Question

In Petaluma, California, electric power is provided to consumers by Pacific Power. Each month Pacific Power mails bills to 86,000 households and then processes payments as they are received. What is the best way for this business to ensure that payment data entry is efficient and accurate?

A) well-designed paper forms
B) source data automation
C) turnaround documents
D) sequentially numbered bills

Answer 1

The most efficient and accurate method for Pacific Power to handle payment data entry for large-scale billing is through source data automation, which reduces human error and increases efficiency compared to other methods.

Option B, Source data automation is correct

Step-by-step explanation:

To ensure that payment data entry is efficient and accurate for Pacific Power's billing to 86,000 households, the best method would be source data automation. This method typically involves the use of specialized equipment and software to capture and enter data into the computer system directly from the source document. This can be achieved through technologies such as electronic scanning of billing information or automatic reading of meter data.

Traditional means, such as well-designed paper forms, could still be prone to human error during manual data entry. Turnaround documents are typically used when information is sent to the customer, who can then use that document to return information to the company; however, this method may not be as efficient. Sequentially numbered bills are great for tracking and organization, but they don't ensure efficient and error-free entry of payment data.