Jul 21, 2015  Manual systems put pressure on people to be correct in all details of their work at all times, the problem being that people aren’t perfect, however much each of us wishes we were. An advantage to using manual accounting systems is that there is a written record of transactions. A disadvantage to manual accounting is the risk of fire destroying records or a risk of human. There are not too many disadvantages (there are actually more advantages compared to the traditional records) to having electronic medical records.

Manual systems put pressure on people to be correct in all details of their work at all times, the problem being that people aren’t perfect, however much each of us wishes we were. With manual systems the level of service is dependent on individuals and this puts a requirement on management to run training continuously for staff to keep them motivated and to ensure they are following the correct procedures. It can be all to easy to accidentally switch details and end up with inconsistency in data entry or in hand written orders. This has the effect of not only causing problems with customer service but also making information unable be used for reporting or finding trends with data discovery. Reporting and checking that data is robust can be timely and expensive. This is often an area where significant money can be saved by automation.

It takes more effort and physical space to keep track of paper documents, to find information and to keep details secure. When mistakes are made or changes or corrections are needed, often a manual transaction must be completely redone rather than just updated. With manual or partially automated systems information often has to be written down and copied or entered more than once. Systemisation can reduce the amount of duplication of data entry.

Another impact of manual systems is on Customer service. Customer queries can be difficult to respond to as information is stored in different places and may even require that you find the right person before being able to respond. This is no good if they are out to lunch or only work part time.

1. Inconsistency in data entry, room for errors, miskeying information.
2. Large ongoing staff training cost.
3. System is dependent on good individuals.
4. Reduction in sharing information and customer services.
5. Time consuming and costly to produce reports.
6. Lack of security.
7. Duplication of data entry.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Manual Medical Records

Which raises the question if systemisation has such benefits, why aren’t all business running fully integrated systems. There is always the obvious balance of cost vs benefit, as an organisation grows and adds people and functions the benefits of systems increases. Often when an organisation is growing it’s the time that they need to put in a new system, however this is also the time that there is significant pressure on existing resources and it’s the hardest time to make a change.

JISC InfoNet describes records management as the systematic management of all records together with the information or data that they contain. In the past, these records were stored in paper format and every large organization had a registry, sometimes manned by an army of clerks. Today electronic records management systems have taken over. Both manual and electronic records management systems have clear advantages as well as disadvantages.

Data Retrieval and Sharing

A leading reason why many organizations have gone paperless is the ease with which an electronic system allows for information retrieval and sharing. When data is held on paper and stored in a registry, retrieving it presents a challenge. Moreover, the information can only be used by one individual at a time. While electronic systems solve this problem, they too come with other challenges.

Equipment Cost and Potential for Obsolescence

When an organization goes paperless, there are huge volumes of data held on paper that have to be scanned and stored in a digital format. The hardware and software needed for this exercise cost a substantial amount of money. Initial costs aside, a significant disadvantage with electronic systems is that both hardware and software become obsolete in a relatively short time. Hardware could require changing in as little as 18 months while software changes every 2-3 years.

Disadvantages Of Manual Records 2016

Electronic Systems and the People Issue

Manual Records System

Implementation of an electronic records management system calls for a change in the employee's attitudes. Any radical change in an organization is viewed with skepticism by many employees who are not sure how such changes will affect them. When older ways of organizing files are replaced by new ones, the employee feels a loss of control and this needs to be addressed by assurances from the employer -- and backed by the success of the system implemented.

Security and Other Issues

Disadvantages Of Using Manual Medical Records

With the increased info sharing that an electronic records management system makes possible comes the issue of security. Unless adequate measures are put into place, it becomes possible for confidential company information to end up in the wrong hands. Moreover, management of records could become a problem when the system is clogged with unnecessary records (such as document copies). It is not uncommon to find situations where a substantial amount of records held are actually junk mail.

Disadvantages Of Manual Records Management

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