Automation Is Not the End of Data Entry Services and Data-driven Jobs
Though automation is considered as a threat to data entry and related services and jobs, professional data entry companies know that the services are still needed. There is the cost element to consider and the professional skill that cannot be easily replaced. www.managedoutsource.com
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Date entry is essential for any organization that deals with massive amounts of data. It is the process of entering data into computers or any other electronic devices either by manually typing the content at a workstation or by using specific software and is done efficiently with the support of a reliable data entry company. With professional data entry services, voluminous data can be organized properly, and the information updated as and when required. Large and medium sized companies prefer to outsource their data entry tasks to reduce overhead costs related to staff, payroll, time and data management so that they can focus on growing the business. Data entry requirements are varied and include data entry from scanned records, product catalogs, scanned invoices, images, forms, charts, and so on. Outsourced solutions in this regard also include data conversion, data processing, data mining and so on. Studies in the outsourcing field show that outsourcing and off-shoring are utilized not just as a cost-cutting measure – they are now used for more strategic ends by companies to access capabilities they don’t have or those that need to be strengthened. However, with advancement in technology, there is the concern whether data entry and human participation would come to an end due to automation. Automated data entry refers to more accurate data entry using software. It ensures fast and accurate data capture and manages the entire data entry process from scanning and recognition to verification and the delivery of data and images. Large organizations are going for in-house automation of data entry because it is advantageous to all prominent content management solutions, business applications, and databases. The software can recognize any type of document or form, any type of data – machine print (OCR), barcode recognition, OMR, and so on. Paper documents are scanned or faxed into the computer, images are interpreted by the software, and the data is automatically entered into the correct fields in the database. Nowadays, law firms, insurance companies, healthcare organizations, and pharmaceutical companies engaged in clinical trials among others that handle large volume data utilize automated data entry solutions. Automated data entry reduces the chances of errors in the document. Automation does make the data entry process easy. This could make some data entry tasks obsolete or unnecessary. However, the investment required could be considerable and could be quite a drain on the resources of small and mid-sized businesses. For these entities, partnership with a data entry company is the more feasible and economic option. Let us look at some examples wherein automation could be used. Freelance data entry professionals use automation software to complete the projects they undertake more quickly. This could prove beneficial to such professionals in terms of costs and time. Analytics India Magazine carried an article that focused on the fact that automation is already happening across industries. It highlights the San Francisco-based news site Hoodline that is using the power of automation to bring readers the need-to-know headlines. Its automated news wire uses sources such as Yelp and government sources. The tool they use is called Automated
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Insights that enables them to write articles based on the data collected from various sources. Hoodline then offers the articles created to partnering news organizations. This reduces the challenge of maintaining a large editorial team. When automation is implemented, does it pose a threat to human professionals active in the field? Even the most advanced data-driven methods need human assistance to ensure that the machine algorithms work correctly. Human input is necessary for training artificial intelligence (AI) and this could result in the creation of new jobs. Automation technologies need programming to demonstrate capabilities that humans naturally have, such as spatial awareness. To consider an example, humans are required to perform simple actions such as placing/moving objects and these actions are videotaped to train robots that would need to perform such actions. General Motors depend on automation at one of its most sophisticated facilities in the United States. They have invested in more than 75 automated vehicles that move around the plant with the help of onboard cameras and deliver supplies to the designated areas. The vehicles compare real time surroundings with a 360-degree map of the facility that was installed during training to navigate around the 41 million square foot factory. The representatives from General Motors use a fleet management app that gives current data about each vehicle. It helps managers to easily see where the equipment is working well. This system is more efficient than human drivers. The company has reassigned low-skilled employees to other tasks that can be handled much easily by them. Thus, automation could reduce the number of jobs available for workers. However, other job areas are bound to open up that would need the human touch or involvement because everything cannot be done by machines. Though automation is being viewed as the biggest threat to data entry and related services, professional data entry companies understand that the services cannot be done away with altogether. There is always the cost element to consider, as well as the skill and expertise of professionals in the field that cannot be easily replaced.
www.managedoutsource.com
8006702809