Steps needed to put data capture service into action
Data capture is an integral part of data management. Data capture can be done manually or electronically. While manual entry is cumbersome, particularly if there’s a large volume of data to input, electronic data capture can get complicated because of the devices and processes involved. In either case, businesses prefer a BPO outsourcing company to manage data capture efficiently. The outsourcing partners will have the right technology and ample resources to efficiently complete data capture within the stipulated timeframe without any complications. The following steps ensure efficiency in data capture services without fail:
Manual Data Capture
When it comes to manual data capture, when you have a large volume of information to be input, you need to take time to make sure the data being input is of high quality. Data quality is of utmost importance as without quality information, the data entry process becomes futile. Quality check must be done on the sources of information first and any discrepancies must be cleared at the source itself. Once the data is input, an experienced supervisor must validate the input data against the source and requirements. This way, the data capture will be of good quality which can be used for important decision making purposes.
Automated Data Capture
Automated data capture can be done using many technologies and it is much easier to complete. The only complications are in getting familiar with using the special devices used for electronic data capture. India Data Capture Services recommends the following automated data capture methods for different industries:
OCR or Optical Character Reading can be used to read text from printed sources such as printed papers and books. OCR can be used to read text from images, PDF files and other read-only files that cannot be directly converted into searchable text files. This can be used to digitize printed information.
ICR or Intelligent Character Reading reads handwritings intelligently and converts the same into text. This is very useful for all businesses and institutions that need to digitize information they have in books and papers.
Barcodes are used commonly in retail and wholesale businesses to automate data entry. The barcodes are associated with product details which are already fed into the system manually by Offshore Data Entry Company. When the barcode is read, the corresponding information such as the product name, price etc is fetched from the database.
Magnetic Stripe Cards and Smart Cards are used widely in many offices to manage employee attendance and entry into restricted spaces. Credit / debit cards also function using the concept of magnetic stripe cards.
Optical Mark Reading is commonly used in conducting Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) model exams wherein the candidate has to mark the answer in the given section. This is read by the OMR reader and converted into the corresponding choice.
Voice Recognition software receives the voice of the user and converts the same into corresponding text.
MICR or Magnetic Ink Character Reader is used in banks to read and process the checks.
Biometric systems use the thumb impression or the eye impression of a person to validate his/her details from the database information stored. This is also used for automating the hourly work done by the person, to validate checks, to record an employee’s entry/exit timings etc.
While opting the electronic or automated data capture systems, the business has to install the special devices used for data capture, install the software that automates this entry and train the users to operate the devices and use the software applications. Since some companies find these processes complicated and expensive, they outsource data capture totally to competent outsourcing partners in India.
