Manual Data Entry – Drawbacks and Solutions

Organisations and companies in almost all sectors depend heavily upon data for their operations, requiring precision in handling this valuable asset. However, some still play Russian roulette by not prioritizing safeguards like Manual Data Entry. Data is imperative for informed decision-making, response to change, and the establishment of strategic goals.

Manual data entry persists in digital data management, involving entering details like customer name, business type, income, from diverse sources.

Performed by trained operators, manual data entry limits scalability and progress in small-scale operations due to interconnected reasons:

1. Cost

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It seems odd that manual data entering incurs a cost penalty. The majority of businesses who choose for manual data entry do so despite the erroneous argument that automation will increase costs.

Data input by hand has unintended expenses. The visible cost component is the salary of the staff that enter data by hand; however, a correction is the hidden cost.

Data entry errors can harm an organisation’s bottom line by roughly 30 per cent or more (Gartner, 2021). Verification and correction of data accuracy are additional expenses that are frequently disregarded.

2. Manual Data Entry Error Rate

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Research has found that data entry operators make up to 10.23 errors per 30 datasheets. The high error rates associated with manual data entry can be attributed to various reasons, from inadequate training of data entry professionals to human fatigue, misinterpretation of data etc. These errors can be debilitating to businesses.

Data entry errors impact internal operations, customer satisfaction, and supplier relationships, potentially causing financial and legislative troubles for businesses.

3. Slow turnaround times

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Handwritten data entry is time-consuming, with keystrokes per hour ranging up to 15,000, depending on the entry speed.

Understanding data before entering can cause further process delays. Businesses must hire skilled data entry operators, train them, incurring additional costs and delays.

4. Human Boredom

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Repetitive and time-consuming is manual data entry. Demoralization has been reported, particularly when the operator selects better and more productive tasks inside the organization, leading to low employee satisfaction and a high staff turnover rate. in the fiercely competitive corporate world of today, serious issues!

Conclusion

As companies diversify and expand, the amount of data they deal with also increases exponentially, and manual data capture simply cannot keep up with the processing demands resulting in a “choke point.” This disruption is not a temporary or a one-time problem that would go away with time because it would be persistent and repetitive and can adversely affect the scale-up of the organisation.

Manual data entry is costly, inaccurate, and demoralizing, diverting focus from core tasks and hindering strategic growth for organizations..

Scantek’s digital ecosystem ensures speed, accuracy, and eliminates human error, freeing resources for crucial revenue-generating tasks. Contact Scantek for details.