happy businessman doing data entry work at office

For many companies, storing data is an ongoing challenge. Methods of data entry and storage continually evolve with changing technology. It can be tough to implement data entry systems that are efficient, cost-effective, and space-saving.

Automated data management systems have quickly expanded their reach to assist companies not only to store their data effectively, but to use it to enhance their products, services, and operations.

River City Data is your one source for document storage and management. We customize our data processing solutions to fit your needs for online and physical space, privacy, and security. If you find yourself in data and document overwhelm, contact us today to climb out from under your digital or paper piles.

medical employee filing records and doing data entry in hospital

Data Automation: Is It For You?

Let’s begin with a few more questions, and then you’ll likely start to see some definite advantages to automating your data collection, storage, sharing, and dissemination.

 

    1. Does your company collect and use extensive data? If you run a medical office, a government organization, a retail company, a law firm, or any other related company, you likely collect and maintain truckloads of documents and client information. Keeping client information accessible, secure, and private is a cornerstone of your business.
    2. Would your business benefit if you could USE your collected data more effectively? Storing private data securely is one thing, but USING data to your advantage for reporting, progress analysis, and customer metrics is quite another. Most companies use only 30% of the data they collect in analytics that drive success. That’s a lot of valuable information to leave out of your business and growth strategy. 
    3. Does accessing, compiling, and reporting your data seem too big and scary for any of your teams to handle reasonably? Manual reporting can be among the world’s most daunting tasks. Asking your already stretched staff to add data analysis and reporting to their plates may be unreasonable. Further, if you don’t have a dedicated analytics and reporting team, you may not have the right skill sets to use your data for the best business gain.

How Do I Begin Data Entry Automation?

First, start with strategy consensus. If part of your data management challenge is coalescing different data sources into a centralized, accessible location, you’ll need to assess your data needs and use.

Every team leader should have input into the type of data they desire, collect, and use from internal (departmental and project data) and external (customer and client) sources. Further, if portions of your data are paper-based while others are digitally collected, you’ll need to convert paper documentation into indexed, digitally stored formats.

Before any data entry automation can take place successfully, all members of your leadership will need to agree on how data must be categorized, where it will be stored, and who will have access to which documents and information.

close-up of a person analyzing data on a tablet computer

Create or Update Your Indexing System

Building a system of data indexing that everyone can learn and use is paramount to successful data entry automation. Be sure to gain consensus on all your data forms for categories of information relevant to your business. 

With current document conversion technology, you can get as granular as you like with precise keywords or column headings to make your data indexing laser-focused and business-relevant.

Further, with companies that operate under privacy standards like HIPAA, indexing your data accurately will be necessary to use only the data allowable by law.

Matching your business terms with data sources and ensuring column-level accuracy are paramount in making sure everyone on your team “speaks the same language.” Accessing data successfully on-demand means training your staff on the keywords, phrases, or columns you employ for data organization.

Enlist Help with Data Entry Automation

At River City Data, we use OCR, or Optical Character Recognition in our data conversion processes and services. This software allows us to comb your documents for the keywords and characters you specify, making indexing a snap in most cases. 

As long as you and your team are clear on how you want your documents organized, our software can take your indexing methodology and apply it to every record we capture, convert, and store.

What Automation Does for Data Entry

Automation helps every stakeholder in your company gain access and insight into the data you collect. When your information is collected and stored with common indexes and a language everyone understands, you can use the data you collect to improve your overall business practices.

Plus, with data entry automation, you eliminate the need to manually re-key data on PDF’s and paper documents. This automation saves time, frustration, indexing mistakes, and money.

Data entry automation can also help you eliminate data silos within your organization. If one department employs different indexing keywords, phrases, characters, and columns than another in the data they collect, store, and use, you can all “get on the same data indexing page” with data entry automation.

In short, data entry automation can be a unifying force within your company. When implemented correctly, this type of automation eases communication challenges, streamlines project work, and can even help you grow your business.

close up of a doctor with stacks of medical folders and files and a stethoscope

Business Growth with Data Entry Automation

Once you’ve automated your data with improved indexing and accessibility, it’s time to use your data to benefit your company. Compiling patient outcomes, customer buying patterns, case loads, and project statistics are some of the ways you can let your data work for you (instead of merely storing it securely.)

You can even use your data to better understand your audience demographics so you can grow your footprint on social media and other marketing channels. The benefits of data entry automation continue to evolve with each passing season.

Stay ahead of the Data Entry Automation Curve with River City Data

At River City Data, we handle thousands of documents each week with care, security, and professionalism. We use the most leading-edge technology to help you get ahead of the data collection tidal wave. After all, data collection and conversion will always be “a thing” in every successful organization.

Our job is to smooth out the waves of data you must collect, process, and store into a calm sea of accessibility and utility. Contact River City Data today and find out why we’re the trusted local leader in data conversion, indexing, secure storage, and on-demand access.

 

Are you thinking of becoming a data entry specialist? Do you have an eye for detail and strive to push yourself to higher and higher standards? Do you have strong computer skills and experience with databases?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the field of data entry may be the right one for you. Consider a career as a data entry specialist today.

These days, the one thing that drives almost every business is data. To be successful, offices must have talented data entry specialists to deal with all that data.

The best data entry specialists input data with both speed and accuracy. This accuracy is vital for your team’s ability to access the data and numbers for everyday use. 

At River City Data, we know the importance of a data entry specialist for your company. Let us tell you a bit more about this vital position. 

But what do data entry specialists do?

Data Entry Specialists Job Description

Depending on the level of experience, there are different levels of data entry specialists. There are two primary levels of data entry specialists. The job descriptions are as follows-

Entry-Level Data Specialist

An entry-level position for a data specialist is the base level. Also known as a junior data entry specialist, this introductory-level specialist is responsible for quickly and accurately entering data into the correct database. 

Additionally, the person fulfilling this role may also be responsible for taking orders from customers and entering those orders into a tracking system. 

Senior-Level Data Specialist

As with any job, the higher up the ladder you go, the more responsibilities you will be expected to undertake. The duties of a senior-level data entry specialist include-

  • Responsibility to prioritize and batch information for data entry
  • Complete information analysis for procedures and reports
  • Obtain knowledge and experience in technical material
  • Ability to train and supervise colleagues
  • Enter high volumes of data

Data Entry Specialists Special Skills

There are some critical skills that any level of data entry specialists needs to have. Every data entry specialist needs strong skills in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word. 

Most importantly, though, to be truly successful, a data entry specialist needs excellent typing skills. Each employer will have his or her individual required rates.

Data entry specialists should be able to quickly and accurately transcribe large amounts of data. The most useful data entry specialists will have the ability to manage their time well. They should also possess excellent interpersonal skills.

There are many ways to ensure that you are accurately transcribing the information with which you are presented. When looking for a suitable candidate, check to see if they possess any of these qualities or strategies. 

  • Reading the data multiple times before entering
  • Manually comparing entries against the original before submitting
  • The candidate should be well versed in the most well-known database management systems- Excel and SQL have tools for data validation to help with input

Directly behind the accuracy, the next most important quality of a data entry specialist is the speed at which he or she types. The words per minute, or WPM for short, is the standard metric used by most companies to measure typing speeds.

A reliable data entry specialist should have a WPM of 55 to 80. Additionally, the right candidate should be able to utilize the technique of touch typing. 

Touch typing is the ability to type without looking down at the keyboard. When you learn to touch-type effectively, you can type more quickly. Also, you are better able to catch and fix your errors as you type. You are reading the data as you type it, so mistakes are more prominent. 

How much does a data entry specialist make?

Once again, the amount of money a data entry specialist makes depends on a variety of factors. The salary point for this position ranges from the high $20,000s to the mid $50,000s. 

A data entry specialist who hones his or her skills with continued practice and learning will have more options when it comes to job placement. He or she will be better able to negotiate a higher salary. 

Anyone striving to reach the highest levels of the data entry specialist field should continue to grow and learn with each new position he or she accepts. 

Some More Data Entry Specialist Details

One valuable skill that a good data entry specialist should have is the ability to determine which details are the most important for entry quickly. This data will differ depending on the position and company. 

If you want to become a crucial member of your company, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Familiarize yourself with your company’s policies and values. 

Once you know the ins and outs of your company’s data management system, you should be able to quickly and effectively identify and prioritize the most critical information. That data should be prioritized over other tasks. 

Even the most experienced data entry specialist can get bored doing such repetitive work. The best ones have strategies to help them stay focused. They know they need to maximize their focus to ensure accuracy. 

They make sure to take short, sporadic breaks to stay sharp. Additionally, they may occasionally change the order in which they input different types of entries. 

If you get in too much of a pattern, your brain loses its ability to focus. These sporadic changes force your mind to engage with each new task as it arises. 

Data entry specialists often deal with sensitive or confidential information. The employees at River City Data are thoroughly checked and vetted to ensure they can correctly handle that sensitive information appropriately. 

Data entry is generally a solo exercise. The best data entry specialists should be able to work independently. They should be able to solve most problems that arise, with minimal input from their superiors. 

Data entry specialists perform a vital function in any company’s data management system. If you are a Twin Cities or New London based company, consider River City Data for all your data management needs. Let our experience and expertise work for you.