For busy lawyers and legal firms, or medical practices, the relentless flow of correspondence can at times stymie the flow of matters, and the efficiency of your office, causing frustration and angst for yourself and clients.

Deciding which transcription service is best for you can be difficult and confusing but it’s worth taking the time to find the right transcription service. We have many clients who over the years have changed roles, organisations and even sectors yet continue to use us, so a little time investment up front pays off well into the future.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that the world is a small planet of connected individuals. Not big corporations, bureaucracies and movers and shakers, but people, families and friends who are connected via relationships. Technology and online platforms have allowed people to connect, if not in body, at least in spirit.

The transcription industry is evolving and speech-to-text technology is improving all the time. In some instances the result can be quite good - in some instances. Online providers offering a cheap automated speech-to-text service also can produce decent results, but again, in some instances. Differing audio quality, speech patterns and accents all weigh heavily in whether the transcript that is produced is useable or not. I’m not sure what it is about the Australian accent but often the results can be hilarious!

OutScribe Transcription Services is well placed to support your organisation in its business continuity efforts and should be a key service partner considered when reviewing your Business Continuity Plans. OutScribe has a well dispersed contractor base who work from home, are set up and ready to further support your organisation meet the demands of a diminished or stretched workforce. We can assist with transcribing dictation and notes of interviews, creating minutes of meetings from recordings and copy type your handwritten notes. We could even work with you to have minute takers join in teleconferences if that is what you need. If you have any requests for how OutScribe can assist your organisation through this challenging period then please contact us to discuss your requirements.

There’s one question we consistently get asked and that’s, “what recorder do you recommend?” The answer we always give is that you and your recording technique are far more crucial to the quality of the final transcript than the actual recording device.

Even though we're a little tired of talking about the ATO we feel we need to keep clients informed. In March of this year we reported that the Australian Taxation Office had committed to close our audit case and confirm that we are compliant with a contractor model. We were later surprised by the ATO’s intention to launch a second audit to investigate our business model again, and investigate contractors and clients. Needless to say, we were strident in our objection, to put it mildly.

I would like to think that I’m not alone in my reticence to use a cliché or flog an already tired out phrase. Yet here I am trying to put together a sentence which adequately conveys the message that OutScribe is moving forward, looking ahead and planning for the future without using the phrases moving forward, looking ahead and planning for the future. So, let’s just run with it and wring the last vestige of meaning out of them.

You've managed to set up an interview time with that person who will propel your research forward. Your questions have been fnalised and you've checked your recorder and ensured it's fully charged. All set? Well nearly. You need a central meeting location and you want to impress this important participant. I get that. But I can see that you're Googling for a CBD cafe that has good coffee reviews. Take your hands off the keyboard and step back. Trust me, you'll end up being very thankful you did.

Well it’s not because we’re the cheapest provider. We don’t believe that cutting rates, and thereby quality, makes good business sense. We like to think that our clients stick around because they can trust that they’re going to receive a quality transcript on time, every time.