We live in a digital era where the process of data capture is used by many firms, particularly those involved in Business Process Outsourcing. Business firms deal with a lot of data regularly. Digitalizing the required information from this data set is a time-consuming activity. Data capture solutions offered by various agencies help us extract information from documents to convert it into a digital format. This blog will help you understand the different methods of data capture so that organizations that are yet to outsource it can do it at the earliest. Data capture services have become very much in demand these days. And we use different types of data capture solutions, as mentioned in the following sections.
Data Capture Methods
1. Manual Data Capture
This method requires us to manually enter the necessary data from hardcopies to the computer to utilize the digitalized details. The firms resorting to such methods usually deal with low volumes of data. However, one of the drawbacks of manual data capture is that it is highly susceptible to errors, thereby making automatic data capture preferable.
2. Automatic Data Capture
Opting for automatic data capture helps in the smooth functioning of organizations. This helps us simplify data management, cut unnecessary costs, and prevent labor inefficiency. There are various automatic data capture methods, and organizations can use them according to the suitability factor. Automated data capture can be conducted via a few methods, as given below.
- Bar & QR Code Recognition: Companies use barcode scanners to read the information under the barcode recognition method. The accuracy of this method makes them acceptable to shop floors for various purposes.
- Quick Response (QR) codes are also widely used by companies nowadays. We use such for various purposes, like capturing web pages and documents. Shop establishments, product packaging, courier services, etc., are some situations where these codes find application.
- Voice Capture: This is one of organizations’ popular data capture methods. Under this method, they process data using speech recognition technology. It can understand and clarify words, spoken commands, etc.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR): This method is suitable for industries like healthcare, finance, insurance, etc., dealing with large volumes of similar data. It enables us to find machine-generated characters and pull out data from the required documents.
- Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR): It enables us to read handwritten characters and converts them into valuable information. Banks and financial organizations mainly use this method.
- Intelligent Document Recognition (IDR): This type of data capture recognizes various combinations of technologies to understand the data patterns, prepares an index based on the content type, and verifies accuracy with the help of look-up tables. This data capture form finds application in various activities, including invoice processing and customer interaction.
Having read this blog, you are now aware of the methods used by BPOs that provide data capture services. This knowledge will help you have a better discussion with your prospective service provider and avail yourself of the data capture solutions offered by the best service providers. So are you ready to outsource data capture services?
