BPO data entry: What it is & how to find the right company

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Data entry involves high volumes of data conversion and management. As a result, it’s often a time-consuming task that requires dedicated staff. 

However, hiring a full-time data entry professional or a team of professionals can be expensive for most businesses.   

Fortunately, BPO data entry can help you out here. 

You can outsource your data entry requirements to specialized service providers in business process outsourcing (BPO) centers.  

In this article, we’ll discuss what BPO data entry is, the three leading countries for data entry outsourcing, and the top three service providers. We’ll also discuss how to choose the right provider and three tips for managing your outsourced data entry team. 

This article contains:

(Click on the links below to jump to a specific section)

• What is BPO Data Entry?
• 3 Leading Countries for Data Entry Outsourcing
• 3 Best BPO Data Entry Providers
• How to Choose the Right Data Entry Provider
• How to Manage Your Outsourced Data Entry Team

Let’s begin.

What is BPO data entry?

Data entry outsourcing is a business process in which a company outsources its data entry tasks to a specialized service provider. 

Data entry is a branch of information technology, and it includes tasks such as:

• Converting data from one digital format to another.
• Entering data into a database and indexing it for easy accessibility.
• Image processing and data processing services to extract information from dense documents.
• Data mining and data conversion services to find and convert complex findings into useful statistics.

Data entry outsourcing is also referred to as BPO data entry. BPO, or Business Process Outsourcing, is a blanket term that refers to all business-related operations that a company outsources to a third-party vendor. 

There are several different forms of e, including data entry, data analytics, lead generation, staffing service, customer service, call center service, customer support portal, etc. 

But why outsource your company’s data entry?

A data entry job is very repetitive and time-consuming. 

Choosing to outsource these jobs can save you time and money. Data entry outsourcing services will also free your employees to focus more on your company’s core competencies.

Some industries that use data entry

A data entry operator performs various processes like typing and voice recording to enter key information into computers. 

Databases created in this manner are important across several industries, including: 

• E-commerce: Update e-commerce store information to establish easy interaction with customers.
• Logistics: Record data on freight bills, purchase orders, and invoices for the supply chain management.
• Healthcare: Maintain accurate data on medical records and bills, patient information and reports, insurance records, etc.
• Insurance: Digitize and process insurance claims for reimbursements and audits.
• Real estate: Update data on Excel sheets to track property valuations and property listings.

Let’s now look at the top three countries you can outsource your data entry process to. 

3 Leading countries for data entry outsourcing

A growing number of outsourcing companies across the globe increases your chances of outsourcing your data entry process to any part of the world.

However, certain countries have more favorable conditions for outsourcing than others. 

Let’s look at the top three countries for data entry outsourcing.

1. India

India is one of the leading global destinations for outsourcing. The country retains 65% of the universal offshore BPO market. 

Here’s how you could benefit from outsourcing your data entry to India:

A. Cost-effectiveness

India has a low average salary primarily because of its low cost of living and abundance of skilled labor. 

For that reason, hiring a data entry specialist in India will cost you about243 USD per month.
In comparison, hiring a data entry clerk in the USA will cost you around 3135 USD per month.  

B. Good infrastructure

India has a good infrastructure that can support your data entry needs. 

Its advanced infrastructure supports disaster recovery services, data backup services, VPN technology, anti-virus software, and much more. 

Want to know more about outsourcing to India?

Read The Complete Guide on Outsourcing to India.

2. The Philippines

Like India, the Philippines also has a low average salary and is a cost-effective destination for outsourcing data entry service. You can hire a data entry specialist for approximately 400 USD per month. 

Apart from cost savings, outsourcing to the Philippines has other advantages, including:

A. English proficiency

Most Filipinos are fluent in English. In the European Fellowship’s (EF) English Proficiency Index for 2020, the Philippines ranked 27 amongst 100 countries worldwide.

Filipinos’ English fluency helps them perform better in data entry jobs that involve transcribing and breaking down complex data into simple text.

B. Young and educated workforce

As of 2021, the literacy rate in the Philippines is as high as 98.18%. In addition to this, there are over 19.8 million youth in the Philippines, with an employment rate of 86.4%. 

Outsourcing your data entry work to the Philippines allows you to tap into the country’s young and educated workforce. 

To find out more, read The Complete Guide To Business Process Outsourcing To The Philippines.

3. Mexico

Although not as cost-effective as India and the Philippines, Mexico still has a relatively low average salary. It’s also a more economical outsourcing destination than most developed economies. 

Hiring a data entry specialist in Mexico will cost you approximately 795 USD per month. 

Apart from cost savings, the other reasons you should consider outsourcing your data entry work to Mexico include:

A. High employee retention

Popular outsourcing countries worldwide have been exposed to the international outsourcing market for a long time now. 

As a result, they experience fierce competition for talent. With multiple job opportunities, retaining key talent is an issue. 

But this isn’t the case with Mexico, as it hasn’t been as exposed to the outsourcing market. Mexican outsourcing providers retain their employees with ease, allowing you to work with the same data entry team for an extended time. 

B. Highly skilled workforce

Equipping the local workforce has been the Mexican Government’s top priority. The Government’s “2018-2024 Nation Project” emphasizes skilling the youth of the country. 

As of today, Mexico sees over 115,000 engineering and technical graduates every year. These graduates work for Mexican outsourcing providers ensuring they maintain a consistently high standard of work.  

Interested in outsourcing to Mexico?

Read our article on Outsourcing to Mexico in 2021. 

Top 3 BPO data entry providers

We’ve discussed the top countries for data entry outsourcing. You may now be wondering which service provider to choose. 

Don’t worry. We’ll highlight three excellent data entry providers to help you make a choice.

1. Suntec India

SunTec India is a specialist in outsourcing solutions and can cater to all your data entry needs. The company is headquartered in New Delhi, India, and has a vast global presence across 30+ countries.  

Suntec’s data entry solutions include:

• Online data entry service to manage your CRM systems like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, etc.
• Offline data entry service with manual data entry for financial records and company reports.
• Data capture from Invoices to give you easy access to sales and transactions.

Additionally, Suntec India has over 7,800 clients from 50 countries and over 1,500 full-time employees. 

Their major clients include PepsiCo, Panasonic, Honda, and Bose.

2. Magellan Solutions

With 17 years of work experience with SMEs and large enterprises, Magellan Solutions is an outsourcing provider based in the Philippines. The company specializes in data entry and data management solutions.

Their key data entry services include:

• Data entry in various formats including, XML, Excel sheets, and Images.
• ISO 27001 and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) certification to ensure data security and privacy of medical records. 
• Personalized agent training to ensure data accuracy. 

Magellan Solutions has over 1000 agents working out of its headquarters in Manila, Philippines.

3. Invensis

Invensis Technologies is a BPO company headquartered in Delaware, USA. It offers back office services for Fortune 500 companies across the globe. 

The company’s industry expertise allows it to provide you with customized data services. 

Some of its key services include:

• Online data entry work and offline data entry services according to your preferences.
• ISO 27001 certification to ensure data security and confidentiality at all times.
• Periodic project reports to aid transparency and give you control over your data entry project. 

Invensis has over 1000 employees, and some of its major clients include Groupon, CBS Interactive, Sprint, and Wyndham.

5 guidelines to help you choose the right data entry provider

Here are five key guidelines that you should consider before choosing the right outsourcing partner for your business.  

1. Prioritize cost saving

One of the top reasons companies outsource their data entry needs is to save on labor costs. 

Hiring a complete team of data entry professionals can be expensive than outsourcing services from a data entry company. 

It’s also important to note that as your business grows, you’ll need to scale up your data entry services as well. Doing so will be cost-effective if you outsource to the right service provider. 

That’s why, before choosing a data entry service provider, make sure to go through their rates and ensure that they fall within your budget.

Additionally, ensure that you can afford to do so with your chosen provider if you need to scale up quickly. 

2. Note the quality of staff and technology

Outsourcing your data entry needs should not result in compromised work quality. 

A data entry provider’s work will be high-quality if their team has the required qualifications and uses excellent technology. 

You can look at how experienced your provider’s team is and ensure that they aren’t using dated technology. You can also go through client testimonials and case studies to understand how efficient the outsourcing partner is. 

3. Consider data security measures

You’ll most likely exchange sensitive customer and business data with your outsourcing partner, which is why you need to ensure that they’ve taken sufficient measures to prevent a data breach. 

An ISO 27001 certification, for instance, demonstrates that a company has invested in its people, processes, and technology to protect your data. Your data entry company must ideally have this certification.

Certain companies also take additional measures to sign non-disclosure agreements with employees and install CCTV cameras around their offices. Your data entry partner must also maintain a record of user consent, depending on the nature of your business. 

Ensure that the outsourcing partner you’re working with is taking these precautions to protect your data. 

4. Ensure scope for flexibility

In today’s dynamic business landscape, you’ll probably need a highly flexible outsourcing company.

Your ideal partner should have a flexible workload capacity that can support an increase or decrease in your workload. Through this flexibility, your outsourcing team can scale up to help your company’s growth in the long term. 

5. Confirm scope for customization

Every industry has a different use for data entry services. 

For example, the medical sector may use data entry services to maintain patient records. Meanwhile, an eCommerce brand may need data entry services to update information on customer buying patterns.  

An outsourcing company must be able to customize its services to accommodate this sort of variance in its data entry service. 

One way to determine an outsourcing company’s scope for customization is by looking at its clientele. If they’re handling businesses similar to yours, they may be a suitable partner for you.  

3 useful tips to manage your outsourced data entry team

While data entry outsourcing is very useful, it comes with several challenges. 

Some of them include lack of quality control, communication barriers, and the inability to know whether your outsourced team is productive.

Don’t worry. We’ll discuss three tips that’ll help you overcome these challenges.

1. Establish partnership

Treat your team of data entry workers as an extended part of your in-house team. 

Why?

Building a healthy working relationship with your outsourced team will motivate them to complete your data entry task efficiently. 

Here’s how you can establish a successful partnership:

• Communicate your business ideas clearly.
• Share your larger product and company vision.
• Be an empathetic client. 

2. Communicate regularly

It’s important to agree on common communication channels and formats while working with an outsourced team. 

You can use emails, instant messengers, phone calls, video calls, and several other communication mediums to collaborate with your data entry team. Online collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom can help you out here. 

Additionally, you’ll also need to establish a communication routine. This routine should outline when and how you’ll reach out to your outsourced team for regular check-ins. 

Regular communication with your data entry team will keep you posted about work updates and project challenges. 

3. Track productivity

Your outsourced data entry team will usually bill you by the hour. As a result, it’s important to ensure they’re actually working productively during those hours.

But how?

All you need is a powerful time and productivity management software like Time Doctor. 

What’s Time Doctor?

Time Doctor is a robust employee productivity management software used by large companies and small businesses to manage in-house employees or outsourced professionals efficiently.

Time Doctor can help you:

• Track employee time to calculate billable hours accurately.
• Pay your outsourced employees directly using payment methods like PayPal, Gusto, etc.
• Analyze the performance of the hired data entry experts with detailed, comprehensive reports.
• Identify what websites your remote accesses during work hours with web and app monitoring.
• Track productivity across various apps through platform integrations with apps like Trello and Asana.

Wrapping up

Outsourcing your data entry can be a cost-effective solution that empowers your team to work on your company’s core competencies.

And while finding the right outsourcing partner is a tough task, our list of the top outsourcing countries and data entry providers should help you through it. 

Once you’ve narrowed down on the right partner, you can use the right tools, like a productivity management tool like Time Doctor, to make the most of your outsourced data entry team.