Case study

Switch to digital dictationdrives productivityThe switch from analog dictation to Philips digital voice technology increases porductivity and efficiency

Dictation solutions

Wayne Picard, an adjuster with SCS Insurance Adjusters, a five-office independent personal and commercial insurance adjustment firm in Northwest Ontario, Canada, has leveraged dictation to maintain his high productivity for decades. Picard, however, didn’t realize how much more efficient he could have been until he switched from analog to Philips digital voice technology two years ago.

Digital dictation with Philips recorders has helped decrease the turnaround time while helping us work more efficiently.”Wayne Picard Adjuster, SCS Insurance Adjusters

“Digital dictation is something I only dreamed about in the past, but now it’s finally a reality for us,” Picard says. “I use it everyday, all day. It’s just a vital part of being an insurance adjuster.”

Picard and the two other adjusters in his office who adopted Philips Pocket Memos voice recorders are relieved that the hours of searching for, managing and storing analog cassettes are over. Now, instead of waiting until they return to the office, which could be as far as 200 miles away from the location of the loss, to deliver recordings to their transcriptionists, adjusters simply email the files to them to create letters, reports and other documents for the 20 to 50 claims that Picard and his colleagues investigate per month.

“Our clients rely on us for timely reporting, so we’re always interested in anything we can do to decrease our turnaround time,” Picard says. “Digital dictation with Philips recorders has helped decrease that turnaround time while helping us work more efficiently.”

Meeting the mobile demands Picard’s office’s territory in Thunder Bay, Ontario covers the North West of the Province. A sparsely populated landscape of small towns and mining or forestry operations, requiring him to travel to the scene of an insurance claim by car, airplane including float and ski planes, or even snowmobile or helicopter.

In the late 1970s, Picard wasn’t lucky enough to have a handheld recorder at the scene of these claims, but rather needed to return to the office to use a large dictation machine. As this equipment grew more expensive to repair and replace, the firm transitioned to handheld analog tape recorders. The devices offered mobility, but cassette labeling, delivery to the transcriptionists and long-term storage was time consuming and inconvenient. Analog cassettes were also becoming more expensive and difficult to procure, which prompted Picard to start investigating dictation alternatives.

The factsCustomer

SCS Adjusters Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, www.scsadjusters.com

Philips solution

Philips Pocket Memo voice recorder 8000

“I kept hearing from attorneys we worked with about how great digital dictation was and how much easier it was to manage the recordings,” he said. “I realized it was finally time to switch.”

Easily switching from analog to digitalPicard inquired about digital dictation with his voice technology vendor, Edi-Cord Word Processing Systems Ltd., who recommended Philips Pocket Memo digital recorders.

Although similar in operation to a handheld analog recorder, the Pocket Memo’s technological superiority far exceeds any analog device, as well as the digital recorders of its competitors. For Picard, ease of use was the most immediate benefit, particularly the ergonomic slide switch, which is designed for singlehanded operation of all recording and playback functions.

“I tend to edit a lot when I dictate, which is much easier with the slide switch,” Picard says. “It’s durable, but responsive, so I can move back and forth though the recording very easily.”

Unsurpassed sound qualityWith most investigations requiring policyholder and/or witness interviews, often in a group setting, audio clarity is crucial for transcriptionists as well as other parties who listen to the recordings, such as insurance carriers or attorneys.

Philips Pocket Memo’s breakthrough 3D Mic technology offers recording clarity and functionality that would be impossible with handheld analog tape recorders. The 3D Mic technology features an omnidirectional microphone offering 360-degree sound pick-up, ideal for recording multiple sound sources such as group interviews, and a unidirectional microphone optimized for Picard’s dictations. In addition, the Pocket Memo contains a built-in motion sensor that detects when the device is placed on a desk or held in the hand and selects the appropriate microphone for the recording situation.

“The sound quality is superior to analog tape,” Picard says. “Even with a conference, our transcriptionists can clearly discern each individual speaker, which means we don’t have to keep repeating our name during recordings.”

File security and extended battery lifeThe Pocket Memo also offers security and battery life features unique to digital voice technology. Users can encrypt recordings in real time using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES or Rijndael Algorithm) with a key length of 256 bits, while the device itself can be assigned a PIN code to protect against unauthorized use or file playback.

The high-capacity Li-ion battery, which offers up to 30 hours of recording time, can

be easily charged through a standard micro USB jack. To conserve that battery power, the device adjusts the brightness of the display and switches automatically into stand-by mode when the device is idle, ensuring that the recorder is always ready when Picard needs it.

“Our adjusters have been very pleased with the Philips Pocket Memos. It has made managing recordings easier, helped us respond quickly to client needs because turnaround time is faster, and it has eliminated the costs associated with maintaining analog devices,” Picard says. “We’re recommending them to our other offices, and friends in the industry, because we’re sure they’ll appreciate much better digital is over analog.”

Diane Savor, adjustor

www.philips.com/dictation

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