Transcription outsourcing is very useful in a great number of projects. When acquiring this service, however, there are some things to remember. Spending time editing and formatting transcriptions that have already been received, for example, is certainly inconvenient. When acquiring a transcription outsourcing service, we should strive to get first-rate, finished transcriptions, among other things. Let’s take a look.
Standard Vs Add-Ons in Transcription Outsourcing
A crucial question that should be solved from the start is the question of a standard transcription vs add-ons. Here’s the thing, it’s quite possible to acquire a transcription with all the different add-ons from the very beginning. Conversely, though, there are a lot of transcription services that will charge a client for every single add-on. This, evidently, can be very problematic and costly.
Let’s try to be a bit more specific. There are a number of features that a transcription outsourcing project should usually include. These include things like:
Formatting:
A transcription may not be the end result that a client needs. In fact, such a client may need a carefully formatted transcription that will fit the project or content that they’re crafting.
Proofreading:
Transcriptions sometimes do require proofreading. Occasionally, a transcription will have to be natural, including all sorts of errors in the original content or speech. There will be other times, though, when proofreading is going to be required. The process may be something like (i) transcribe first and (ii) proofread the transcription that’s been created.
Specific Rules:
Not all transcriptions are created equally. There are clients and projects which need specific things to happen to the work. Imagine, for example, a project which requires transcriptions of a series of interviews, without filler words such as ‘um’ etc. This will require specific attention from the transcription outsourcing service. They’ll need to transcribe as well as take out some words.
Certifications:
Some projects will require special certifications for transcriptions. It’s important that a client find out if this is to be the case and then demand a certification from the transcription outsourcing service.
These add-ons are only some examples of the different things that a transcription outsourcing project may need. Here’s the issue though: Some transcription outsourcing services will charge for each individual add-on. Others will charge a price for the whole project and will do so from the very beginning. The latter is evidently the ideal choice.
General Transcription Outsourcing Vs Specialized Transcription Outsourcing
Now then, by its very nature, transcription may be complex and detailed work. It’s relatively simple to transcribe a general project such as, say, the transcription of a job interview for a position in sales. Here, the work may be as simple as listening to a recording or watching a video and transcribing the interview exactly as it happened.
There are other more complex situations. Imagine the transcription of a legal proceeding or of a medical seminar. These are only two examples of transcription projects which may require a specialized transcription outsourcing pro. There are specific things that can make a project require specialized transcription outsourcing:
Meaning and Context:
Depending on the particular industry, meaning may be hard to follow. Indeed, elucidating the meaning of a scientific conference, for example, may be harder for someone who’s not used to such language and subject matter. A specialized transcription outsourcing service may be very useful in handling these sorts of topics.
Terminology:
Jargon, terminology, and specialized language may be difficult to understand in many transcription projects. Again, depending on the industry, it may be wiser to hire a specialized transcription outsourcing service that really understands such terms and language.
Speed and Accuracy in Transcription Outsourcing
Another important set of elements when considering transcription outsourcing services are speed and accuracy.
For one, timeliness and speed in delivery are paramount. There are several things to consider here. The capacity which a transcription outsourcing service has is a vital aspect. An honest appraisal of the project and a speedy and realistic time-frame for delivery are crucial.
Having said this, however, speed must be balanced with accuracy in transcription. A fast and timely transcription will evidently be impractical if it’s not accurate.
Workflow and Transcription Outsourcing Integration
Some clients may require a great number of transcriptions at regular intervals. In this case, the ideal transcription outsourcing service will be able to integrate these needs and deliver accordingly. In effect, such a service may very well become a sort of additional member in a work team.
Let’s try to consider this with an example. Imagine a language academy that teaches English and French lessons. The method of instruction is traditional, in that they provide language instruction via classes, with pupils and teachers in their building.
Imagine that this academy decides to create a robust online presence. They’ve determined to upload all their lessons to a platform. Here, their students will be able to listen to the whole lesson again, as many times as they want. The academy also wants to transcribe these lessons and upload these files too.
There’s a tremendous amount of lessons and therefore a large number of transcriptions. Some sort of workflow integration between the transcription outsourcing service and the client will be very useful. Some things are useful for clients in this sort of scenario:
Easy to send files:
The transcriptions need to be sent and received easily in the sort of file that the client requires.
Errors and Improvement:
A client will benefit from a transcription outsourcing service that is willing to make corrections until the client is happy with the result.
Integration with the team:
Some clients will require a lot of transcriptions regularly. In this case, a setup whereby the transcription outsourcing team is always in communication with the client and there’s a schedule for deliveries is ideal.
Pay and Satisfaction (+ Corrections)
Another crucial element when acquiring a transcription outsourcing service is that of payment. More precisely, it’s the idea that a client should only pay when they’re absolutely satisfied with the work.
If a client pays beforehand, they need to be assured that the transcription service is truly committed to doing all that’s necessary to achieve a great transcription. This may involve extensive revisions and improvements until the client is satisfied. Not all transcription outsourcing services are willing to do this. A client must choose wisely.
Talent Acquisition in Transcription Outsourcing
The way that the transcription outsourcing company acquires their talent is crucial. Indeed, one of the essential questions in this regard is, how does this service find their talent? Do they carefully vet their talent? Vetting is crucial. If a transcription service takes the time to properly vet and test their talent before bringing them on, a client can be more confident.
The services and principles offered by the company are only as strong as the talent they use. Considerations such as accuracy and speed may be tested from the get-go before talent is brought onboard the platform or transcription company. To achieve such an end, a carefully crafted entrance test may work very well.
Confidentiality and Security
Evidently, confidentiality is a big consideration when choosing a transcription outsourcing supplier. There are a lot of topics that, by their very nature, demand careful handling of the information and a lot of secrecy. Legal and judicial transcriptions are one simple example.
There are several aspects that may impact confidentiality in transcription outsourcing. The very first aspect is regarding the talent used to create transcriptions. This group of people should be trustworthy and dependable. There are several ways in which this is achieved. Such procedures may include things like non-disclosure agreements.
The other aspect of security in transcription outsourcing is all about maintaining the chain of confidentiality throughout. Files must be sent, received and handled with care to avoid leaks. A transcription outsourcing company must work towards achieving the highest cyber-security standards as well as the physical safety of the computers and systems.
Industry Variations
Each industry will demand transcription outsourcing to fit their needs. Although at their most basic transcriptions are essentially the same thing, there are crucial distinctions which should be made.
Legal Transcriptions:
The legal industry usually requires a great number of transcriptions. Because of the high volume of work and the tight deadlines, paralegals are usually required to do transcriptions in law firms. This is unfortunate because paralegals may not necessarily know the ins and outs of transcription or even have the time to create top notch transcriptions. Confidentiality in legal transcription outsourcing is a must. This is usually the biggest concern a law firm may have when acquiring such a service. Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements are usually a requirement.
Medical Transcriptions:
Medical transcriptions are another delicate type of transcription. They can include a large array of work including the transcription of medical conferences, meetings, speeches, internal discussions, boards, among others. Here too, there are some particular challenges, such as knowledge of the medical field and its language as wells as respect for regulations where they may be demanded (ie: doctor-patient confidentiality norms).
Academic Transcriptions:
Transcriptions in academia are another important area of work. They’ll usually be needed in a wide array of situations including, but not limited to: conferences, lectures, meetings, debates, presentations. Here the subject matter is usually the main challenge. A specialized transcriber, familiar with the subject matter, can achieve a quality transcription.
The Bunny Studio Way!
When thinking of transcription outsourcing, think Bunny Studio! The Bunny transcribers can provide a long array of transcriptions: standard, specialized in virtually any field, industry or subject etc. Bunny Studio transcriptions emphasize speediness as well as accuracy. Quite conveniently too, clients can get revisions until satisfied with the product. To acquire transcriptions in any language, simply go to Bunny Studio transcriptions, get in touch with our staff and let’s get started today!
