Data entry clerk

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A data entry clerk Data-entry-clerk.jpg
A data entry clerk

A data entry clerk, also known as data preparation and control operator, data registration and control operator, and data preparation and registration operator, is a member of staff employed to enter or update data into a computer system. [1] [2] Data is often entered into a computer from paper documents [3] using a keyboard. [4] The keyboards used can often have special keys and multiple colors to help in the task and speed up the work. [5] Proper ergonomics at the workstation is a common topic considered. [6] [7] [8]

Contents

The data entry clerk may also use a mouse, [9] [10] and a manually-fed scanner may be involved. [11]

Speed and accuracy, not necessarily in that order, are the key measures of the job. [12]

History

Keypunch operators at Volkswagen in 1973 Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F038799-0034, Wolfsburg, VW Autowerk.jpg
Keypunch operators at Volkswagen in 1973

The invention of punched card data processing in the 1890s created a demand for many workers, typically women, to run keypunch machines. To ensure accuracy, data was often entered twice; the second time a different keyboarding device, known as a verifier (such as the IBM 056) was used.

In the 1970s, punched card data entry was gradually replaced by the use of video display terminals.

Examples

For a mailing company, data entry clerks might be required to type in reference numbers for items of mail which had failed to reach their destination, so that the relevant addresses could be deleted from the database used to send the mail out. If the company was compiling a database from addresses handwritten on a questionnaire, the person typing those into the database would be a data entry clerk. In a cash office, a data entry clerk might be required to type expenses into a database using numerical codes.

Optical character/mark recognition

With to the advance of technology, many data entry clerks no longer work with hand-written documents. Instead, the documents are first scanned by a combined OCR/OMR system (optical character recognition and optical mark recognition,) which attempts to read the documents and process the data electronically. The accuracy of OCR varies widely based upon the quality of the original document as well as the scanned image; hence the ongoing need for data entry clerks. Although OCR technology is continually being developed, many tasks still require a data entry clerk to review the results afterward to check the accuracy of the data and to manually key in any missed or incorrect information. [13]

An example of this system would be one commonly used to document health insurance claims, such as for Medicaid in the United States. In many systems, the hand-written forms are first scanned into digital images (JPEG, PNG, bitmap, etc.). These files are then processed by the optical character recognition system, where many fields are completed by the computerized optical scanner. When the OCR software has low confidence in a data field, it is flagged for review – not the entire record but just the single field. The data entry clerk then manually reviews the data already entered by OCR, corrects it if needed, and fills in any missing data [13] by simultaneously viewing the image on-screen.

The accuracy of personal records, as well as billing or financial information, is usually very important to the general public as well as the healthcare provider. Sensitive or vital information such as this is often checked many times, by both clerk and machine, before being accepted.

Job requirements, security, and pay

Accuracy is usually more important than speed, because detection and correction of errors can be very time-consuming. [12] Staying focused and speed are also required. [14] [13]

The job is usually low-skilled, so veteran staff are often employed on a temporary basis after a large survey or census has been completed. However, most companies handling large amounts of data on a regular basis will spread the contracts and workload across the year and will hire part-time.

The role of data entry clerks working with physical hand-written documents is on the decline in the developed world, because employees within a company frequently enter their own data, as it is collected now, instead of having a different employee do this task. An example of this is an operator working in a call center or a cashier in a shop. Cost is another reason for the decline. Data entry is labor-intensive for large batches and therefore expensive, so large companies will sometimes outsource the work, either locally or to third-world countries where there is no shortage of cheaper unskilled labor. [15] [16] [17]

As of 2016, the median pay was between $19,396 and $34,990 in the United States. [18]

As of 2018, The New York Times was still carrying ads for the job title Data Entry Clerk. [19] [20]

Education and training

For the job as a data entry clerk, competent math and English skills may be necessary. [21] The worker will need to be very familiar with office software such as word processors, databases, and spreadsheets. [21] [18] One must have quickness, focus, and customer service skills. [21]

Education higher than a high school diploma is often not required, but some companies require a bachelor's degree. [18] Companies also hope the worker will have one year of experience in a related field. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optical character recognition</span> Computer recognition of visual text

Optical character recognition or optical character reader (OCR) is the electronic or mechanical conversion of images of typed, handwritten or printed text into machine-encoded text, whether from a scanned document, a photo of a document, a scene photo or from subtitle text superimposed on an image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-function printer</span> Office machine

An MFP, multi-functional, all-in-one (AIO), or multi-function device (MFD), is an office machine which incorporates the functionality of multiple devices in one, so as to have a smaller footprint in a home or small business setting, or to provide centralized document management/distribution/production in a large-office setting. A typical MFP may act as a combination of some or all of the following devices: email, fax, photocopier, printer, scanner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handwriting recognition</span> Ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible handwritten input

Handwriting recognition (HWR), also known as handwritten text recognition (HTR), is the ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible handwritten input from sources such as paper documents, photographs, touch-screens and other devices. The image of the written text may be sensed "off line" from a piece of paper by optical scanning or intelligent word recognition. Alternatively, the movements of the pen tip may be sensed "on line", for example by a pen-based computer screen surface, a generally easier task as there are more clues available. A handwriting recognition system handles formatting, performs correct segmentation into characters, and finds the most possible words.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Image scanner</span> Device that optically scans images, printed text

An image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting or an object and converts it to a digital image. Commonly used in offices are variations of the desktop flatbed scanner where the document is placed on a glass window for scanning. Hand-held scanners, where the device is moved by hand, have evolved from text scanning "wands" to 3D scanners used for industrial design, reverse engineering, test and measurement, orthotics, gaming and other applications. Mechanically driven scanners that move the document are typically used for large-format documents, where a flatbed design would be impractical.

Optical mark recognition (OMR) collects data from people by identifying markings on a paper. OMR enables the hourly processing of hundreds or even thousands of documents. For instance, students may remember completing quizzes or surveys that required them to use a pencil to fill in bubbles on paper. A teacher or teacher's aide would fill out the form, then feed the cards into a system that grades or collects data from them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keypunch</span> Device for punching holes into paper cards

A keypunch is a device for precisely punching holes into stiff paper cards at specific locations as determined by keys struck by a human operator. Other devices included here for that same function include the gang punch, the pantograph punch, and the stamp. The term was also used for similar machines used by humans to transcribe data onto punched tape media.

Document processing is a field of research and a set of production processes aimed at making an analog document digital. Document processing does not simply aim to photograph or scan a document to obtain a digital image, but also to make it digitally intelligible. This includes extracting the structure of the document or the layout and then the content, which can take the form of text or images. The process can involve traditional computer vision algorithms, convolutional neural networks or manual labor. The problems addressed are related to semantic segmentation, object detection, optical character recognition (OCR), handwritten text recognition (HTR) and, more broadly, transcription, whether automatic or not. The term can also include the phase of digitizing the document using a scanner and the phase of interpreting the document, for example using natural language processing (NLP) or image classification technologies. It is applied in many industrial and scientific fields for the optimization of administrative processes, mail processing and the digitization of analog archives and historical documents.

Words per minute, commonly abbreviated wpm, is a measure of words processed in a minute, often used as a measurement of the speed of typing, reading or Morse code sending and receiving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coordinate-measuring machine</span> Device for measuring the geometry of objects

A coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) is a device that measures the geometry of physical objects by sensing discrete points on the surface of the object with a probe. Various types of probes are used in CMMs, the most common being mechanical and laser sensors, though optical and white light sensors do exist. Depending on the machine, the probe position may be manually controlled by an operator, or it may be computer controlled. CMMs typically specify a probe's position in terms of its displacement from a reference position in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. In addition to moving the probe along the X, Y, and Z axes, many machines also allow the probe angle to be controlled to allow measurement of surfaces that would otherwise be unreachable.

Intelligent character recognition (ICR) is used to extract handwritten text from images. It is a more sophisticated type of OCR technology that recognizes different handwriting styles and fonts to intelligently interpret data on forms and physical documents.

A transcription error is a specific type of data entry error that is commonly made by human operators or by optical character recognition (OCR) programs. Human transcription errors are commonly the result of typographical mistakes; putting one's fingers in the wrong place while touch typing is the easiest way to make this error. Electronic transcription errors occur when the scan of some printed matter is compromised or in an unusual font – for example, if the paper is crumpled, or the ink is smudged, the OCR may make transcription errors when reading.

A computer operator is a role in IT which oversees the running of computer systems, ensuring that the machines, and computers are running properly. The job of a computer operator as defined by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics is to "monitor and control ... and respond to ... enter commands ... set controls on computer and peripheral devices. This Excludes Data Entry."

A text entry interface or text entry device is an interface that is used to enter text information in an electronic device. A commonly used device is a mechanical computer keyboard. Most laptop computers have an integrated mechanical keyboard, and desktop computers are usually operated primarily using a keyboard and mouse. Devices such as smartphones and tablets mean that interfaces such as virtual keyboards and voice recognition are becoming more popular as text entry systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mail sorting</span> Postal system methods for routing mail

Mail sorting refers to the methods by which postal systems determine how and where to route mail for delivery. Once accomplished by hand, mail sorting is now largely automated through the aid of specialized machines. The first widely adopted mail sorting machine was the Transorma, first made operational in Rotterdam in 1930.

Forms processing is a process by which one can capture information entered into data fields and convert it into an electronic format. This can be done manually or automatically, but the general process is that hard copy data is filled out by humans and then "captured" from their respective fields and entered into a database or other electronic format.

Document Capture Software refers to applications that provide the ability and feature set to automate the process of scanning paper documents or importing electronic documents, often for the purposes of feeding advanced document classification and data collection processes. Most scanning hardware, both scanners and copiers, provides the basic ability to scan to any number of image file formats, including: PDF, TIFF, JPG, BMP, etc. This basic functionality is augmented by document capture software, which can add efficiency and standardization to the process.

Scan-Optics LLC, founded in 1968, is an enterprise content management services company and optical character recognition (OCR) and image scanner manufacturer headquartered in Manchester, Connecticut.

Data entry is the process of digitizing data by entering it into a computer system for organization and management purposes. It is a person-based process and is "one of the important basic" tasks needed when no machine-readable version of the information is readily available for planned computer-based analysis or processing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OCR Systems</span> American computing company

OCR Systems, Inc., was an American computer hardware manufacturer and software publisher dedicated to optical character recognition technologies. The company's first product, the System 1000 in 1970, was used by numerous large corporations for bill processing and mail sorting. Following a series of pitfalls in the 1970s and early 1980s, founder Theodor Herzl Levine put the company in the hands of Gregory Boleslavsky and Vadim Brikman, the company's vice presidents and recent immigrants from the Soviet Ukraine, who were able to turn OCR System's fortunes around and expand its employee base. The company released the software-based OCR application ReadRight for DOS, later ported to Windows, in the late 1980s. Adobe Inc. bought the company in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM optical mark and character readers</span> Optical mark and character readers made and sold by IBM

IBM designed, manufactured and sold optical mark and character readers from 1960 until 1984. The IBM 1287 is notable as being the first commercially sold scanner capable of reading handwritten numbers.

References

  1. ↑ "Data Entry Clerk job description template". 2015-12-11. We are looking for a Data Entry Clerk to type information into our database
  2. ↑ "Technology and Its Impact on Employment". 1990. Data entry is now accomplished via a system of terminals or other input devices
  3. ↑ "Data entry clerk".
  4. ↑ "What is a Data Entry Clerk?".
  5. ↑ "Data Entry Clerk". Michigan Jobs Portal.
  6. ↑ S. O. Sigurdsson (2012). "Motivating Ergonomic Computer Workstation Setup". International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. 18 (1): 27–33. doi:10.1080/10803548.2012.11076912. PMC   3985273 . PMID   22429527.
  7. ↑ "Office Ergonomics" (PDF). WA.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  8. ↑ "Computer Workstations: Design & Adjustment" (PDF). UQ.edu.au.
  9. ↑ J. F. Thomsen (2008). "Carpal tunnel syndrome and the use of computer mouse and keyboard".
  10. ↑ Cut&Paste/Copy&Paste Data Entry jobs were listed as a category on Indeed.com, a jobs site. There were 244 entries on Aug. 10, 2018 - compared to about 1300 of the type/keyboard types of jobs. "Copy Paste Data Entry Jobs, Employment". 244 Copy Paste Data Entry jobs available on Indeed.com
  11. ↑ Miracel Griff (2014). Professional Accounting Essays and Assignments. ISBN   978-1312069312. Information can be automatically fed, or manually fed into a business accounting ... standard personal computers or workstations running applications; scanning devices for standardized data entry ...
  12. 1 2 "Data Entry Rules" (PDF). Creighton.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2018-08-10. Accuracy is more important than speed
  13. 1 2 3 "Is Technology Removing Human Interface in Data Entry?".
  14. ↑ D.R. Touron (2014). "Accuracy and speed feedback: Global and local effects". Experimental Aging Research. 40 (3): 332–356. doi:10.1080/0361073X.2014.897150. PMC   4009509 . PMID   24785594.
  15. ↑ Jennifer Barnes (July 6, 2018). "Opinion: The New Trend in Outsourcing Is Local, Not Overseas". Many think outsourcing is something that happens overseas, but ... the new trend in outsourcing is local, not overseas.
  16. ↑ There is another term, Off-shoring: this is not the same as outsourcing
  17. ↑ "Outsourcing - the emerging trend". August 25, 2009l.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Most organizations do not require any education higher than a high school diploma". Payscale.com . Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Data Entry Clerk ..." jobs.NYTimes.com. October 19, 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Data Entry Clerk jobs in ..." The New York Times.
  21. 1 2 3 "Job Description of Data Entry". NationalCareersService.Direct.Gov. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
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