We all know that Data Entry is not a new field. It has been around for ages, and ever since the surge in the use of computers in offices to maintain records, the need for data entry operators has increased. Back in the day, data entry specialists were responsible for typing data into the company's system from documents or hand-written forms. Even today, many companies use data entry operators to carry out such tasks.
Accurate and proper data are necessary for the success of any business entity, and there's a lot of pressure on data entry operators to deliver the same. They have to enter correct data into the system, and sometimes the task of verification also falls on them.
With the advancement in technology, many companies are now using sophisticated solutions that surpass the abilities of a data entry specialist. The shift is mainly because these solutions provide better results than manual data entry. Even though data entry has been used in businesses for a long time, it certainly has its demerits.
Let's explore some of the drawbacks of manual data entry.
Accuracy: This is the most important thing when it comes to data. Accurate data is vital to organizations and cannot afford any mistakes as data can make or break a business. The manual process of data entry is often prone to errors as it is typed into a system and cannot achieve the accuracy of an automated solution.
Exhaustive process: Data entry is indeed a tiring job as operators work for long hours going through different document formats. Since necessary information should be gathered from various areas in different documents, the employees must thoroughly go through each document.
Low speed: A employee cannot compete with a machine. The processing speed of a machine is quick and can get the work done faster. When a business has to deal with hundreds of data a day, slow processing of documents manually will adversely affect the growth of the business.
Given the current scenario that technological advancements enable transformation in every industry, it is high time to equip skills and knowledge to thrive in the future.
But how will it affect data entry, or is change already happening?
Automating Data Entry
Earlier automating data entry seemed unimaginable. But that is not the case today. The field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has evolved exceptionally over the year, and as a result, automation of data entry is now possible. The emergence of Intelligence Document Processing (IDP) has made data entry a simple task that eliminates the need for manual data entry.
Intelligent Document Solutions like ICE-Ai classify documents according to their type, extract the necessary information, and verify them. This means that employees do not have to spend time on manual data entry and can focus on higher-value tasks.
With ICE-Ai enterprises can reduce the number of errors in data entry considerably and enjoy faster and more efficient processing of documents.
Does that mean that human input is no longer required? Absolutely not!
Stepping up to the future of work
According to Statista, by 2022, the business value derived from AI is projected to reach almost four trillion U.S. dollars. As more and more industries are shifting to automated technologies, new opportunities will be created, and the most rational choice is to prepare for the changing environment.
We simply cannot disregard the human workforce no matter how many technological advancements occur. Human input is required for Artificial Intelligence training, which means that it opens up more and more employment opportunities. Automation can replace the need for a human workforce for many processes, including data entry. But this does not mean that data entry specialists will be out of jobs. Their abilities and skills can be used to support automation systems to simplify the digitization and processing of documents. Employees who are willing to adapt to change must equip themselves with skills that will help them grow and be prepared to undertake opportunities in the future.