The Ultimate Guide to Data Entry Services

The sheer mention of the words ‘Data Entry’ evokes a series of visuals in the mind of a layman. Keyboarding numbers repetitively and a computer screen invariably occupy our imagination when we hear these words. But in fact, data entry is much more than that and in this write up we will explore everything related to this very common but often misunderstood term.

What is data entry?

To get to a comprehensive definition of data entry we will have to first understand data. Simply put, data is a set of values of subjects that may vary in terms of quantity or quality. These values don’t hold any good on their own unless these are collected, measured, and analyzed within a certain context which is key to what value will be collected in what format. Only after going through this rather rigorous process data becomes useful information and knowledge.

With this understanding, data entry can be simply put as the process of collecting data in a certain format.

Types of data entry

Broadly, data entry can be classified into two major categories namely person-based data entry and machine-based data entry. While the former relates to the collection of data in handwritten formats in the absence of a machine, in the latter data is punched in an electronic device such as a computer, tab or any other data collection machine. As machine-based data entry involves an electronic device, it is also referred to as electronic data entry and its origin can be traced in the late 70s and early 80s. In modern times almost all sorts of data is collected in the electronic form, thanks to the easy availability of computers and special data collection devices.

Data entry in computers

Today computers have become the preferred choice of businesses and organizations to capture data as these modern machines can store a wide variety of data in different forms and have built-in programs to analyze it. Organizations can easily install customized software in their computers to meet their specific data analysis and management needs. Keyboarding data in computers is also very simple and easy and does not require high-end skills.

Data entry services

Data has always been an important tool to reach well-informed decisions and get valuable insights into a specific domain. But over the last couple of decades, data has assumed enormous significance, thanks to the rise of information technology and related industries. Today, even a school student generates and consumes a huge amount of data every day. Imagine how much data industries, businesses, and their customers are generating in a day. This data is a huge opportunity for businesses to understand their customer behavior and get insights into their industry. Capturing this humongous amount of information calls for trained resources, software, hardware, and infrastructure. This situation has created a new business domain – data entry services.

Over the last decade data entry services have evolved in a big way and now offer bespoke solutions to industries across the board.

We sincerely hope this write up adds to your knowledge and understanding of data and data entry services. We will update this blog soon with new information; stay tuned to delve deeper in the world of data entry services.