e-Newsletters: The Outsource: Work Smarter Every Day - March 2009

Over the Digital Rainbow

What if you could have anytime/anywhere access to your documents without spending a cent on IT personnel, additional hardware or software? You can; and you don't need to travel to Oz.

The paperless office is closer than you think. And Brown & Meyers' certified document imaging specialists can make the transition as painless as possible. I recently received my CDIA+ certification (Certified Document Imaging Architect) and I am out to convert. This is not about sustainability, although the environmental benefits are huge. This is about your bottom line.

The savings in time, space and expense are enormous; outpacing the initial investment in as little as one month's time. Going digital also helps you meet HIPAA and other compliance standards. And if you take advantage of our online hosting portal, you get a built-in backup plan.

I predict that in five years, digital will be the norm. In a decade fax machines will be as obsolete as typewriters. Don't just dream about the digital office over the rainbow. Take the journey. And if you need a good witch to help; just call me Glinda.

The Virtual Think Pad

Transcription has come a long way from the days of the Dictaphone. Trademarked in 1907, the original Dictaphone recorded the speaker's words onto a wax cylinder, similar to the musical recordings of the day. Fast forward one hundred years to Web-based dictation/transcription.

Now you can voice your thoughts as they come to you. Just pick up any touch-tone telephone, dial a toll-free number and start talking. In 24 hours or less you can access your transcription from a secure website. If you're not bound by HIPAA or other compliance laws, you can receive your transcription via e-mail. It's so convenient and cost-effective that it's edging out voice recognition software and becoming the virtual think pad of choice.

Voice recognition is a novel idea and in an ideal world we would all be more productive for it. But in reality a significant investment of time is required to "train" the software and even then, results can be spotty. The end product nearly always requires editing. Whereas Web-based dictation/transcription is virtually 100% accurate. And it doesn't tie you to your computer.

Healthcare practices were the early adopters of Web-based transcription, followed by traditional business users. But today, more and more non-traditional users are capturing their thoughts this way. Insurance companies, lawyers, police and fire departments, appraisers, professors and private investigators are grabbing their phones to take notes. And many authors are dialing in when the muse strikes too.

Whatever business you're in, you might want to add the virtual think pad to your multi-tasking tool kit. Now, whenever you get a bright idea, you can just phone it in.

Company News

Brown & Meyers Sales Representative Receives CDIA+ Certification
Rich Coyne joined Brown & Meyers on January first and received his CDIA+ certification shortly thereafter. Rich will work with B&M clients to assess their work processes and help them in the transition to a paperless office.

New Website Launched
We are excited about our dynamic new website and invite your comments.

Tell us what you think of our new e-newsletter. We welcome your questions and comments. If you have any requests for future articles, feel free to forward them to us. We'd also love to hear your favorite efficiency tips for getting more done in less time.