Data entry throughput is defined as the average number of correct characters entered during a specified period of time. This period of time must be the same as that used for the costs (e.g., monthly).

Total Justification for a data entry system includes not only cost/performance considerations, but also but also system flexibility, user acceptance, and the feasibility of Dossible future enhancements to the installation's data entry operation.

It is appropriate at this point to discuss error handling costs, because they can be a significant percentage of the total cost of a data entry system. Furthermore, the cost of error detection and correction can be quite sensitive to the time and place of discovery. For example, it has been estimated that errors detected and corrected at the time of data entry are relatively inexpensive--about 10 cents per character in error, but those that go undetected until they reach the destination file media or the processing environment are much more expensive--$2 or more per character depending on the installation. Error handling costs can exceed 30 percent of the total cost of a data entry system. This fact provides considerable motivation to Incorporate one or more data validation checks as early as feasible in the sequence of the data acquisition, transcription, and entry processes.

The basic function of all data entry equipment is to prepare Information for entry into a computer. Some computer applications can tolerate inaccurate data more than others. In general, the recorded data must constitute an accurate representation of the source data, within the accuracy limits dictated by the application requirements and the necessary economic tradeoffs. Prospective users should realistically evaluate the overall cost of undetected errors (including the intangible factors such as customer irritation), and weigh it against the cost of more powerful error-control facilities to decide just how much protection against errors is really necessary.

Ο

or

steps to be followed in Selecting Data Entry Equipment The following basic steps should be taken in the process selecting data entry equipment. Some applications circumstances may dictate omitting some steps, taking the steps in • sequence different than the order in which they are listed, or taking additional steps. Also, in most cases, several steps in the selection procedure will be conducted concurrently.

1. State-of-the-Art Familiarization

Review available alternatives

Talk to others having similar applications
Talk to others using the various types of

etc.

Prepare procurement justification documents

Prepare technical specifications,

for inclusion in RFP

statements,

Initiate parallel operation and cutover

Conduct post-installation evaluation (continuing

Considering the magnitude of the costs and the potential benefits involved, careful study and sound selection procedures are essential.

in

With the passage of time, some of the equipment profiles this report will become out of date due to advances in technology. Also, as a result of competition and advances in technology, the the prices prices in this report will become increasingly inaccurate. They are entered here merely for comparison purposes. Accordingly, the user of this report should take these factors into account.

Chapter 1

BASIC KEYBOARD INPUT DEVICES

Several factors influence the prospective performance of any keyboard encoder and can have a significant effect on throughput. These factors include:

The operator's keying speed.

.The time required to feed, duplicate, skip, backspace, check, punch, or record, .The time required

faults.

to correct errors and machine

Physical limitations of the human operator of keyboard input data entry equipment Permit steady keying speeds on the order of 3 3 to 4 keystrokes per second. This would correspond sustained keying speed of about 11,000 to 15,000 keystrokes per hour. Machine speeds are much faster than those of even highly skilled operators. Machine function time, in most cases, is negligible in comparison to the time required to key data or to correct errors. Some types of equipment can automatically duplicate repetitive portions of the data and this, of course, increases the operator's effective speed.

an

1.1 Equipment Category: Keypunch · A keypunch electromechanical device which converts operator keystrokes into machine-readable holes on cards. Typical components of the device include an input card hopper, a card punch mechanism, a print mechanism, a card interpret mechanism, card stacker, a keyboard, and control electronics.

1.1.1 Equipment Characteristica

1.1.1.1 Data Capacity/Spead

1.1.1.1.1 Iranafar Spaad keypunch equipment, the hardware capabilities generally provide for a transfer rate from keyboard to a single card ranging from 18 to 65 characters per second (this speed does not reflect delay caused by mechanical feeding of cards).

For most commerically available

1.1.1.1.2 Volume Per Unit of Iime - Based on an average 7500 keystrokes per hour and an average of 60 characters punched Der card, a keypunch has a data entry volume of approximately 125 cards per hour (this speed is limited by two factors: mechanical feeding of cards and the speed of keypunch operators).

1.1.1.1.3 Operator Spaad - Operator speed ranges from 8000 to 15,000* keystrokes per hour which is equivalent to 100 to

*Speeds include both buffered and unbuffered keypunches. In most instances the lower speeds are for unbuffered units and the higher speeds are for the buffered units. The speed advantage of the buffered units is due to their ability to overlap the keying and mechanical punching operations.

200 eighty-character cards per hour. Most sources rate the keypunch operator at 10,000 keystrokes per hour Cor slightly less than 3 characters per second) on unbuffered devices and slightly higher on buffered devices. However this speed does not take into consideration factors such card and document handling, coffee breaks, error correction time, etc. These factors restrict the average sustained speed in a typical commercial application to approximately 7500 key strokes per hour.

1.1.1.2 Operational and Envičonmental Requirementa

1.1.1.2.1 Iamperature/Humidify Requirementa - Keypunches can be operated in an office office environment. Punched cards, however, generally require • controlled environment, particularly when stored for long periods; otherwise the dimensions of the cards will change with changes in humidity and result result in equipment malfunctions. Cards must also be kept free of contaminants such as dirt and oil.

1.1.1.2.2 Area/Physical Location - Equipment is desk sized self-contained units requiring approximately 20 square feet per unit.

1.1.1.2.3 Computer Interface -Keypunches create 80 or 96 column EDP cards. Some units offer online capabilities but are generally limited to slow speed card reading punching.

1.1.1.3 Input Characteristica

and

1.1.1.3.1 Record Sizes Depending on card type, maximum record sizes card are limited to 80 or 96 characters, Longer records may be accommodated by employing a sequence number field in each card designating the card's position within the record,

1 .1.1.3,2 Character Seta Seta Available tabulating units with up to 64 alphanumeric and special

characters using BCD, Hollerith, sets are available.

Keypunch and card EBCDIC, or USASCII code

1.1.1.4 Output Capabilitiga · Output from keypunches is recorded as rectangular holes punched in standard EDP cards (whose dimensions are defined by ANSI X3.11-1969). Most keypunches also print the punched data along the top margin of the card.

1.1.1.5 Edit/Validate Capabilities - Keypunches have limited range of capabilities including printing, field definition, zero insertion, skipping, check-digit

generation, and character inhibition.

1.1.2 Options - Available options include the punch/verify capabilities, from 1 to 31

following:

program levels