n today’s “Information Age”, organizations need to process a rapidly increasing amount of data. This makes the job of data entry all the more important. Data entry employees help ensure the smooth and well-organized handling of information. Data entry clerks keep companies organized by entering data onto computers, operating an assortment of office machines and performing many other clerical tasks. In addition to these job titles-word processors, typists and data entry keyers-data entry workers are also known by many other titles, including transcribers, electronic data processors and keypunch technicians.
Some data entry employees set up and prepare all text material, such as reports, letters and mailing labels. As an entry-level data entry, an employee may be asked to key headings on form letters, address envelopes or prepare standard forms on the computer. As the employee gains experience and knowledge, they are often assigned to tasks that require a greater degree of accuracy and independent judgment.
Senior data entry employees will often work with highly technical material, combine and rearrange materials from a different source, prepare master copies of important documents and plan and key complicated statistical tables.
Data entry keyers will often enter lists of items, numbers, or similar data into computers or complete forms that appear on a computer screen. They also may maneuver existing data, edit current data, or proofread new entries into a database for accurateness. Examples of data sources include customers’ personal information, membership lists, and medical records. Usually, this data is used within by a company and may be reformatted before other departments or customers use it.
Data entry keyers use a wide array of machines in their work. One machine that is used converts the data they type to magnetic impulses on disks or tapes for entry into a computer system. Another is a data entry-composing machine, which prepares materials for printing or publication. Some data entry employees work online terminals or personal computers.
Progressively more, data entry employees are working with no keyboard forms of character recognition systems. These include scanners and electronically transmitted files. When using the new character recognition systems, data entry keyers frequently enter only that data which cannot be distinguished by machines. In several offices, keyers also operate computer secondary equipment such as printers and tape readers, act as tape librarians and perform other office duties.
In addition to their other duties, some data entry employees are expected to perform other clerical duties. This may include: filing, operating copiers, answering telephones or operating other office machines.
