Data entry errors aren’t just annoying—they’re expensive. A single mistyped digit can delay orders, wreck customer trust, and ripple through your entire supply chain. But how many mistakes are too many? And what’s considered an acceptable error rate in today’s B2B world?
Let’s dig into real benchmarks—and what you can do if your accuracy is falling short.
Most industries consider a data entry error rate of 1% to be the upper limit of acceptability. But that’s a loose benchmark. Here’s what different sectors report:
Retail & Ecommerce: 0.5%–1%
Manufacturing: 0.1%–0.3%
Healthcare: 0.3% (or less)
Finance: As close to 0% as possible
Now imagine you’re processing 5,000 orders a month. At a 1% error rate, that’s 50 incorrect entries—every single month.
A wrong SKU or part number? That could mean a return, a lost sale, and extra freight costs.
Incorrect shipping address? Add a missed delivery, customer support hours, and brand damage.
Miskeyed invoice total? That’s either lost revenue or an angry customer dispute.
The average cost of a data entry error has been pegged at $50–$150, depending on how far it flows through your system before being caught. Multiply that by 50+ per month, and the numbers get scary.
This Conexiom blog goes deeper into the data.
Fatigue and cognitive overload
Complex order formats (PDFs, spreadsheets, handwritten notes)
Disconnected systems requiring copy-paste workflows
Inconsistent data standards across teams
Even the best employees make mistakes under these conditions. The issue isn’t effort—it’s process.
Automate Data Capture: The #1 cause of data entry errors is manual input. Replace it with automation wherever possible—especially for high-volume documents like POs and invoices. Conexiom’s Sales Order Automation delivers 100% data accuracy.
Standardize Incoming Formats: The more consistent your incoming documents, the fewer decisions your team has to make on the fly.
Validate at the Point of Entry: Don’t wait until errors hit downstream systems. Use real-time checks to flag inconsistencies immediately.
Train for Accuracy: Create a culture of quality. Give teams time to slow down and do it right—but back them up with tools that make it easy.
Use Error Reporting Dashboards: You can’t improve what you can’t see. Track error types, sources, and impact.
Involve Finance and Ops in the Conversation: Data entry issues often span multiple departments. Break down silos so everyone sees how upstream errors create downstream chaos.
Incentivize Accuracy: Reward teams for accuracy, not just speed. Set goals tied to error reduction and make it a point of pride.
Our platform takes unstructured data (like emailed PDFs) and turns it into structured, ERP-ready data—without human input. It’s not just automation. It’s automation with guaranteed accuracy.
That means:
100% accuracy for order and invoice processing
Zero rework
No more typo-induced chaos
Want to see how much error is costing your team right now? Use Conexiom’s ROI Calculator to estimate the savings from reducing manual entry.
Because in today’s high-speed B2B world, "good enough" isn’t good enough anymore.
📉 Cut down on costly rework and frustration—explore how Sales Order Automation works.
💬 Want to see how industry leaders reduced data entry errors by 100%? Read customer success stories like REI, Grainger, and HP Hood.
📊 Use our ROI calculator to see your potential savings in real numbers.
It’s not just about data. It’s about delivering trust, speed, and accuracy—at scale.