10. Common Errors

Transcription Errors

Whenever data is manually entered into the system there is a chance that an error will be made.

This might be because the person misreads what is written on the source document or perhaps mishears what the customer tells them over the telephone.  It might simply be down to the person rushing and not being careful over which keys they press.

Long codes made up of numbers or letters that have no particular meaning to the person keying in the data are particularly vulnerable to error. 

An example of a transcription error might be entering 'Smyth' instead of 'Smith'

Transposition Errors

Transposition errors occur where the person entering the data accidentally changes the order of numbers or letters.

For example, 89 might be entered as 98 or 'Smith' might be entered as 'Smiht'