Digital dictation: How it can transform your workflow

Nowadays, a wide variety of recording devices are suitable for digital dictation. From mobile microphones through to fixed office microphones and even mobile phones - there is a solution for every need.

Recordings can encrypted in real time for maximum privacy. The dictation software uploads these to cloud platforms or sends them to the right person using a local network, FTP server, or email. In-house or external transcription services then process these recordings to transcribe the dictation.

Key features

The main elements of a digital dictation solution include:

Quality microphones: Modern digital dictation devices incorporate studio-grade microphones that provide high sound quality. Headset microphones usually provide the best sound quality. However, they are not so practical for people who work on the go. Such people are likely to use an app on their smartphone to stay flexible and mobile.

Achieving the highest possible sound quality is possible using a handheld voice recorder. This is the best chance to avoid as much background noise as possible.

A good example of such a handheld voice recorder is the Philips SpeechMike Dictation Microphone. This wireless-based solution provides studio-quality recording for business professionals on the move. Its 100% lossless speech technology compresses audio files prior to transmission, ensuring that audio quality remains high. It also offers built-in support for speech recognition through a ‘plug and play’ capability - more on this later!

The quality of the recording is key to improving transcription accuracy and speed. This is especially important in legal or healthcare sectors, where the requirement to produce accurate transcriptions is particularly critical.

Workflow integration:  When sending digital files away for transcription, integration with workflow software allows authors to specify priorities and deadlines. It also allows for inter-departmental file sharing and task re-distribution during busy periods. This way, other people can easily take over work if one person is busy or absent. Finally, authors have a clear digital audit trail and completion status of each dictation and transcription at any time.

Enhanced security:  Keeping voice recordings secure is critical, particularly if they contain personal details or other sensitive information. This concern is addressed by encrypting digital recordings at source, providing high levels of immediate security. In addition, cloud-based digital dictation systems use firewalls and access control solutions to keep data secure.

The use of encryption also plays an important role in protecting against lost or stolen devices. Portable voice recorders can be easily lost, misplaced or stolen. Encryption is a valuable tool in protecting against such situations, especially if the device contains commercially sensitive voice recordings.

Cloud-based delivery: Digital dictation software is exceptionally flexible - especially when cloud-based. Such solutions offer users the option to work from home or any other location of their choice. Teams and individuals have constant access to documents and files throughout the creation, approval, distribution and storage of documents.

Adding speech to text

Speech to text software is becoming increasingly popular, as it can make document creation far more efficient and rapid. It can also lower the costs involved in hiring transcriptionists or using external transcription services.

Luckily, many digital dictation solutions now offer a speech recognition add-on. These seamlessly add speech to text capabilities as and when a business requires it.

Here's just a few of the benefits offered by speech to text software:

• Reduce repetitive tasks: Users can fill out forms automatically just using their voice. Doing so takes much less time than manually doing it by hand. This frees up professionals to focus on other things, such as clients, patients or other aspects of the business.
• Make document workflows easier: Mobile workers can capture information while on the move. They can then send the secure file to the office for review or transcription. This dramatically reduces turnround time as professionals don't need to limit working time to their desks.
• Enhance collaboration: Colleagues can easily share documents among teams and partners for collaborative working, updating or editing.

Flexibility moving forward

Many organizations base their document creation processes around digital dictation and are already achieving higher efficiency and cost savings. Others start by using such solutions and then decide that speech to text would offer significant advantages. What truly matters is knowing that speech recognition capabilities are available and ready to speed up your digital dictation workflow.

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