The firm recently embarked on a BigHand Speech Recognition project which firstly resulted in the adoption of an off-the-shelf product, installed onto user desktops, and used to dictate straight into a Word document.

The firm identified that improvements could be made to the technology and the user experience.

Alastair Woodward, IT Manager at Actons, says of the solution's implementation: “The project was handled in an efficient and professional way. BigHand’s approach to project management has always been very thorough, and this successful project outcome is clear testament to how well this approach works. As for BigHand Speech Recognition, this was delivered very quickly with our Account Manager ensuring we had our licences on the same day we signed for them. I can honestly say BigHand are the best supplier I have worked with for technical implementations.”

The firm rolled out BigHand Speech Recognition to a pilot number of 10 users to start with, helping to ensure user adoption was successful. They received positive feedback straight away and have purchased a further 10 licenses as a result.

Alastair adds: “In some teams, we have a fairly typical structure of 1-2 lawyers to one secretary. With the help of BigHand we are hoping to increase efficiency across the firm as the Secretary role continues to evolve and we better utilise their often significant experience.’

The firm benefits from the additional functionality in the Hub that supports Speech Recognition. Alastair explains: “The layout of the Hub makes it easier for our Secretaries to use, along with clearer audio quality, the ability to play dictations back in ‘karaoke’ style, and editing the transcribed text within BigHand without having to open another application. All this helps us save time, especially with 92% of the dictations being returned from the server within two minutes. This means that document turnaround times have improved greatly, which in turn improves the service we provide to our clients.”

Looking to the future, the firm will be embracing technology to support other changes. This includes the further roll-out of BigHand Speech Recognition to other departments, and the implementation of a new document management system.