5 Misconceptions about outsourcing image annotation services

As a result of advancements in the field of AI and ML, it is being put to a variety of applications across the wide spectrum of manufacturing and services. More and more companies are going in for it to remain competitive and profitable in the market. Besides, governments of the day are leveraging image annotation services and taking a quantum leap to deliver better governance. In the private sector, it is finding application in a variety of automation & robotization which makes the camera smart and is capable of taking decisions independently.

Companies that plan to deploy image annotation decide to do it in-house by creating the required infrastructure and desired competencies. It can be in the form of acquiring and training manpower. To start such a process, it has its lead-time, and all the expenses incurred towards it add up to the overall cost of production.

This cuts into their profitability and increases their vulnerability to market competition. By the time such infrastructure becomes operational, a lot of time has elapsed and in cut-throat competition, time is money.

The other way is to find a suitable and creditable agency that possesses the required competency for image annotation and will do it at a cheaper cost. The advantage to outsource is that there is no time wasted in doing everything from a scratch.

Read More: 5 Major implementations of image annotation

Misconceptions about outsourcing image annotation services

Some myths occur in the minds of some people regarding outsourcing of image annotation which is listed as under:

Dilution of data security

Companies believe outsourcing image annotation services will compromise their data security & confidentiality. They do not want to share their data in any form with any outside firm. This is a myth because any such company which works on an outsourcing basis enters into a contract. It also covers the confidentiality clause so that during this project, the outsourcing company will not disclose anything of its client’s company details anywhere.

Cost consideration

Another myth for the companies is that image annotation outsourcing will be expensive. This is also not true because if the company does image annotating in-house, then it will have to acquire highly specialized hardware and software which will be able to handle and process big data. Moreover, the company will have to acquire resources through recruitment and training and also ergonomic furniture for efficient working. All this will cost money in acquisition.

Plus, there will be some lead time when such an in-house facility will become operational. The time so lost during the intervening period will also add to the overall operational cost.

So, in every way, outsourcing will be a cheaper option. Such outsourced companies already possess the requisite infrastructure, competency and will be operational without any waste of time.

Language barrier

The language barrier is another myth in the minds of people for outsourcing image annotation services. They think that if such a project is outsourced across national frontiers, the language barrier will hamper it. This is a myth because now, English is a global language such that hardly there is any location in any part of the world where people are not proficient in this language. Therefore, anywhere English-speaking resources are available and practically there are no language barriers as such.

Competency consideration

The competency issue is very big in the minds of the people. They think that their people are more competent to do image annotation as they are in the grips of the issue at hand. However, they forget to realize that image annotation is not simple as it requires special competencies, and to train the existing manpower into such competency will take a lot of time.

On the contrary, if such image annotation services are outsourced, then the service provider already possesses the desired competency. In a very short time, it will start its job for the client and it should not be forgotten that the time saved is money gained.

Concern for accountability

Many people think that if an image annotation project is executed in-house, in case of any quality issue, it can be readily addressed and resolved. To contact the service provider, when such a situation arises, is a problem as companies believe in. It’s a myth because whenever any such big project is undertaken, it is done on a turnkey basis. Only after a successful turnkey operation, it is handed over to the client.

Additionally, the in-house employees are trained in the project and the outsourced company can be contacted over the phone if any problem arises.

Read More: Benefits of using image annotation services in different industries

How outsourcing image annotation services can help companies

Following are some of the benefits of outsourcing image annotation services –

Customized services to the clients

The biggest benefit of outsourcing is that service providers are capable of handling huge data at a faster speed, more efficiently. As they possess a specialized staff of required competency. They can provide various labeling options to the client be it box labeling, line labeling, polygon labeling, etc. They provide customized services to the clients according to their requirements.

Scalability of operations

An outsourced company can scale up or down its operations as per the specific requirements of the client without any hassle. There may be situations when due to business considerations, outsourcing projects have to be scaled up or down.

Assurance of quality work

Building on the above conversation, companies possess those requisite competencies, the quality of work from projects becomes obvious as no client will pay for poor quality. However, for the client to select the most suitable company is not an easy task. A lot of searching, going through customer reviews and past performances have to be done. The company also has to balance its cost versus the quality of work expected from outsourcing.

Read More: Things to consider while outsourcing image annotation services

Takeaways

Rapid progress is being made in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and with it, a vast field of its application has also opened up. Image annotation is one among its wide applications which is being deployed worldwide over for a variety of purposes.

Ranging from getting demographic details of the population by the government, for development of smart locomotion, for the training of athletes, security, etc. As such, there are innumerable areas of its applications. Image annotation requires some specialized skills which are learned over a long time through learning and experience.