5 Ways to Improve Data Entry Process
By: Rannsolve Inc
Tags: USA, Bpo Companies, Document Management, Texas, Bpo Services

Data entry is one of those mundane functions in a business deep down in the list of priorities that people hardly ever pay attention to. But like many other routine jobs, data entry when done offhandedly can affect decision-making at the highest level of the organization. So organizations and leaders who take the time and effort to perk up the efficiency and accuracy of their data entry process will reap the benefits in their overall organizational efficiency, decision-making, and ultimately in their revenue accounts. But how exactly can they improve data entry efficiency?

At Rannsolve, we have been handling data entry, data conversion, and analysis for diverse clients across the globe for more than two decades. And through our experience, we have come up with ideas or practices that have helped us streamline our data entry process for maximum efficiency. We have put them together for you below so you can implement them in your organization with the same satisfying results.

1. Educate Employees on the Significance of Their Contribution

Data entry as we discussed earlier is most often seen as insignificant and banal not only by those higher up in the organizational hierarchy but by data entry operators themselves. This lack of excitement will reflect on the work they do. So organizations must take the efforts to make data entry employees aware of the significance of data quality to the success and growth of the organization. When employees see how their work quality and productivity impacts your business and your customers, and how their contribution is central to the other more visible functions, they are more likely to perform better.

2. Make the Work Environment Conducive for Quality

This point again is an off-shoot of the first. It is not only important to tell employees how important their job is but to follow it up with solid actions that support that message. Create a work environment that makes it effortless for your data entry operators to give their best. This may involve providing ergonomic chairs, desks, and systems that ease the discomfort of the long sitting hours that data entry demands. Permit regular breaks and opportunities to refresh that helps employees stay alert and energetic throughout the day as accurate data entry can get tedious after a point. Also, ensure that the work area is sufficiently lighted and ventilated to minimize strain on the eyes and to beat work stress.

3. Set Clear Expectations on Performance

Performance targets are necessary to gauge and improve productivity. But unfortunately, Data entry jobs in most companies are monitored with unrealistic performance targets. These are counterproductive and can make your employees feel undervalued and dissatisfied. So it is important to set clear, realistic, and achievable targets that factor in both the quality and accuracy of the work done. Organizations must also remember that they must not stop with setting these goals but reward employees appropriately and consistently when they reach these goals. This will help them draw a clear plan for their personal goals and when they achieve those goals those of the organization are met too.

4. Incentivize Accuracy and not just Speed

It is a common practice in organizations to give awards and appreciation based on the volume of work done and not the quality. So data entry operators generally tend to be in a hurry to finish the volume needed to meet the bonus criteria and so the quality of their work suffers. In Data entry, accuracy is the top priority and overrides the need for speed. So businesses must develop a system to measure and reward accuracy as much as or perhaps more than they reward productivity in terms of volume.

5. Provide In-built Error-detection Mechanisms In Your System

When operators are entering hordes of data into a computer system, they are likely to commit two kinds of errors — transcription errors like typos, repeated entries, or missed entries or transposition errors that involve entering characters in a wrong order. These can be minimized by leveraging technology. Softwares are now available to easily identify repeated entries or typographical errors. Data entry fields can also be customized to only accept correctly formatted inputs. Investing in these technology solutions will help you build accuracy into your system and bolster human efforts for improving accuracy.

Implementing these practices in your data entry process can improve productivity and enhance the quality of your data by leaps and bounds. In the present age of information where data is considered an invaluable business asset, it will pay you to focus adequate attention on your data quality.

If you are looking for more insights on improving your data entry process or for competent assistance with your data entry projects, contact us today. We have a team of energetic, highly-experienced, and motivated data entry specialists who can handle your data with both promptness and precision.