Data Entry vs Back Office: What is the difference?

Data Entry is among the most popular services lately. The amount of data generated each day,  referred to as "big data", is huge and companies are facing difficulties in coping with high volumes.  As a result, they have created dedicated teams within the company or decided to outsource the service. On the other hand, another service needed by a lot of businesses is Back Office. It is a confusing term as many times Data Entry and Back Office are treated as synonyms. Despite the confusion, they are completely separate things. However, one thing is for sure. They both complement each other and are very important for the maintenance of the operations in a company. Hereafter, we will break down the differences between data entry vs back office as well as the similarities.

Data Entry

 

Firstly, let's try to define Data Entry. It is a broad term describing various services related to Data Processing.  It can be manual or automatic. In another article,  we have defined data entry as the process of inserting data into a computer or another electronic device. Data entry can be offline or online, depending on the need for an internet connection to perform the tasks. The data itself can be copied from one digital format to another or from a hard copy to a digital one. It is a time-consuming process, that is why outsourcing the service is among the most optimal and effective trends in our days.

But, what does Outsourcing Data Entry process look like?

It starts with a close cooperation between the contractor and the contractee. The Contractee (or the client) shares the necessary information with the contractor (or the outsourcer) so that the latter can organize the operations and training sessions correctly. Then, the outsourcer makes sure that the agents will be enough qualified to put into effect the cleansing, classification, processing or conversion of the data as required by the client. The continuity of the process is supervised by responsible people and communicated to the contractee. It is a vicious circle aiming to deliver a high-quality service.

 

Back Office

 

Back Office, on the other hand,  is a more general term. As indicated by the name, it is related to behind the scenes work. Every company has a Back Office team to support its activities and operations. These activities vary depending on the project or the company's services. They can be data entry or call quality control oriented, archiving, invoicing etc. Invoicing, for example, is very important for many companies. E-commerce companies, due to their business nature, have to deal with a high volume of invoices every day. In this case, dedicated people to cover the service may be required while outsourcing can be a smart move.

Back Office's main activity is related to 'controlling' of work done by respective front offices. For instance, when a customer service representative receives the client's data for later to be entered in the system, Back Office double checks if there are any mistakes in the data received by the representative over the phone. If so, it undertakes the necessary measurements to correct them while always in contact with the representative. In addition,  Back Office has a quality checker role so that the maintenance of the project will be properly assessed. Overall, this department is of high importance and its people contribution is valuable in controlling the work done.

data entry service

Differences between Data Entry vs Back Office

 

Both, Data Entry and Back Office are undisputable parts of every company.  It should be emphasized that Data Entry can be considered part of Back Office, but Back Office never of Data Entry. Find below a list of elements differentiating or unifying these services(departments) from each other.

Range of tasks

Firstly, there is the Range of Tasks. This element depends for both on the nature of the service executed. However, in general terms, Back Office has a wider range of tasks compared to Data Entry. This evaluation comes as a result of the kinds of tasks each department develops. Data Entry is simply related to inserting a certain database in specific systems, while Back Office deals with more data processing activities. Back Office also handles all the processes needed to keep a company running. It is the "backstage" of a company.

Level of Difficulty

Secondly, the level of difficulty. Based on what told in the last sentence, would conclude that Back Office is quite more difficult than Data Entry. However, this may not always be the case. Many times for tasks related to these kinds of services are used specific systems that may be difficult to absorb by the people delivering the service. Therefore, the level of difficulty increases depending on different stimulators resulting from the requirements of the clients, having to deal with customized tasks and systems.

Size of departments

If we have to compare Data Entry vs Back Office in terms of their size, for sure data entry would be the winner. Back Office department most of the time deals with admin tasks resulting in size from 2 to 5 people which also depends on the size of the overall business activities. On the other hand, the Data Entry department can be big in size because of the nature of the work and time it consumes. For instance, this department can reach even more than 100 people.

Seniority

The last one of the elements of comparison between Data Entry vs Back Office is seniority. This term refers to the profile of the hired personnel. Usually, Back Office requires specialized personnel. For example, most of the time they should be highly qualified in excel or other programmes compared to data entry personnel. As can be seen, the comparison of these two departments is quite difficult because, despite everything, all depends on the nature of the service and requirements of the client.

When to outsource Data Entry vs Back Office

 

Outsourcing has turned into a key strategy in helping companies reach their targets. Startups, for instance, outsource such kind of services to be able to focus on their core business while at the same time receive a high-quality outcome. On the other hand, many companies find this option cheaper compared to the one of developing the service in house. Furthermore, there may be unexpected volumes in the business activity leading to a collapse of many operations if the work is not correctly allocated. This is the time when outsourcing comes to great help. Looking for an option? Find it below.

We Are Fiber

 

At We Are Fiber, we support our clients with Data Entry vs Back Office services to the highest quality believing that QUALITY MATTERS. We have worked with well-known companies around the world performing for them from the easiest to the most difficult tasks. Therefore, loyalty has always been a reward we received back from our clients and is what we value the most.

If your needs and ideals match ours, we would be happy to receive a call or email from you. We are waiting, it is your turn Now! 

info@wearefiber.com

Phone (It) +39 02 42 10 11 22

Phone (Uk) +44 20 38 70 44 08

Related Posts

How does back office work?

Back office refers to all activities that a company has to perform for supporting the main...

CONTINUE READING

10 things to know when outsourcing data entry

Outsourcing data entry is a strategy that companies implement for several reasons. There are...

CONTINUE READING

5 ways outsourcing data entry can help your company

Outsourcing data entry has always been a go-to strategy for cutting costs for most companies....

CONTINUE READING