Professional Data Entry Outsourcing: What It Actually Buys You
What is Professional Data Entry Outsourcing?
Professional data entry outsourcing is defined as hiring a third-party company to enter data, verify the accuracy of the entries, and validate the data entered into your database.
There’s a real difference between an employee typing data into a spreadsheet between other tasks, and a dedicated data entry team whose entire job is accuracy.
Professional data entry outsourcing isn’t just faster keying — it’s a built-in verification process that catches errors before they become expensive problems. Here’s what to expect, and how to tell if it’s worth it for your team.
Data entry simply refers to the process of typing or scanning information into a database.
It can be as complex as converting your paper sales commission logs for the last 25 years into digital form, or as simple as entering a sale by selecting a product from the menu and recording the customer’s payment.
Typical Data Entry Performed In-House
Some aspects of data entry need to be completed by your in-house team. These include:
New customer demographic and other account information
Results of physical hand-counts of inventory in stock
Identification of a product or service at the time it is sold
New product information to add to your catalog
Breakdown of the amounts charged and received at the time of sale
Customer service notations about a client’s account
Internal messages between co-workers
Details of new meetings scheduled
Business correspondence and emails
Data Entry - Not as Simple as You Might Think
Essentially, anyone who can read and scan or type information into a computer can perform data entry.
But keyboarding large amounts of data may overwhelm your staff, whether it is a large, one-time project or a thick stack of invoices to be keyed into the computer at the end of each day.
if your team is not specially trained to follow a strict protocol of organizing and verifying the data they enter, it may be difficult to trust the output. That goes double if workers are asked to tackle a big data entry project in addition to their regular duties.
When to Engage Professional Data Entry Outsourcing
The difference between data entry done by “anyone” and information handled by professional data entry clerks is the quality of the final result.
To reduce or eliminate typos, adding information to the wrong account, and other threats to the reliability of your business data, it must be verified and audited according to accepted industry standards.
Benefits of Professional Data Entry Outsourcing
Outsourcing specialists can take on your large, one-off projects or daily tasks like entering receipts from several time zones away – while you sleep!
Here are some of the benefits of professional data entry outsourcing:
Your data will be more accurate
Your labor costs will likely be reduced
The BPO company hires, trains, and manages the workers, freeing you for more important things
Your in-house workers can focus on business growth – not on typing
Typical Professional Data Entry Outsourcing Services
Top BPO companies supply workers who are fluent in spoken and written English. They are also carefully selected for their education and experience, and then they receive more training about your unique company and project.
Profile of an Outsourcing Data Entry Professional
Qualifications & Skills
Secondary education
Some college preferred
Experienced with MS Office and/or Google Suite and CRM software
Ability to quickly learn new technology
English fluency in speaking, reading, and writing
Excellent communication skills
Solid experience in data verification and validation
Services Provided
A data entry professional can do almost anything an in-house employee does, like:
Transfer data from hard copy to a digital database Input text-based and numerical information from source documents
Update customer information in a database Organize existing data in a spreadsheet Verify outdated data and make any necessary changes to records Search for and investigate information contained in files Perform regular database backups to secure data Provide other administrative support as needed Carry out stringent quality control activities in concert with the BPO Project Manager
For an interactive look at what a data entry outsourcing professional can do for you, click here.
Responsibilities of the BPO Project Manager
The duties of your assigned project manager vary depending on the services provided in your contract, but generally include:
Frequent check-ins with you
Rapid optimization of your project as needed
Personnel management/staffing
Maintain the workplace for efficiency
Monitor and improve productivity as needed
Data validation and accuracy verification
Data analysis and timely reporting
Hiring a BPO for Professional Data Entry Outsourcing
If you need more hands on deck to tackle administrative services, try adding a virtual executive assistant.
Top BPO firms offer short-term, flexible contracts so you can try remote support on a small scale without incurring huge expenses.
As we mentioned, the BPO takes care of hiring, training, overseeing, staffing, paying, and providing workspace and equipment for the data entry professionals who handle your work.
You can get the job done more efficiently, and usually for a lower cost than hiring more in-house workers or using a high-priced temporary staffing agency.
Companies who outsource to India try outsourcing to save money, but they stay with outsourcing because of the quality provided by top BPOs.
Speak With a Data Entry Expert
The quality of data entered depends on the quality of the BPO that provides the outsourcing service.
Do you have questions? With over 15 years of full-service outsourcing experience, our founders are happy to answer them.
Murthy and Suresh can show you the value and opportunity that come with data entry outsourcing, and they would be happy to brainstorm with you about your current needs and future plans.
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