We’ve got Digital! Where are our savings?

21 July 2008

As the gradual withdrawal of analogue dictation support forces legal practices to adopt digital dictation software, many practice managers are left not realising the anticipated benefits. However, outsourced transcription provider Voicepath tells us it is all a question of looking for the added value that you can get from your system.

Adopting a digital dictation system (DDS) often comes with the glittering promise of cost savings from reduced overheads and a more efficient workflow. However, the reality emerging is that many practices have simply replaced their analogue system with the new digital system like for like and the opportunity to make their working practices commercially astute is missed. 

Jan Durant, Head of IT, Lewis Silkin, remarks: ““We were one of the first law firms to adopt and roll out digital dictation and in reality at that time it was simply more cost effective for us to ‘go digital’ than buy replacement analogue kit.  Initially our users were wary of it, purely because they were the first to try it, and tended to use it in the same way as they had the old analogue system. “

Over recent years a dramatic improvement has been seen in the ways in which authors can deliver dictation; now no-one wants to return to the days of lost or broken cassettes.

Jan continues: “Digital dictation has been fully ingrained in the firm for a number of years - our BigHand system is our de facto standard - and has far surpassed its initial brief.  For example, fee earners can work remotely using either their Blackberrys or dictating remotely via Citrix and their dictations are available for transcription immediately.  In fact many significant benefits can come about by integrating DD’s workflow capabilities with other technologies and services.”

However, dictation delivery is only one part of the whole process.  Irrespective of how it arrives at its destination a dictation still needs to be transcribed.    

Whereas the analogue tape was typically retained by the same secretary, a digital workflow system dictation can be pooled to multiple typists, regardless of location, and varying workload levels shared.  In theory, this should remove the need for temps during busy periods, smooth workflow and remove backlogs.  However in reality many firms aren’t achieving these benefits because they don’t proactively manage the dictation and subsequent transcription workflow.  A DDS may well have the ability to do this but can’t do so alone.

Nottingham based firm Nelsons is one firm that has looked beyond the simple adoption of digital dictation as an internal workflow tool to the transcription aspect of the process.  Evaluating the data their nFlow database held made it realise it could significantly add value, and achieve greater cost savings, by taking digital dictation one step further and outsourcing dictation to an external company for transcription.

Robin Easom, Head of IT at Nelsons comments: “With DDS in place, fee earners and support staff can work far more flexibly.  As dictation files are discrete and more effectively distributed than tapes it allowed us to eliminate transcription backlogs. “

Tim Hastings, Nelsons’ CEO adds: “We built this into our ongoing efficiency and staff de-duplication drive.  This then allowed us to ‘think twice’ before replacing any secretaries leaving the firm; instead, sharing their organisational tasks among remaining staff. Realising this would create situations where surplus work arose, lead to us initiating our relationship with transcription provider, Voicepath.”

In order for a firm to fully benefit commercially, the technology needs to be utilised in such a way that it backs up a well defined management process.  If done correctly, it’s invaluable in enabling firms to break the traditional tape-style workflows and more effectively support a firm’s fee earners. 

These systems offer a wealth of data that can highlight key issues and opportunities within a working practice. The underlying databases can evaluate information such as which typists are performing the best, which departments or partners produce the most dictation and which months produce the most dictation and therefore use the most resource. Unfortunately, these reporting tools are often ignored but they are vital in giving those responsible for maximising support staff efficiency the information they need.  If, like Nelsons, they are used sensibly, a practice can streamline their internal typing resources and potentially outsource transcription at specific times or by specific departments that may not justify a full time post.  As a result, transcription becomes a variable rather than a fixed cost – something all firms must be considering in this current economic climate.

The increasing adoption of  case, practice and document management systems also means that digitally transcribed documents can be linked to specific cases electronically rather than uploading them at a later date manually and removes the need for ‘cutting & pasting”. In-system typing, where the outsourced transcription provider types directly into a firm’s document or case management system, is becoming increasingly popular and is another example of how technologies can be developed so firms can get more out of their investment.  Importantly, firms gain commercially because they’re using an external provider yet they have the added security of dictation files not leaving their networks, and, at a user level the working practice more closely mirroring their internal one.

Richard Bate, General Manager of Voicepath concludes: “Many customers approach us feeling frustrated at the lack of savings and efficiencies they are experiencing with digital dictation. The responsibility of exploiting such savings seems to lie somewhere between IT, HR and the legal practitioners themselves. Without specific ownership the benefits may never be uncovered. We work with our clients to create bespoke transcription solutions that also add value to existing case and document management systems. If approached with a commercial view rather than simply following the trend towards digital, the anticipated cost savings whilst enhancing fee earner support really can be a reality.”