Unlike the change over to digital TV, you do have a choice whether to convert to digital dictation. However, check out the benefits to help you decide:-

Advantages:-

• Digital offers higher quality voice recording and optimum playback through professional .dss standard. Excellent sound quality means less opportunity for errors. There is no degradation over time like using audio tapes.

• Digital devices are small and lightweight.

• The capacity for recording is virtually unlimited via memory cards.

• Easy editing, insertion and annotation capabilities. Digital dictation job access is as instantaneous as it is to skip from one voice mail message to the next. For the author or transcriptionist to rapidly locate dictations on tapes they must rewind or fast-forward the tape; a slow and imprecise process.

• If requirements demand it, digital recording time can exceed 100 hours per card. Recording capacity is limited with tapes. The longer the tape recording time  the thinner the tape becomes, increasing the possibility of it weakening or breaking during a critical dictation.

• Facility to prioritize, ID, time stamp or catalogue dictations.

• Ability to email dictations from anywhere to everywhere in the world.

• Digital files can be safely and easily stored on a hard drive, making archiving and retrieval simple. Tapes must be stored, creating storage space issues and increasing the possibility of tapes becoming lost or damaged.

Time-saving:-

• Digital dictation saves time in that it can be sent from any computer direct to the recipient. Distributing digital work to a transcriptionist is as easy as forwarding an e-mail file and dramatically reduces turnaround time. Distributing dictation tapes among transcriptionists is a manual process and dependent on the physical transport of the tape.

• Urgent letters can be dictated and typed immediately without having to wait to receive an audio tape which increases turnaround time and increasing the possibility of lost of damaged tapes.

• Letters can be sorted as urgent or routine as needed.

Simple to use:-

• Digital dictation is very easy to use. It is very similar to an ordinary dictation machine that you use for audio. The only differences are that it is much clearer and also when finished you have to upload the dictation to your computer which is really easy to do.

• Simply plug-in the lead supplied, one end to your computer and the other to the dictation machine. You can save the file to your computer first if required or simply send by email to your secretary and that’s it.

• Then, when typed the letters can be sent through by email if required or simply printed ready for signature or emailed direct to addressee.

Not convinced yet, ask anyone who now uses digital rather than audio. I am sure they will convince you of the benefits of digital vs audio dictation.

There really is no reason for delaying a change to digital dictation. It is inexpensive, easy to install and the training time required is minimal. Moreover, the technology is tried and tested and it brings with it benefits for both you and your secretary in terms of both clarity of sound and also flexibility of working. Urgent documents can be dictated, sent and delivered on the same day.

What are you waiting for!