How good is Voice recognition software/hardware?

[RichBurley]

3 "secretarial" options:

1.Conventional secretary, analogue dictation
2.Digital dictation via machine that turns speech into text, when plugged into the USB of the PC
3."live" voice recognition directly into the computer.

I'm finding the second option attractive, as a seemingly cost effective way of proceeding; £180 compared with say £16,000 per year for a secretary. The question is, does anyone have experience of voice recognition dictation, and if so, how good or bad is it?

[Plotloss]

Got experience of the high end stuff as used on corporate IVRs

Its very very good but even when tuned to its best level is only around 95% effective and every recognition provides a list of 10 likely candidates which the software is then tuned to return the correct one over time.

The engines used in these type of systems are around £100K though so a secretary looks cheap in comparison!

I'd suggest the 'consumer' level stuff works on the same principal with lower accuracy and less tuning scope.

[bga]

My dad uses viavoice to dictate boat survey reports & is pretty pleased with it. He has taught it most of the technical terms.

He's a complete technophobe so it must be easy to use! I remember him saying it took a few weeks to teach to a satisfactory level but on the flip side he no longer has to pay for a typist.

[TuscNick]

RichBurley said:

3 "secretarial" options:

1.Conventional secretary, analogue dictation
2.Digital dictation via machine that turns speech into text, when plugged into the USB of the PC
3."live" voice recognition directly into the computer.

I'm finding the second option attractive, as a seemingly cost effective way of proceeding; £180 compared with say £16,000 per year for a secretary. The question is, does anyone have experience of voice recognition dictation, and if so, how good or bad is it?

Option 4 - Digital dictation , then send to
www.netscribe-ltd.com
best of both words, a secretary but you only pay for what you say (therefore no 16K pa overhead)

Nick

[RichBurley]

TuscNick said:

RichBurley said:

3 "secretarial" options:

1.Conventional secretary, analogue dictation
2.Digital dictation via machine that turns speech into text, when plugged into the USB of the PC
3."live" voice recognition directly into the computer.

I'm finding the second option attractive, as a seemingly cost effective way of proceeding; £180 compared with say £16,000 per year for a secretary. The question is, does anyone have experience of voice recognition dictation, and if so, how good or bad is it?

Option 4 - Digital dictation , then send to
www.netscribe-ltd.com
best of both words, a secretary but you only pay for what you say (therefore no 16K pa overhead)

Nick

I've got quite a lot to say though (I'm a solicitor, you wouldn't expect anything else!) so outsourcing works out more expensive than employing a secretary on 16k p/a. Just going through considering whether the alternatives are cost effective/efficient, or not.

[barrettabolt]

I've been in this business for about 15 years now, mainly corporate with IVR's and latterly with freaky speech analytics that track peoples' behaviour and Psychological drivers when they call into call centers from their conversation.

There are two main types, speaker independent recognition and speaker dependent. The dependent one is the one that you have to train with your voice and will be far more accurate. Having said that, you will still be doing well to get greater than 85% accuracy once you take into account jargon words and so on. You will get a lower accuracy rate again if you have any background noise or a regional accent.

The real issue with dictation software is that there is no feedback loop, i.e. the machine has no opportunity to ask 'did you say bucket or fu.....'

You should find a number of these packages online that will provide you with a free trial.

[SGirl]

I was using Dragon NaturallySpeaking for translation. Initially it was a bit so-so, but once it was trained up the accuracy was pretty good. And it was easy to correct anything it got wrong.

The only reason I'm using the past tense is because I was too tight to pay for the all-singing, all-dancing version of Dragon, and the lesser versions don't do what I need them to do.

[freddies_dad]

One thing for you to remember is that 85% accuracy is around two words wrong in every 10 dictated words.

Or:

One flower for you to dismember is that 85% accuracy is around bicycle words wrong in hosepipe 10 dictated words.

That has more effect than you'd think IMO.

I tried ViaVoice once, and whilst it was fairly good, you do tend to "write" in an artifical manner. Because the delivery has to be relatively staccato whilst you wait for the words to be recognised and corrected, you find you don't have a "flow" to your words. This might not be an issue in business documents though.

[SGirl]

freddies_dad said:

I tried ViaVoice once, and whilst it was fairly good, you do tend to "write" in an artifical manner. Because the delivery has to be relatively staccato whilst you wait for the words to be recognised and corrected, you find you don't have a "flow" to your words. This might not be an issue in business documents though.

I didn't find that with Dragon at all. I was speaking at a more or less normal pace and it was working fine.

[freddies_dad]

SGirl said:

freddies_dad said:

I tried ViaVoice once, and whilst it was fairly good, you do tend to "write" in an artifical manner. Because the delivery has to be relatively staccato whilst you wait for the words to be recognised and corrected, you find you don't have a "flow" to your words. This might not be an issue in business documents though.

I didn't find that with Dragon at all. I was speaking at a more or less normal pace and it was working fine.

To be fair, this was back in 2000/2001 so computers have sped up a lot since then!

[TuscNick]

RichBurley said:

TuscNick said:

RichBurley said:

3 "secretarial" options:

1.Conventional secretary, analogue dictation
2.Digital dictation via machine that turns speech into text, when plugged into the USB of the PC
3."live" voice recognition directly into the computer.

I'm finding the second option attractive, as a seemingly cost effective way of proceeding; £180 compared with say £16,000 per year for a secretary. The question is, does anyone have experience of voice recognition dictation, and if so, how good or bad is it?

Option 4 - Digital dictation , then send to
www.netscribe-ltd.com
best of both words, a secretary but you only pay for what you say (therefore no 16K pa overhead)

Nick

I've got quite a lot to say though (I'm a solicitor, you wouldn't expect anything else!) so outsourcing works out more expensive than employing a secretary on 16k p/a. Just going through considering whether the alternatives are cost effective/efficient, or not.

Ditto

but if you add up the other overheads, tax, office space outsourcing its a viable option. As a solicitor I find it very useful.


Cheers

Nick

[GreenV8S]

If text entry is the only thing you're after, learn to type? Voice recognition won't produce a formatted letter for you so you're going to need a certain level of keyboard skills anyway if you intend to produce documents yourself.

[gumshoe]

Dragon Naturallyspeaking is what I use, and you have several variations which are more geared to the respective industries/uses. I have been incredibly impressed with the software. Note that the quality of the microphone and background noise are all important, as is the training and your posture while using the mic.

Try it, you'll be impressed, and if you're not, at a couple of hundred odd quid, it's not a big risk!

[RichBurley]

GreenV8S said:

If text entry is the only thing you're after, learn to type? Voice recognition won't produce a formatted letter for you so you're going to need a certain level of keyboard skills anyway if you intend to produce documents yourself.

I can type! just look on PHeads!!! It's just that I work faster and more efficiently for clients if I get someone else to type for me.

@ TuscNick

I've already got the office space; I've already got the payroll team in for other staff, so there aren't that many in the way of extra overhead costs. A further twist has to be the Case Management Software I viewed last week, which reduces the amount of typing further still!

My family law colleague needs admin support, so a secretary is a gimmee for her, but I'm toiling over whether I need specific secretarial support, over and above the receptionist, who will be doing admin work (although she is not a trained touch typist)

Short term digital dictation eoutsourcing might be the answer...

[IRM]

gumshoe said:

Dragon Naturallyspeaking is what I use, and you have several variations which are more geared to the respective industries/uses. I have been incredibly impressed with the software. Note that the quality of the microphone and background noise are all important, as is the training and your posture while using the mic.

Try it, you'll be impressed, and if you're not, at a couple of hundred odd quid, it's not a big risk!

i use that (speaking 9) for technical reports including part 35 expert witness reports which are always full of whaffle

as long as you proof it there are few problems as this reply prooves as i've just dictated it

[freddies_dad]

IRM said:

gumshoe said:

Dragon Naturallyspeaking is what I use, and you have several variations which are more geared to the respective industries/uses. I have been incredibly impressed with the software. Note that the quality of the microphone and background noise are all important, as is the training and your posture while using the mic.

Try it, you'll be impressed, and if you're not, at a couple of hundred odd quid, it's not a big risk!

i use that (speaking 9) for technical reports including part 35 expert witness reports which are always full of whaffle

as long as you proof it there are few problems as this reply prooves as i've just dictated it

I note there's no punctuation nor capitalisation in your post, though...

[IRM]

freddies_dad said:

IRM said:

gumshoe said:

Dragon Naturallyspeaking is what I use, and you have several variations which are more geared to the respective industries/uses. I have been incredibly impressed with the software. Note that the quality of the microphone and background noise are all important, as is the training and your posture while using the mic.

Try it, you'll be impressed, and if you're not, at a couple of hundred odd quid, it's not a big risk!

i use that (speaking 9) for technical reports including part 35 expert witness reports which are always full of whaffle

as long as you proof it there are few problems as this reply prooves as i've just dictated it

I note there's no punctuation nor capitalisation in your post, though...

[TuscNick]

RichBurley said:

GreenV8S said:

If text entry is the only thing you're after, learn to type? Voice recognition won't produce a formatted letter for you so you're going to need a certain level of keyboard skills anyway if you intend to produce documents yourself.

I can type! just look on PHeads!!! It's just that I work faster and more efficiently for clients if I get someone else to type for me.

@ TuscNick

I've already got the office space; I've already got the payroll team in for other staff, so there aren't that many in the way of extra overhead costs. A further twist has to be the Case Management Software I viewed last week, which reduces the amount of typing further still!

My family law colleague needs admin support, so a secretary is a gimmee for her, but I'm toiling over whether I need specific secretarial support, over and above the receptionist, who will be doing admin work (although she is not a trained touch typist)

Short term digital dictation eoutsourcing might be the answer...

Richard

If you have not pitched in with alegal software company yet, I suggest you have a look at the Videss Product, called Videss Legal Office. Very slick, saves us loads of time

Nick

[RichBurley]

TuscNick said:

RichBurley said:

GreenV8S said:

If text entry is the only thing you're after, learn to type? Voice recognition won't produce a formatted letter for you so you're going to need a certain level of keyboard skills anyway if you intend to produce documents yourself.

I can type! just look on PHeads!!! It's just that I work faster and more efficiently for clients if I get someone else to type for me.

@ TuscNick

I've already got the office space; I've already got the payroll team in for other staff, so there aren't that many in the way of extra overhead costs. A further twist has to be the Case Management Software I viewed last week, which reduces the amount of typing further still!

My family law colleague needs admin support, so a secretary is a gimmee for her, but I'm toiling over whether I need specific secretarial support, over and above the receptionist, who will be doing admin work (although she is not a trained touch typist)

Short term digital dictation eoutsourcing might be the answer...

Richard

If you have not pitched in with alegal software company yet, I suggest you have a look at the Videss Product, called Videss Legal Office. Very slick, saves us loads of time

Nick

Very interesting; I met with a nice chap from Perfect Software, a welsh company, based in Bridgend. The major beneit of the Case Management and Accounting was the price; £2,640 for up to 10 users, for both products. Bargain! If slightly not so good as better, more expensive software.