Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for data processing firms.
A checklist built from how data processing firms work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Batch receipt and intake count
- Keying instruction sheets
- Work packets and keyer assignment
- Double keying and field sampling
- Delivery files and reconciliation
- Output counts and piece-rate pay
- Billing by record volume
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the intake desk
- For floor supervisors
- For keyers and verifiers
- For quality checkers
- For account managers and owners
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Batches received, in progress and delivered, by client
- Intake count against records delivered, with exceptions
- Error rate by field, keyer and keying instruction sheet
- Rejected packets and rework time by client
- Output per keyer per shift, before and after rejects
- Batches at risk of missing the promised date
- Records delivered and billed, by rate card
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- Secure file transfer
- Document scanner folders
- Accounting export
- Spreadsheet import
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it key the data itself?
- Can two keyers enter the same packet blind?
- How are field-level error rates counted?
- Can clients see the progress of their batches?
- Can we run different instruction sheets for the same client?
- How is confidential client data protected?
- Can keyer pay be calculated from the output?
- Can existing batches and client sheets be loaded?
- What does it cost?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Intake counts do not survive the floor
- Accuracy is judged on the whole batch
- Keying rules live on loose sheets
- Piece-rate pay disputes repeat
- Deadlines are known only at the end
Prefer to talk it through? See the data processing firms page.