Data entry is recognized as one of the most pervasive requirements in white-collar work, work that does not require physical labor. Most people and organizations, at one time or another, have had or will likely have, a need for some kind of data entry. It could emanate from a business need or a professional need, but it would need to be fulfilled.
Like most other tasks that need to be done, at the first level of decision-making, you could choose to do it yourself (or inhouse if we refer to a business) or get it done by another person or entity, for a reasonable and agreed compensation.
While people and organizations with bulk requirements could possibly possess the resources to look for professional providers, or could even create a pool of suitable, qualified resources who could do the task for them, for people and organizations with ‘retail’ or small requirements, it would be a more arduous task. Where do they go? Where do they find a provider of such services?
In a free market, each requirement is expected to throw up providers and a method of connecting the customers and the servers. And the numbers of each keep sifting and adjusting for the other side. If there was only one person out of 7 billion who had the need for a service, it might not exist as providers would not find it worthwhile to set it up for the sake of that one opportunity. But if data entry was a requirement which many people had from time to time, providers would, hopefully, emerge. And find a way of connecting with clients.
Without going too far back, in a previous era, perhaps a generation, or two, back, the concept of trade directories had emerged. It would provide a listing of providers for different types of services, like data entry. Depending on the business model of the publisher, a service could get a free entry into the directory or may need to pay for it. A provider would pay for the entry if it saw the potential of generating enough business as a result. Similarly, on the consumption side, depending again on the model, the consumer would get a free copy or may need to pay for it. A consumer would pay for if she saw adequate value in the form of potential saving of time and hassle in looking for a provider of certain services.
In the present day, information is widely available. The shoe is a bit on the other foot now; there is so much information available that many times one cannot find what one is looking for. Anyone can search for anything with the help of search engines and the internet. Of course, there is no assurance that he will find what he is looking for.
Emergence of platforms
In the context of data entry, the digital age has witnessed the rise of platforms for many services, and data entry is no different.
A platform is like a virtual marketplace, where the two parties that are required in any transaction, typically a buyer and a seller, will meet virtually and consummate a transaction if it suits both of them. Like Monster.com, a marketplace for jobs. Recruiters post their requirements for the people they are looking for hire, with relevant information, and jobseekers apply with relevant information. The platform may also have a ‘mirror’ section where jobseekers put up their credentials and what they are looking for, and recruiters looking for resources will parse through this database and identify suitable candidates.
Data entry and related work is classified under ‘freelancing’ type of work and platforms that promote freelancing work are the place to look for buyers and sellers. The usual method of engagement is for clients to put out, or post, their requirements for data entry and for interested, suitably qualified candidates to respond with their interest, in the form of a bid, usually specifying why he is suitable for the work, as well as the price point. This is then followed by the client making a selection from amongst competing bidders.
While individuals are the regular providers on these platforms, ‘agencies’ that usually are a bunch of providers of a similar service acting together, or even businesses that provide the service, are allowed listings as providers.
The ‘mirror’ side of the business is also available on most platforms. Here the service provider posts details about the services he offers. Clients who have a need for that service might trawl through the database, identify a few suitable providers, and reach out to them for a more detailed discussion.
That being said, as business usually follows the ‘money trail,’ the process where the client puts up the requirements seems to be the more popular one.
Upwork data entry
One of the major marketplaces where
data entry services are sought and offered in
Upwork. About two decades in the business, Upwork has worked with the mission of creating economic opportunities for people, for both clients, by facilitating them getting their requirements fulfilled so that their business can keep running, as well as providers, so that they can keep finding jobs that best meet their skills and continue to be gainfully employed ding work that they like. They have a wide variety of services that clients and providers can choose from, as well the flexibility of adding new ones. Engagements can be one-time, or continue over multiple years. And, in the digital world, the client as well as provider, could be located in two different corners of the world. Freelancing platforms have, inadvertently, served as tools that bring people across the world together and help them know more about each other. Why would a client restrict his options for the best talent to a specific geography when he can choose from the best from around the world?
Upwork data entry is a popular service on this platform. Not only does the platform bring the two sides together, it also facilitates the financial part by providing the security of the platform for the exchange. For time-based contracts, it provides its own tool through which the provider can track the hours spent on a job and raise the necessary invoice. It tracks individual transactions and provides detailed reports at the transaction level.
On Upwork, if you type the words ‘data entry’ in the search box, you get over 13000 results. They have been put in from across the world, including South Africa. USA, New Zealand and Pakistan. Data mining, data conversion, research, form filling, transcription, medical transcription, data compilation, data scraping, typing, reconciliation, order taking, are only a few of the vast variety listed under the broad category of data entry.
The best alternatives to Upwork data entry
Upwork is used here to represent platforms in general.
That the emergence of platforms has created a democratization in the data entry world, cannot be argued. It has created a mechanism through which people with retail (not bulk or large volume) requirements could find vendors and get their job done. Individual providers could also join the platform and find work.
But challenges remain. Especially for clients with bulk requirements who could justify, based on the scope of value creation possible, to look for a better suited team or individual, as well as customized tools, that will aid their work. This way, they are also not confined to the rules and regulations of the platform which are no doubt created with good intent, but could be limiting for some.
Business Process Outsourcing companies have been in existence from before the emergence of platforms, and continue to grow. One of the key services they offer is data entry. Organizations have used BPOs for their requirements when platforms did not exist and continue to do so.
Here are some reasons why BPO providers could be the best alternatives for Upwork data entry, especially those who have bulk requirements:
Skill set can be specific
On a platform, a client has limited ability to influence the skill-sets that are needed form best results. They can specify, but nobody is going to go looking for them. If they are available, some of them may notice the job, while a smaller subset still may be interested and apply.
With a BPO provider, it can be expected that they will seek out the most suitable resources required for the job and leave no stone unturned to get them. Once they have contracted to do a job, it becomes a shared interest.
With its deep roots in local communities, oWorkers is a preferred employer in most, and attracts walk-in traffic of people looking for jobs. This places oWorkers in a position where they can pick and choose the skills that are required, at a low cost. Since the hiring is for a client project, eventually the client gets the benefit of specific resources.
Technology solutions can be customized
In Upwork data entry, freelancers will, in general, have access to standard application software, like MS Excel, or MS Word, or Google docs. They will, in all likelihood, not have access to the specialized tools that many data entry jobs will probably require. Even relatively basic ones that may be able to read characters and convert to a digital format. This can be limiting.
When they look for a BPO provider, clients can be specific and choosy. They can specify exactly what type of technologies are needed for their work and only shortlist and select vendors who can fulfil those requirements.
oWorkers has partnerships across a wide range of technology companies. This enables us to access their technologies, the latest versions, in pursuit of our own goals. Eventually, our job being to work on client projects, clients will benefit from our access to a wide range of technologies.
Seasonal ups and downs
Businesses often experience cycles. Some are periodic and recurring, like the sale of snow-skis might happen at the start of the winter season, continue for the next 4 months, and then go into dormancy for the next 6 to 8 months. In a freelancing arrangement, if volumes drop off, he could lose interest and take on other work. When the client wishes to scale up again, he may not have enough capacity. It is difficult to hire resources and keep them idle on a platform. More likely the outsourcer will need to hire all over again when volumes pick up.
In a one-on-one arrangement with a BPO, it is possible to set expectations at the start of the contract regarding seasonality and peaks and troughs. Only suppliers who are interested and can meet that requirement will make a bid. Once awarded, in normal circumstances, they can be expected to live up to their side of the bargain.
oWorkers, with its community connect, is in a position to offer short-term hiring capacity of almost a hundred resources in 48 hours. This just-in-time hiring saves our clients a lot of money in the form of idle resources during lean periods.
Business continuity
Freelancing arrangements work on a task basis. In Upwork data entry, a task completed gets paid for and completed and both parties move to the next task. From a client’s perspective, there is some risk in this arrangement as the supplier may not accept a subsequent task. It could leave them exposed.
If the engagement is with a provider that has a back-up plan in place, dependence on individuals can be avoided.
With three centers in three geographical regions of the world, oWorkers is well placed to provide business continuity. Not merely at an employee level but at a center or site level as well. Our centers are equipped to operate 24×7, this catering to business from any part of the world. Together, we can cater to over 22 languages across the three centers.
Data security
When you get work done by an independent party, some amount of information needs to be shared, or access to systems provided, to enable that party to operate. This information is shared over open networks. Moreover, the client does not have any visibility into how the information and access rights will be used by the provider. Hence, for organizations, this can limit the tasks that could be handled.
When you sign up with a BPO, there is a detailed evaluation carried out, including that of logical and physical security, in order to get confidence that information will not be misused and its systems are resistant to external data security threats.
oWorkers is GDP compliant and ISO (27001 :2013 & 9001:2015) certified. Employees also sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to confirm they are aware of the data security requirements and will comply with it.
Prior experience and collective wisdom
Experience of having executed a similar job in the past is a standard way of establishing the suitability of a provider for any new job. That is done whether the supplier is a freelancer or a BPO company.
A BPO, since it forms the experience set of the organization, would endeavour to retain learnings from such prior experience that can be applied each time a similar job comes by in future.
Clients get the benefit of learning from prior similar experiences that oWorkers possesses, so that each subsequent task is executed better than the last. oWorkers also boasts of a leadership team with over 20 years of hands-on industry experience that is leveraged for the benefit of superior client delivery.
In Conclusion
In its chosen area of specialization, data entry related BPO work, oWorkers stands out. It has been identified as one of the top three providers in the world, on multiple occasions. Clients consistently mention savings of almost 80% after outsourcing to oWorkers. Our pricing is transparent and we offer rates per unit of output as well as per unit of time. Our employees consistently rate us more than 4.65 on Glassdoor on a scale of 5.
oWorkers is the best alternative to Upwork data entry.
