What is this?
The Manual Data Capture Sheet is used to collect information on processes or services where automated reports are not available. The sheet identifies the raw data required in order to calculate a benefit. Manual Data Capture Sheets are typically used to capture process timings, overall delivery times, and errors or other quality issues. The figure below illustrates a simple example Manual Data Capture Sheet to collect process timings in order to calculate staff capacity savings.
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Process or Activity: Application helpdesk queries
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Date: 1st October
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Description: Time taken to answer a query from an applicant related to the submission of an online application
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Step
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Description
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Time1
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Time2
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Time3
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Time4
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Notes
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1
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Open online query and read contents
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2
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2
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3
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6
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2
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Log query type from drop down menu in system
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1
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1
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1
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1
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3 of the queries were about attaching academic manuscripts, 1 was about a student visa
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3
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Select standard response from drop down menu or write a bespoke response
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1
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1
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1
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10
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4
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Attach guidance document and send response
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1
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1
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1
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1
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Total processing time
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5
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5
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6
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18
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Average processing time= 8.5 minutes
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The average process time in the example above can be multiplied with the total number of helpdesk queries per year to provide an indication of how much time is spent on this activity per year. This can then be combined with the salary information in the Central Costing Reference Tool to present this data as a staff cost.
What does the tool help achieve?
Evidence the improvement
The Manual Data Capture Sheet ensures that improvements can actually be evidenced in scenarios where there are no automated data sources. It avoids you having to rely on anecdotal opinions of those involved in the process or rough estimates to demonstrate the success of the initiative. It also provides an audit trail of how benefits were measured and calculated which can improve the quality of institutional reporting.
Generate stakeholder buy-in
The findings that you can highlight from baseline Manual Data Capture Sheets are extremely effective in demonstrating the need for change and securing stakeholder buy-in. This can be particularly useful with senior stakeholders and process/service owners who may hold strong opinions about what the issues or challenges are. A sample of real data is always more persuasive in these situations than estimates or alternative opinions.
Tips when using the tool
- The Manual Data Capture Sheet should be used when automated data sources are not available yet the benefit is considered significant to the initiative. In these circumstances manual data capture cannot be avoided. Use the guidance in Chapter 4 of the Guide to consider what benefits are most important
- The Manual Data Capture Sheet should be used to collect baseline and post-improvement data. Both are required to be able to calculate the benefit
- A sample of staff time captured using the Manual Data Capture Sheet is very useful in scenarios where many staff work on a process, or a process is repeated a large number of times. The staff capacity savings that can be evidenced from this can be significant