In today’s hyper-competitive, -connected and -digitized world, it’s no surprise CEOs say that cybersecurity is one of the top concerns in running a business. An information leak or data breach could cost companies millions of dollars in revenue and even more in terms of the loss of customer trust and brand reputation. While there have been many technological advancements aimed at minimizing these risks, sometimes the best way to handle a threat to your privacy is by keeping the capabilities or services completely offline.
Take a service such as transcription, for example. Every company has a need for recordings, meetings, conferences, conversations and more to be transcribed. If these discussions contain highly sensitive information, executives may be understandably hesitant to send it to an outside, remote transcription provider. They may wonder:
- How secure is the email or file transfer transmission?
- What security protocols does the third-party service use?
- Where do they store the files and finished product?
- Who is working on my request?
- What happens to the files after the transcription?
Fortunately, there is a solution to these concerns: secure onsite confidential transcription.
Current Work-Arounds for Transcription Needs
There are many work-arounds that companies can employ when trying to keep their information safe during the transcription process. These methods include:
- Signing contracts with remote transcription providers that clearly state ramifications for any data leaks or breaches
- Hiring an internal salaried transcriptionist
- Asking a meeting attendee to take minutes during a meeting or conference
- Trying to transcribe recordings on your own
- Using a voice to text app
Each of these methods have pros and cons, however they all fall short when compared to secure onsite transcription services. Onsite transcription is the ideal solution for companies that want accurate, quick, confidential and cost-effective transcription.
What is Secure Onsite Transcription?
Secure onsite transcription is a service where highly-trained, college educated transcriptionists go onsite at a company and provide 100% secure and confidential transcription services. For any company where security of data is a major concern, this onsite service ensures that no data will be placed online, nor will anything be taken offsite.
The entire transcription service will take place at the client’s location. Transcriptionists can bring their own equipment, since transcriptionists have some specialized tools and software they use, however they will leave all proprietary and confidential information onsite. They will not save or store any recordings or finished products on their devices. All materials and the final documents will be delivered to the company before the transcriptionist leaves the building.
The transcriptionist also generally signs a contract that clearly states that he or she cannot disclose anything they heard or learned to an outside entity. There is typically a greater degree of trust between the company and transcriptionist because the company has met the transcriptionist in person.
Benefits Of Onsite Transcription?
Onsite transcription is the only way to guarantee 100% secure and confidential transcription. It allows for a fast turnaround on transforming audio files into written documents. It ensures that nothing is missed during important meetings or conferences and provides a solid reference document during complicated business matters.
Onsite transcribers are usually more flexible and can work at non-traditional hours or add capacity whenever it is needed. Since onsite transcriptionists are only paid for their output, you can be sure that the worker will be productive. Although transcriptionists typically work independently, being onsite can be helpful if they have any questions. It will be easier to resolve any problems rather than having to go back and forth over email or the phone.
Secure onsite transcription looks even more favorable when you compare it to the other solutions.
- Secure Onsite Transcription Versus Remote Transcription: Signing contracts and reviewing the external vendors’ security protocols cannot guarantee 100% security and confidentiality. Anytime files are sent externally, there is a risk that information will be stolen or used inappropriately. These services may be less timely than onsite services as there could be time zone differences that result in turnaround delays.
- Secure Onsite Transcription Versus Internal Transcriptionist: Hiring an internal staff person to provide transcription can be expensive. This person also has limited capacity and usually only works normal business hours. If you need the person to work after hours, then you will be on the hook for overtime pay. Also, if the person is out sick or on vacation, then no work will get done. Another often overlooked reality is that it can be hard for HR or a general manager to hire high-quality internal transcriptionist. In contrast, transcription services companies know what makes a good transcriber and are likely to hire better talent.
- Secure Onsite Transcription Versus Attendee Taking Meeting Minutes: It’s impossible for a meeting attendee to capture everything that was said at a meeting. Assigning someone to take minutes also means that person will not be able to fully participate in the meeting. This method could also be distracting to other meeting attendees who may interrupt their line of thought to make sure the minute-taker recorded their comments.
- Secure Onsite Transcription Versus Transcribing on Your Own: While you could try to transcribe a recording or meeting on your own, this will be incredibly time consuming. At first glance, this may seem like the cheapest option. However, transcribing will take you away from your primary tasks and expertise for a significant amount of time. The lost productivity is likely to be more expensive than hiring an onsite transcriber. Also, even though you are highly intelligent, you’re more likely to make mistakes since you haven’t been trained in proper transcription techniques.
- Secure Onsite Transcription Versus Voice to Text App: While these technologies are interesting, they aren’t advanced enough to create accurate transcriptions. It takes time to set them up to recognize and understand different voices. These services often don’t perform well when people have strong accents or use advanced terminology. Any output often requires a great deal of editing.
Who Needs Secure Onsite Transcription?
Companies across many different industries have used secure onsite transcription – finance and investments, research and development, call centers, movie production, healthcare, law enforcement, technology, academia, just to name a few. For example, some situations where security of information is so important that a company cannot use a remote service include:
- Companies that are in negotiations to merge or go public
- Call centers that have confidentiality agreements with their clients
- Conferences that want something as soon as they’re done with the day’s sessions or want something by the next morning to hand out to their attendees
- Law firms preparing for litigation
- Media companies that need to transcribe interviews or news reports
- Physicians and other healthcare workers who need to adhere to patient privacy regulations
- Taking testimony from witnesses or suspects
- Companies who need to incorporate verbal conversations into official client records
- Healthcare providers who need to include verbal feedback into data entry
- Public companies that host round table discussions and want clear documentation to avoid confusion and legal disputes
- Firms that are conducting market research
How to Decide if Your Company Needs Secure Confidential Onsite Transcription?
If your firm doesn’t neatly fit into one of the above scenarios, you may still need onsite transcription services. Here are a few questions to consider in deciding if these services are appropriate for you:
- Is your information highly sensitive?
- Would business results or the company’s future be significantly affected if this information was exposed?
- Do you have a lot of information being shared verbally that needs to be officially documented?
- Do you need a quick turnaround on changing audio or live conversations into documented reports?
- Do you need transcription performed outside of normal business hours?
- Do you need to stay in compliance with certain regulations such as HIPAA or CJIS?
- Do you need verbal or audio information to be searchable quickly and easily?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s a good idea to reach out to a provider of onsite transcription services.
How to Hire an Onsite Transcription Company?
Once you’ve decided that you need people onsite, the next step is evaluating providers. To find the best service for your needs, you should look for companies that:
- Have a long history of operation with strong reviews and testimonials
- Employ highly trained and college educated transcriptionists to ensure the most accurate and professional services
- Have transcribers who are trained in and have experience transcribing for your industry so they understand the lingo and jargon you may use
- Offer guarantees for turnaround times and accuracy that meet your standards
- Patiently address all of your security concerns and clearly understand the need for absolute confidentiality
- Have multiple transcriptionists available who can work when you need them
- Can provide examples of past projects or clients
- Can adapt to your security and privacy protocols while still providing accurate, timely and cost-effective transcription
If you need secure onsite transcription for any daily task, meeting, project or conference, reach out today! We’re on hand to answer any of your questions and can provide free quotes for your transcription needs.