businessinfomag.uk
magazine
26
The process of recording audio, typing
it up and making sure it ends up in
the right place can be unnecessarily
laborious and time consuming.
Dictation workflow software makes
the process easier, linking authors and
transcriptionists so that recordings
and written documents are shared
instantly with the right person for
faster turnaround times.
A survey by Nuance Communications
found that 50% or more of a
doctor’s time is spent on clinical
documentation, with almost an hour
a day spent searching for information.
Dictation workflow software can make
documentation processes easier and
more efficient.
And it’s not just doctors who benefit.
Dictation workflow software is used
by a variety of businesses, including
law firms, surveyors, accountancy
firms, medical practices, non-profit
organisations, local councils and more.
In the words of James Morriss, head of
sales and marketing at Lexacom, “the
software is useful to anyone who needs
to create documents, in a consistently
efficient way”.
But why can’t files just be emailed?
For Morriss, it’s all about security and
traceability. “Whilst it is possible to
email files between users, many of the
key benefits are simply lost. Specifically,
it will be difficult to ensure security of
the files, as there is nothing to prevent
a user from incorrectly emailing a file or
forwarding a file elsewhere,” he said.
Maxine Park, co-founder of
transcription services provider
DictateNow, adds that specialist
software also provides an effective way
to share work between different typists,
secretarial pools and outsource providers.
DictateNow has a team of secretaries
available to type up customers’ sound
files, effectively acting as a remote
extension of a firm’s in-house team.
Georgina Pavelin, marketing manager
at Olympus, also cites security and
collaboration as key benefits, adding
that dictation workflow software gives
improved visibility of workload, for
example by enabling a group of typists
to view live updates on the progress of
dictation jobs.
Going digital
The market for dictation workflow
software continues to grow as more
firms make the switch from analogue
tapes to digital voice files, driven in part,
says Morriss, by the greater affordability
of digital solutions.
“Many users of tape-based dictation
have been reluctant to change to a
digital format because of the initial costs
involved. As tape players and associated
consumables have risen in price
significantly over the last few years, the
gap between maintaining an old system
and replacing it with a digital system has
continued to reduce,” he said.
“We are seeing a tipping point,
with many users of analogue systems
now compelled to make the change. In
addition to this, many early adopters of
digital technology are reviewing their
needs and upgrading to systems that
support more advanced features, such
as smartphone support and speech
recognition.”
Tayla Ansell explains what businesses should look for when choosing
a digital dictation workflow solution
Finding your ideal type
Park points out that cloud solutions
can help minimise the level of
investment needed. She said: “Being able
to have a hosted system – SaaS – means
there is no need for expensive servers.
Also, advances in technology have seen
improvements to the quality of sound
files and ease of use. Dedicated apps
are available for use on mobile devices,
which means people can dictate on the
go, anywhere, at any time, without the
need for expensive dictation devices.”
Pavelin adds that the broader
need to make better use of stretched
resources by increasing efficiency and
productivity is also expanding the market
for dictation workflow software that
can reduce the time it takes to create
documents and free up staff to spend
more time on other tasks.
Straight talk
With so many solutions to choose from,
where should one start?
For Morriss, simplicity is the key: “It
is often easy to forget the reason for
dictating documents in the first place,
which is to reduce the burden on the
professional. There are many systems
out there that are complex and difficult
to use. People should consider a solution
that is clear, simple and intuitive for the
professional (the most expensive part of
the process), whilst maintaining a high
degree of customisation and flexibility,”
he said.
Pavelin highlights the importance
of trying out a solution first: “Trials are
beneficial as they can highlight any
potential issues, such as tech requirements
and capabilities. If anyone would like
to discuss dictation workflow, Olympus
offers demonstrations and information to
help choose the right solution.”
For businesses interested in
outsourcing the transcription of their
sound files, Park highlights security as a
key consideration. She said: “It is always
best to choose a dictation company
which is compliant with the ICO. The
company should have UK-based servers
with outsource provision based in the
UK and should be aware of the changes
being imposed by the GDPR that come
into effect in 2018 with regard to data
processing.”
DICTATION SOFTWARE
