“Speech recognition? Oh no, I don’t need it. I wouldn’t use it” – if only we had a pound for every time we heard that one!
The truth is that most people can benefit from using speech recognition software.
To prove it, we’ve put together just some of the things that speech recognition can be used for. Take a look…
Creating Documentation
This is the most common use of speech recognition.
Dictating such large bodies of text with speech-to-text software means the user can create one hundred and sixty words per minute – which makes it three times faster than typing!
Are you having trouble working through that pile on your desk?
Of course, the majority of professions require staff to write large documents.
This can vary anything from lawyers, doctors, police, carers, estate agents and accountants.
The majority of our client base falls under these categories, i.e. the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Ofsted and the NHS – which of course have a vast amount of documentation to type up.
Voice technology assists these users in completing these reports in a timely, detailed and professional manner.
Sending and Replying to Emails
Whilst many think composing and replying to emails takes a few minutes and doesn’t take up a lot of time, we’re asking how many emails you send a day. 10? 50? 100?
Let’s take 50 emails as an example, and allocate two minutes per email – that equates to 1 hour and 40 minutes every day just replying to emails!
Speech-to-text software allows you to yet again create words faster than typing; but also allows you to insert pre-made templates.
For example, a doctor could insert a template such as:
‘Dear (insert patient name),
We are writing to inform you of the results of your recent blood test. The results depicted that (insert findings). As a result, we would like to invite you to the surgery to discuss this further.
Please contact us at 0178 658 954 to arrange your appointment time.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Smith’
This template could be entered automatically via one simple command, i.e. ‘insert blood result template’.
As you can imagine, this saves an incredible amount of time as opposed to typing it out, let alone composing the email numerous times for several patients.
Writing Novels and Scholarly work
As authors are creating a vast amount of text, speech recognition is excellently suited to them.
As well as providing new-found speed, speech-to-text software also encourages creative thought flow. Gone are the days of rushing to get your creative ideas down on the page before you forget them.
Speech technology not only captures thought processes as they occur but it also encourages them via the act of talking.
Our client, Sandra used Dragon to write her published novel: The Destruction of Innocence. Read her experience with Dragon here.
Assistive Technology
Speech-to-text software is also used as assistive technology. We have clients with disabilities or physical impairments such as multiple sclerosis.
They use the software in its most common form (creating documents) but also to operate their computer.
Speech recognition is able to complete various PC control commands such as open applications, alter font size and use search engines.
For those with physical restrictions, Dragon is incredibly useful and provides empowerment and independence.
Leisure/Consumer Activities
As I’m sure many of you have realised, speech recognition is becoming more and more mainstream and finding its way into our daily lives.
Alexa is a great example of this. Now able to search the internet, play music and set reminders, it is becoming extremely popular.
In fact, the average user spends 18 minutes a month interacting with the device (Gartner).
With speech recognition becoming mass-market, and 40% of adults use voice search once a day, who knows what it will be able to do next?
58% of Alexa users are even creating their weekly shopping list via the software! (The StartUp).
Not to mention, speech recognition is being installed in various locations, including cars and houses. Artificial intelligence is allowing speech recognition to control your car and turn on your lights.
Out With The Old and in With The New
So, it would seem that the judgement that only legal professionals seems a little dated.
As you can see, speech recognition is extremely versatile and beginning to be deployed in various ways – including leisurely.
Not only is it practical, but it is also helpful and easy to use; Com Score even anticipates that 50% of all searches will be voice-activated by 2020.
Therefore we’re asking you, do you send numerous emails a day? Are you sick of spending hours typing up reports? Do you experience writer’s block whilst writing a novel? Do you just want to be up-to-date with the latest trends? Then consider speech recognition.
