs to double-check the data which he/she has entered.
3. INCONSISTENCY IN REPRESENTATION OF DATA: These are the errors related to the usage of inconsistent date or time. The usage of measuring units and formats that are not consistent also comes under this type of error.

HOW TO AVOID ERRORS IN DATA ENTRY:

1. TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES: Training your employees before starting a task is essential as it helps to lay down the guidelines for the upcoming task and leads to effective and efficient achievement of the goal. It is important for you to make your employees understand why the accuracy of data is important and what are the different ways that can be used by them to tackle the incorrect data. Acquainting your employees with the reason behind the importance of maintaining the accuracy of data entry gives them a better idea as to what might be the repercussion of the same. Also, training the employees about the issues which they might face prepares them for tackling future errors. Apart from this it also lights up the sense of responsibility and belongingness in the employees which in return gives out positive results in terms of goal achievement.
2. GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE EMPLOYEES: As believed, the quality of the task output directly gets impacted by the environment in which the employee works. It is essential to maintain a comfortable environment to make sure that the data entry is done accurately. If the employees experience fatigue or discomfort, it might affect the ability of the employee to work.
3. UPDATING THE DATA ON CLOUD SOFTWARE: The use of different cloud software can be an option for avoiding errors and making sure that the data is accurate. By updating the data on the cloud you allow the addition of the data into the file regardless of the location, that is the individuals located anywhere in the world can update the data. This further helps to avoid the hassle of cutting, copying, and pasting the data, thus avoiding errors.
4. FOCUSING ON ACCURACY RATHER THAN SPEED: The individuals should try to focus on entering the data accurately rather than entering it quickly. Making the data entries quickly can lead to several errors like typos and duplicate words. Thus the focus should be to complete the task accurately and effectively.
5. AVOID PRESSURIZING THE EMPLOYEES: The client might put pressure on meeting the targets as quickly as possible but it is important to not put that pressure on the employees as it can lead to high chances of occurrence of errors. The targets set for the staff designated for the data entry should be realistic otherwise it may turn out to backfire on the integrity of data. This might prove to be of high cost for the organization in the long run. Apart from setting the targets, it’s important to constantly motivate your employees and make sure that they don’t feel demotivated.
6. SUFFICIENT MANPOWER: If there is a huge project and you feel that the present data staff might not be sufficient for handling the work pressure, then you should walk towards bringing in more skilled manpower to carry out the task more effectively and efficiently. The distribution of the work should be in a way that all the employees strive towards a making successful delivery of the task to the client. Pushing an employee to work beyond his/her capability not only affects the overall turnover of the company but also makes the attrition rate higher.
7. UPDATING THE SYSTEMS: In case you are using machines for your task of data entry, it is important to constantly update the software for the same. Working on the prior software might slow down the pace of the system to do a task or might affect its ability.  Thus, you should focus on upgrading and updating new technologies so that you can keep up to the competition in the market. Involving in various software tools in the handling of your data entry will help to reduce the workload on your human workforce along with carrying out the tasks with high accuracy. Thus, you should invest smartly in the technological advancements for effective and efficient achievement of resources.