About the Client – US-based Scientific Research Firm
The client is a scientific research company based in the United States, featuring a popular, informative website focusing on compelling articles, videos, images, and other information-rich material about science, nature, health, and environment. With a beautiful website to augment with new images, the client wanted to better organize image-based information in an easily searchable format.
Requirements – Comprehensive Database of Biological Species
With a significant volume of images featuring various plants, animals, and vegetables, the client needed an experienced outsourcing partner who could produce descriptive annotations and a comprehensive database. This large-scale assignment would include approximately 300 different types of images per species, with descriptions that would align with an image matching app developed by the client.
After a detailed conversation with the business development manager at Data Entry Outsourced (DEO), the client decided to outsource the project to us due to the following reasons:
- Ability to assign an appropriate number of experienced resources toward completing this labor-intensive project.
- Prior experience in producing image annotations and tagging, and creating customized databases for enhanced image search and retrieval.
- Ability to accommodate the client's request for delivery of a certain number of completed images per day.
Challenges Faced by DEO
The DEO team faced a few challenges while working on this ornate, large-scale data entry and annotation project:
- Each species needed 300 images from various viewpoints, which either had to be located from an existing source or created from scratch, which was both time consuming and complex.
- DEO had to ensure that all aspects of the process could be completed according to the client's daily delivery schedule, including quality checks for image consistency, which slowed down the procedure.
- Original images created by the DEO team often required additional scientific research and referencing to ensure accuracy throughout all viewpoints.
DEO's Customized Approach to This Project
After a thorough evaluation of the requirements and aligning them with the delivery timelines, DEO's data management team designed a customized process for in-time delivery without compromising on quality front:
- DEO initiated an in-depth consultation with the client, overviewing all project details and providing a preconceived plan for the deliverables.
- A twenty-member team of experienced resources was assembled to research, produce 150 images per day and develop the annotations.
- The client provided input in the form of a list of species, including plants, animals, and vegetables.
- The DEO team conducted thorough research on each species and began collecting the appropriate images.
- DEO compiled 300 variations of each species with high-resolution images in various views.
- Using a biological guideline from credible academic sources, descriptions were assigned to each image in an annotation process that included scientific classifications.
- Before sending the 150 images out each day, DEO completed a rigorous quality control check that was overseen by senior level team members.
- The images were then sent through AWS or hard drive, and the descriptions were delivered via email.
The Results
Data Entry Outsourced was able to complete all elements of this scientific research based assignment successfully, and was also able to extend the following results:
- The image database matched the client's vision for their application, in which image matching and search could be done quickly and easily.
- The client appreciated the DEO team on the accuracy and precision awarded to each biological species, which facilitated the cohesion between their website and the app.
- DEO was pleased to extend the contract to work on another category of species and was able to establish a mutually beneficial cordial business relationship with the valued customer.
