Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Entry Clerk

🎯 Role Definition

The Entry Clerk is an operational front-line role responsible for capturing, validating and maintaining transactional and administrative data to support business operations. Typical duties include entering invoices, customer records, shipment logs and inventory counts into internal systems; scanning and indexing documents; reconciling simple discrepancies; and producing routine reports. Successful Entry Clerks are accurate, process-oriented, reliable and comfortable working with spreadsheets, databases and document management systems while following data quality and confidentiality standards.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Seasonal or temporary data entry positions
Receptionist or front-desk administrator
Customer service representative

Advancement To:

Data Entry Specialist / Senior Data Entry Clerk
Records or Document Control Specialist
Billing / Accounts Payable Clerk
Administrative Assistant or Office Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

Customer Service Representative
Inventory Control Clerk
Shipping & Receiving Clerk

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Accurately enter high volumes of alphanumeric and numeric data (invoices, orders, purchase requisitions, customer and supplier records) into enterprise systems (ERP/CRM/spreadsheets) within established throughput and quality targets.
Verify source documents for completeness and correctness, correct obvious errors, flag discrepancies for supervisor review, and update records to reflect resolved issues to maintain data integrity.
Perform routine reconciliation of data between paper documents, emails, and electronic records (e.g., match purchase orders to invoices, validate shipment manifests against entries) and document reconciliation results.
Scan, index and attach supporting documentation to electronic records using document imaging software and maintain an organized digital filing structure for quick retrieval.
Maintain and update customer and vendor master files (contact details, billing addresses, tax identifiers) according to company procedures, and follow change-control steps for updates.
Process incoming mail and electronic submissions, extract required data, and route documents to the appropriate teams after entry while logging receipt and disposition.
Input and process time-sensitive financial data such as receipts, payments and expense items for basic accounts processes, ensuring correct coding and approval workflow routing.
Validate numerical entries (quantities, prices, totals) and perform basic arithmetic checks; escalate exceptions and prepare adjustment notes or correction requests where required.
Run daily, weekly and monthly data quality and completeness checks; create and deliver routine status reports that highlight missing records, exceptions and throughput metrics.
Follow defined SOPs and security protocols when handling sensitive records (PII, financial data, patient records), maintaining confidentiality and adhering to data protection policies.
Maintain accurate and auditable logs of transactions, corrections and adjustments, ensuring traceability for internal audits and external compliance reviews.
Operate office equipment (printers, scanners, postage meters) and maintain consumables and equipment logs; escalate service issues when necessary to minimize downtime.
Use spreadsheet functions (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, filters, basic pivot tables) to cleanse, sort and prepare datasets for downstream teams and supervisors.
Perform barcode scanning and barcode data entry for inventory receipts, transfers and returns; reconcile scanned counts to physical counts and report discrepancies.
Assist with month-end closing tasks that require data aggregation, verification of outstanding entries and handoff to accounting or finance teams.
Communicate with internal stakeholders and external contacts to clarify missing or inconsistent information; document communications and outcomes in the record system.
Prepare and pack documents for records retention, archival or secure disposal according to retention schedules and regulatory requirements.
Support ad-hoc data extraction and simple report generation requests (CSV, XLSX, PDF) for business users; ensure exports are accurate and sanitized of confidential fields.
Participate in continuous improvement by documenting recurring data issues and suggesting process changes to reduce error rates and improve cycle time.
Complete mandatory training on data security, quality control and system usage; maintain up-to-date knowledge of process changes and system updates.
Follow health and safety, confidentiality and company conduct policies while working at a desk, in records rooms or on the shipping/receiving floor.

Secondary Functions

Assist teams (accounts payable, sales support, warehouse) by preparing and delivering supplemental spreadsheets, reconciliations or file extracts as requested.
Support internal and external audits by gathering requested documentation, verifying entries and supplying reconciliation notes or queries.
Participate in cross-training to cover other clerical desks (reception, shipping/receiving or billing) during peak periods or staff shortages.
Update and maintain process checklists and quick-reference guides to ensure consistent execution by all clerical team members.
Provide basic customer-facing support (phone or email) to resolve straightforward status inquiries or route complex issues to appropriate subject matter experts.
Monitor inboxes and shared queues for incoming data submissions and prioritize entries according to urgency and SLA rules.
Coordinate with IT to report system anomalies, data synchronization issues or perform basic troubleshooting for user-level problems.
Assist in preparing physical or electronic bundles of documents for legal review or compliance requests.
Help prepare training materials and onboarding checklists for new clerical hires as part of knowledge transfer and team growth.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Fast and accurate typing skills (typical expectations: 40–70 WPM with high accuracy).
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (sorting, filtering, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic pivot tables) and Google Sheets.
Comfortable using enterprise systems: common CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot), ERPs (SAP, Oracle NetSuite), or proprietary databases.
Familiarity with document imaging/scanning systems and OCR tools for converting paper to searchable electronic records.
Experience with file naming conventions, indexing and digital records management systems.
Basic accounts payable/receivable knowledge (invoice processing, PO matching) and understanding of common financial document types.
Ability to prepare, export and manipulate CSV/XLSX files for data exchange.
Experience with barcode scanners, inventory counting devices and simple warehouse data capture tools.
Knowledge of data quality best practices: validation checks, deduplication and error logging.
Comfortable with secure handling of personally identifiable information and following data protection/regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA awareness where applicable).
Basic familiarity with email clients, shared drives (OneDrive/Google Drive) and standard office productivity tools.
Experience with standard operating procedures, checklists and audit trail documentation.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and a demonstrated track record of accuracy in repetitive tasks.
Strong time management and ability to prioritize high-volume workloads under tight deadlines.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for documenting discrepancies and interacting with internal/external contacts.
Dependability and strong work ethic; punctual and able to meet SLAs consistently.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to escalate appropriately and propose corrective actions.
Patience and persistence when working through complex or incomplete records.
Team player who can collaborate with multiple departments and adapt to shift or workload changes.
Discretion and professionalism when handling confidential or sensitive information.
Adaptability to learn new systems, processes and tools quickly.
Customer service orientation when responding to inquiries and resolving straightforward issues.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or certification in Business Administration, Office Technology, Records Management, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Accounting or Finance
Office Administration
Records Management / Information Management
Logistics or Supply Chain (for inventory-focused roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0–2 years for entry-level positions (may accept internships, temp assignments or volunteer experience involving data capture).

Preferred:

1–3 years of clerical, data entry, records or administrative experience in a corporate, healthcare, logistics or financial environment.
Prior experience using spreadsheets, CRMs/ERPs, and document imaging systems is a strong plus.