As we continue to prepare for IACP 2019, this year has sparked a lot of conversation amongst my team and me about how technology has become an integral piece of the law enforcement arsenal. It’s exciting to see the impact new technology is making and how it is shaping the future of law enforcement. These […]
In my blog last month, I discussed how my team and I have been preparing for the upcoming International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference (IACP 2019). Now, with the show only a few weeks away, we are getting excited about the opportunity to speak to law enforcement professionals from across the country and […]
Workplace flexibility was once a cutting-edge idea, differentiating new, trendy companies from the pack. Today it’s proving to be an essential recruitment tool, a factor that many organizations need to consider to attract and maintain the best talent. In a recent New York Times article, employees say they are willing to accept lower-paying jobs in […]
If social media is any indication, there seems to be a day to celebrate nearly everything. This week’s National Working Parent’s Day, which many observe today, really caught my attention. While my team and I speak about productivity often, today has me thinking about the delicate balance all parents must make between their jobs and […]
In September, my team and I start planning for our massive event schedule. The International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference (IACP 2019) in Chicago this coming October is one of them. This year’s theme, in particular, “Shaping the Future of Law Enforcement,” caught my attention. As we look at advancements in technology, one […]
I recently came across an article that stated six out of every ten employees expect that they will have artificial intelligence or advanced automation solutions in place by 2022. What was once considered reserved for only early adopters and leading tech teams, is now being used to speed up routine tasks such as eDiscovery in law […]
This summer, we had more than 30 interns from universities across the country working throughout the company, in departments from Research and Development, Finance, Marketing, Professional Services, Information Technology, and Sales Operations. Our interns spent twelve weeks with us. They had an opportunity to contribute to our teams, participate in “lunch and learns,” volunteer, and […]
Financial advisors, like many professionals in service-related fields, spend a lot of time on administrative work. They need to keep up with daily paperwork, meet regulatory compliance requirements, and deliver the right products and services to clients. For advisors, a considerable part of providing an excellent customer experience is their ability to mitigate the degree […]
The mystique around AI technology is driving a tendency for lawyers, especially those working in small practices, to believe that it’s inaccessible. And, it is a luxury that only larger legal firms and departments can afford. The increased adoption and availability of AI solutions is proving that it is not only accessible but may be […]
Growing shifts in mobilization mean business is moving faster than ever today. Technology not only enables us to work with increased efficiency and speed but also more productively. The demand for smart devices and cloud-based applications make it easier to work across different platforms to capture, report, and share data and helps drive better customer […]
For all the talk and shifts towards all-things digital and connected in our personal lives, many businesses are still slow to make a move toward automated and optimized document processes. A recent study found that 84% of small companies, as one example, often rely on manual input methods to complete reporting and other documentation. One […]
I recently came across an article about the growing use of mobile solutions, such as smartphones and cloud-sharing apps, and how they are changing the corporate landscape. The ability to stay connected and access and share data in real-time is exciting to us and builds on our long-term vision of designing powerful solutions to improve […]
Paperwork burnout is not a new phenomenon. Recently, however, the impact of heavy documentation on increasing burnout is making headlines again. The healthcare industry, in fact, just declared burnout a crisis for physicians, which is not surprising considering that doctors can spend as much as half of their workday on clinical documentation. The same holds […]
There is a great deal of training involved in becoming a police officer, which makes sense, it’s a dangerous job. Part of this training includes being well-versed on situational awareness, an important skill that officers learn using various tactical techniques. These include how and when to maintain a safe space between themselves and citizens, to […]
We spend a lot of time speaking to our customers, trying to understand the problems they are looking to solve, from obstacles they may face as a result of heavy reporting demands, issues surrounding employee burnout, to the impact of inefficiencies in their documentation workflows. Listening to customers carefully can help us work with them […]
Mobile usage changes when it gets warmer; as an example, smartphone usage spikes by 2x when the weather heats up. Let’s face it, during the summer months, when many of us start thinking about spending quality time with friends and family, being productive can become a difficult balancing act. Fortunately, there are new, powerful mobile […]
For decades, Nuance has led the charge towards conversational AI with our voice and language innovations. We began this long journey with the introduction of Dragon speech recognition, the first software system that intelligently transcribed words into text. Today, while we don’t anticipate our solutions will completely replace manual documentation processes, they can certainly help […]
For a second year, we exhibited at the 2019 Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) conference this past month. The organization’s annual conference is an opportunity for professionals working in financial services to network, keep abreast of the latest trends in financial technology (FinTech), as well as learn about proposed rulings and best practices. One panel […]
The results of a national survey of financial services professionals find that financial advisors continue to seek automated tools to help meet documentation, compliance, and client service goals. The survey findings, which are not surprising to us, indicate that as advisors continue to be burdened with administrative duties, like heavy documentation, they want better tools […]
In a recent blog, I discussed how the financial services industry needs to rise to face the challenge of digital transformation, all while trying to remain competitive, maintain compliance and improve the customer experience. During a recent meeting with my team, this topic came up again. We met to discuss our presence at the upcoming […]
The history of time-keeping dates back thousands of years, with the Egyptians eventually dividing the day into 12-hour periods. Since then, methods of tracking time have evolved from using tools like the hourglass to mechanical clocks and smartwatches. Regardless of the device, the measurement of time is important and saving it even more so. Whether […]
Like many industries, technology is heavily influencing the way law firms conduct business. Today, the expectation for legal professionals is that they want to use innovative tools to help them work faster and smarter, work from anywhere, and have information readily available. The pace of innovation has not only heightened the expectations of law firms […]
In an earlier blog, I wrote about how relying on manual documentation alone is error-prone, can be inefficient, and costly. There are many other obstacles to manual documentation processes, but for this blog, I want to focus on one area most often addressed by our customers – paperwork burnout. According to a recent study, many […]
On any given week, my team and I are meeting with police chiefs and officers from large to small departments around the country. Of the many issues we discuss, one that always comes up is how can new policing tools help them improve officer safety. According to law enforcement, one of the most vulnerable times […]
The sprint towards enterprise mobility is gaining traction, and for companies to stay relevant they need to keep up. From a tech-savvy client base, a younger workforce, demand for anytime, anywhere access, to a growing need for collaborative and agile tools, today, organizations must adapt and change the way they do business, especially those with […]
As we do most months, my team and I attend trade events for a variety of industries. One week could have us speaking about improving compliance at a conference for financial advisors, the next demonstrating our solutions to legal pros, and another talking improving incident reporting with law enforcement. During these information gathering sessions, we […]
There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not reading about how one industry or another is being transformed by new technologies. While many organizations are researching or tapping into new digital tools, there are still countless others who have yet to embrace them, especially within areas of their business with large investments of […]
It’s no secret that the era of digital transformation is changing the way organizations across industries operate on a day-to-day basis. That being said, a lot of emphasis gets placed on technologies that will attract and retain customers, often at the expense of improving infrastructure in the back of the house. Financial advisors know all […]
Like everyone this past weekend, I switched my clocks ahead for Daylight Savings Time, which, if you didn’t know, started in the early 1900s to conserve energy. For me, this got me thinking about gaining an hour of time during the day, but also losing an hour of sleep. Which then got me thinking about something […]
On any given day, the work of a social services caseworker can involve navigating state and federal bureaucracies, interacting with the courts, advocating for services on behalf of clients, to helping families in crisis coordinate access to care across a myriad of private and public sector organizations. This produces an immense amount of information that […]
With professionals increasingly on the move and many more working outside the office, it’s not surprising that documentation tasks, once relegated to desktop computing, are moving to mobile devices. Today, thanks to powerful new mobility solutions, like professional-grade documentation apps, it’s not only becoming easier, but also a growing necessity, to empower employees with the […]
One of the advantages of my role at Nuance is hearing from customers about how our solutions help them navigate changing dynamics within their industries. I was reminded of this recently from my sales team; they were discussing how our documentation and productivity solutions are helping many of our law firm clients improve legal documentation […]
What is a documentation workflow and why is it important? In simplistic terms, it’s the systems businesses use to create, track, edit and manage the paperwork they produce day to day, and any inefficiencies, inaccuracies or gaps in this process can have a negative impact. The legacy to project management and modern-day workflows, as we […]
Like many industries, financial advisors face unique challenges, as highlighted in a recent article in Forbes Magazine. Whether these center around managing client expectations, maintaining the operational side of running a business, to keeping up with the growth of regulatory compliance, on-the-whole, financial advisors are working within a rapidly changing landscape. Today, with more advisors […]
Not a day goes by that my team and I don’t discuss the impact our solutions have on the day-to-day lives of the people and the industries we serve, but there comes a time when a customer’s story truly crystalizes this for us. Recently we experienced this first-hand after meeting with a long-time Dragon user, […]
Incident reporting is important in police work and helps keep investigations and cases moving along, but it can also be time-consuming. In fact, close to fifty percent of an officer’s day can be spent typing up reports or entering data into computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management systems (RMS), according to a recent survey. Heavy […]
The adoption of digital tools in financial services continues to grow. From automation through tools like robo-advisors that help augment customer service, new applications backed by AI and machine learning, to the need to keep up with increased competition – whether that be from competitors or acquiring new talent, the delivery of financial information is […]
Innovation is no longer a buzzword in the legal industry, as more and more legal professionals look to technology to help them work. From AI-powered solutions that automate workflows, applications like e-discovery to help load and search for data, to web-based legal practice management software, as well as an increasingly tech-savvy client base, law firms […]
When it comes to the hiring process, aspiring candidates aren’t the only ones trying to stand out, as employers across industries aim to showcase their innovative chops in the hopes of securing promising new talent. Financial institutions are no exception, especially as competition in the field heats up. Like countless other industries, recruiting the best […]
Completing reports, filling out forms, to sending emails or responding to general notes, on any given day, professionals can spend a large bulk of their time on paperwork. While manual documentation processes can have its pitfalls, from being error-prone, time-consuming, to less than efficient and costly, surprisingly, many professionals still rely solely on manual input […]
We all start to pause and reflect on the many things to be thankful for around the holidays. On a personal note, I’m thankful, each-and-every day, for my beautiful wife and kids. I appreciate the hard work from the dedicated team of professionals that surround me. I marvel at the solutions our company continues to […]
Ask any parent of young children and the one thing that many of them want more of is, time. More time with their kids. Time to sit and relax with their significant other. Even time to catch up on the guilty pleasure of must-see TV. Figuring out the answer to what makes for good work/life […]
What is poor documentation? In general terms, it’s anything that prevents the clear presentation of information. It lacks clarity, accuracy or the specificity required to deliver data in either written or electronic form. For financial advisors, it also extends well beyond the documentation itself and can cause risk to their business – whether that risk […]
Look at any business productivity plan. They often center around several core elements, from the best strategies to drive efficiency; how to automate workflows to improve processes; to why flexibility makes for happier – and more productive employees. All of these, in fact, are the core tenants of documentation productivity improvement. Improving one improves the […]
My team and I had the opportunity to meet and review our collective impressions of the major themes, takeaways, and trends in police technology after attending the International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP 2018) conference earlier this month. My last IACP blog highlighted the excitement felt by law enforcement professionals, who are quickly embracing new […]
When it comes to the business-end of documentation, it’s not only the care behind what’s being documented but also the where and how it’s being captured that can help organizations improve outcomes at all levels – from business productivity, client service, to employee satisfaction, and in some instances, safety. We recently met with the chief […]
We had the opportunity to showcase our powerful police reporting solutions during this year’s International Association of Police Chiefs this week in Orlando, the preeminent event for public safety professionals. During discussions with police chiefs, their command staff, and officers alike, I was amazed at their perceptiveness and readiness to embrace new technologies – all […]
We often talk about how Dragon speech recognition solutions help individuals and organizations tap into their productivity; enabling them to get more done by voice each day. But it’s an area that’s just as relevant, if not more significant, that makes me marvel at the small role we are able to play in helping to […]
When financial advisors discuss improving financial compliance, documentation accuracy may not be the first thought that springs to mind. In fact, the foundation of any comprehensive compliance strategy should begin with accurate and complete documentation. While, on the surface, improving documentation may seem like a minor issue; in reality, it should be at the core […]
I’m often asked what is the most frequent issue that customers want to address when we meet; it’s quite simple, paperwork overload. While many enterprise organizations want to save time and costs, in all instances, and if not more important, they are also looking for help with their documentation workflows, and in so doing, to […]
The most valuable use of a police officer’s time is actively spent – actively patrolling and protecting communities, solving and closing cases, and sharing mission-critical information. Heavy reporting demands can seriously slow down such dynamic operations, often at the expense of other policing priorities. Each day law enforcement professionals face reporting challenges, all of which […]
The race to go digital has many industries like financial services looking at new technologies, such as those backed by artificial intelligence, to help transform their business. While the opportunities for embracing digital tools are boundless, racing towards the finish line isn’t always the best approach. We recently had the opportunity to speak at the […]
For students who struggle to get their thoughts down on paper, homework and other writing tasks can become a challenge. Issues such as dyslexia or dysgraphia, both of which make reading and spelling difficult, can make writing a complex and frustrating task. While the challenges for these students may be greater than most, the ever-increasing […]
From smartphones and tablets to dictation apps and broadband technology, intelligent mobile tools have transformed the way content is created, captured and shared. With the ability to take notes in real-time, mobile documentation in-particular affords many professionals, especially those that work in the field or outside of the office most often, a multitude of benefits. […]
Of the many important issues, we discuss with law enforcement, looking for ways to help their officers spend more time out in the community is probably at the top of the list. With an increased emphasis on community policing, improving officer safety, to making systems like Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems (or CAD […]
Like many industries, Financial Services straddles a line between maintaining a human approach in customer relationships and evolving technology. One example is the popularity of automated systems like robo-advisors, where consumers answer questions about their financial goals online without having to interface with another person. As we continue to hear about more and more services […]
Documentation management is like building a business plan. You create a vision of what you’re trying to achieve; assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and in some instances, any threats; and then create a realistic strategy on how to execute your plan. We usually discuss this type of process when working with business leaders looking at how […]
In today’s digital world, work doesn’t take time off. With the influx of mobile technologies, from applications, devices, to the ever-increasing speed of broadband, employees have – and expect –immediate access to constant streams of information, making it possible to work from anywhere, at any time. Since employees are always connected, companies need to be […]
Law enforcement, emergency transportation services and 911 operators depend on Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems (CAD/RMS) to quickly and accurately document and share mission-critical information. These systems, in fact, are at the heart of any public safety program, with first responders sending out mass amounts of communications each day to ensure rapid response […]
When most professionals discuss compliance, documentation accuracy may not be the first thought that springs to mind. In fact, accuracy and compliance go hand in hand, and should be at the core of any comprehensive financial compliance strategy. Last month we attended the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority conference (or FINRA); and had the opportunity to […]
We have several interns working with us at Nuance this summer, and, over the past several weeks I’ve had the opportunity to interact with them. They’re bright, enthusiastic, and starting on successful career paths. They’re also the generation that is most adept and comfortable with technology; more so than I ever was at that age, […]
Seventy-five years ago, this past weekend, Hungarian brothers László and György Bíró filed a patent for their revolutionary invention – the ballpoint pen. Its creation eradicated the need to rely on fountain pens and the medieval quill, which were more prone to produce smudgy and messy script. Closing in on a century later, people continue […]
Professionals who work in the field, such as caseworkers and police officers typically choose these jobs to help other people. While these careers can be highly rewarding, they also come with their unique stresses, some of which are associated with heavy documentation requirements. Writing reports and filling out forms are a critical part of the […]
Documentation is a powerful communications tool. Regardless of medium – a long report, a short email, or a quick note; when captured, should represent a clear and detailed memorialization of events. And in fields like law enforcement, legal to financial services and social services, the accuracy of documentation is one of the more critical components […]
The results of a national survey of financial services professionals found that 89 percent indicate that heavy documentation demands affect their ability to efficiently produce thorough, timely reports and records of client interactions, which can impact both compliance and limit “face time” with clients. The Role of Technology in Financial Documentation Compliance Survey, which was […]
On May 15th, tens of thousands of law enforcement survivors and supporters across the country will gather in Washington, DC for Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor those who have worn the badge with the utmost courage. The purpose of this observance and the week it falls on, dubbed National Police Week, is to pay […]
A new “culture of compliance” within the Financial Services industry has many firms and advisors reaching out to us to better help manage and maintain regulatory compliance; specifically, in relation to documentation. For these professionals, noncompliance is not an option and can not only damage their reputation, but their bottom line. Associations like the Financial […]
Like many professionals who heavily rely on in-field, real-time reporting, cloud-based mobility tools have changed the way we work. No longer reliant on hand-written notes, or memory recall, professionals from countless industries are using their smartphones, tablets, or any number of mobile devices to create, edit and distribute content. And like many industries, this is […]
Administrators play a vital role in business and their job can vary greatly, but one constant is the amount of time placed towards documentation, and in industries heavily reliant on reporting and other paperwork, this can be a beast to manage; no matter the field and regardless of business size. I bring this up as […]
Documentation captures a moment in time, and the memorialization of content provides an accurate account of events. For legal documentation in particular; accuracy can have significant ramifications, especially when it comes to materials used in litigation, from briefs, case matter, to discovery, and more. It’s not surprising for us to see, then, that many law […]
With organizations looking for greater efficiency, it’s not surprising to see that many of the document-intensive industries we work with continue to turn to technology to boost productivity, reduce costs, and improve client service. We see the streamlining of documentation processes happening across many different workgroups and workflows. Financial services firms, for instance, with ever […]
Having worked with different document-intensive industries over the years, many of which need to meet compliance and regulatory mandates, the marriage between compliance and technology is nothing new to me. There does, however, continue to be new groupings of solutions that organizations are seeking to meet compliance mandates, as well as help manage client relationships, […]
When it comes to reporting, mobile professionals and field workers need to sweat the small stuff. After all, report thoroughness, detail, and accuracy play a key role in achieving successful outcomes. Police incident reports can make or break a case. An insurance adjuster’s report can determine whether claims are settled. Caseworker documentation is critical to […]
Remember AT&T’s “You Will” commercial from the early 1990’s featuring voice-over from actor Tom Selleck as a man sends a fax from the beach? Watching this ad twenty-five years later shows how amazingly prescient it was, foretelling a trend central to how professionals would communicate, and document those communications today: mobile and inter-connected. We see […]
New voice and language solutions continue to impact productivity at every level – from improving workflows for document-intensive industries, to simplifying daily tasks. The automation of these tasks – whether at home or where we work – rely on a set of intelligent systems; all of which use complex algorithms driven by machine learning to […]
We’ve been automating everyday tasks with computers for years. In fact, twenty years-ago Dragon Speech Recognition was first introduced to automate the task of typing. Back then, we were only scratching the surface of what machine learning could do. Today, advances in AI-powered tools are having an even greater impact, from making everyday documentation tasks […]
More often-than-not, paperwork doesn’t start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. For many professionals who travel outside the office or work in the field, heavy reporting requirements can oftentimes extend the 40-hour work week as they strive to keep up with documentation and other reporting demands. Social service professionals need to diligently complete […]
As people continue to use their mobile devices to access content, it’s not surprising to see, as part of this mobility trend, a growing demand for intelligent applications to help complete documentation. While the trusty desktop isn’t going away anytime soon, new and powerful cloud-based solutions mean more employees want to use their mobile devices […]
The results of a recent survey of the nation’s law enforcement officers confirms what we hear most often when meeting with police departments across the country – paperwork is keeping them away from the communities and citizens they serve. The demands for quality, timely and detailed documentation, although a necessary part of police work, continues […]
Innovations, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are integral parts of our professional and personal lives, making our work easier and our lives better. Like many industries, the legal sector is not immune to experiencing a transition in how employees work because of new technologies. Labor-intensive tasks, such as searching documents for information relevant to lawsuits […]
There are tangible ways to measure success in business. Revenue goes up as share of the market increases. Business becomes healthier as you manage cash flow towards profits. And you see a surge in web traffic as you expand your digital footprint. These are all positive outcomes that can be measured in a concrete manner. […]
Across many industries, we’re reading and hearing about how artificial intelligence will change the future of how we work and automate tasks traditionally performed by humans. From driving cars to predicting sleep cycles, there doesn’t appear to be anything that machines won’t eventually do; and we’re all watching to see what comes next. With all […]
For businesses, better productivity can produce positive ROI. But, as with anything, oftentimes there are instances where time savings are even more valuable than any cost-to-savings equivalence can measure. Look at law enforcement as an example. Hundreds of thousands of police officers take to our streets each day to protect and serve. During a regular […]
Over the years I’ve met and worked with business leaders in many document intensive sectors, from law enforcement, legal, to social and financial services. And while these industries may differ in many ways, one constant remains throughout: the important role documentation plays in meeting industry-specific regulatory and compliance mandates. So, it was not surprising that when […]
It was no surprise that one of the common themes at this year’s International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in Philadelphia (IACP 2017) was the future of policing, and specifically how technology will play a pivotal role in shaping – if not changing – how police officers do their job. From face recognition […]
With IACP 2017 right around the corner, we are excited to have the opportunity to work with Ed Davis, former Boston Police Commissioner, to help solve the challenges law enforcement professionals face today when it comes to incident reporting. Even with advancements in policing technology, many law enforcement professionals still spend up to 45 percent […]
A new set of Federal rules is presenting new challenges for financial advisors, who must now focus on creating a “culture of compliance” in which advisors will seek to document clear, specific and transparent action plans and disclosures with their clients. Going forward, advisors need to accurately document conversations with clients, and also be more […]
I can talk documentation productivity all day long – how using speech recognition technology can help improve efficiency, save time, reduce costs – and more. While all beneficial outcomes, it’s the positive impact to law enforcement – with such high stakes, that has me most charged up lately. And with IACP 2017 around the corner, […]
Accurate, timely and detailed documentation is extremely important – and in some cases, even critical. Yet many organizations are challenged with documentation inefficiencies that, if not addressed effectively, can have a ripple effect across work groups and teams. For example, police officers can spend an hour or more typing up a single incident report, and […]
On April 2, 1997 Dragon NaturallySpeaking was unveiled a groundbreaking solution that was light years ahead of speech technologies previously available. Dragon NaturallySpeaking was the first-ever continuous dictation product – capable of understanding about 100 words per minute. And while the product required training, the use of a headset and the need to be tethered […]