Legal firms were in a competitive environment even before the Covid-19 pandemic made it necessary to find new ways to be productive. The pressures of client demands and a need to maximise billable hours were very real. During the pandemic firms have had to find ways to support a remote workforce with technologies to help with document production and sharing, ensure data security and compliance, and function to their full potential on equipment that might be less technically advanced than that found in the office. Dragon speech recognition software is perfectly suited to the task.
Speech recognition is one of the key technologies practices have embraced in recent years to help them boost productivity, enable remote working, and support compliance. When software can turn the spoken word into editable text faster than people can type, legal professionals can create accurate documents in a timely manner, without using expensive and often time-consuming transcription services. When that software is cloud based, like Dragon Professional Anywhere, documents are easily shared between colleagues, making editing a smooth and fast process.
With people working from home right now and maybe for the foreseeable future, firms face new challenges around information security. Computers that are used for both personal and work purposes may bring security risks and legal firms need to be absolutely certain that the information they store and share is secure. Dragon, with its 256-bit encryption of data both in transit and at rest, and compliance with regulations like GDPR, provides this assurance.
A remote workforce can bring software deployment challenges. But because Dragon is cloud based, it is easy to add new users without any access to their computers. Just as compelling for firms at the current time, users can work on computers that might not meet usual office specifications.
The challenges brought by the pandemic sit alongside the increasingly competitive environment in which the legal profession operates. Clients want faster turnaround times, the pressures on financial resources are growing, and firms need to maximise billable hours. They also need to attract the best talent, and increasingly, younger professionals expect to work with technologies that help them be more efficient.
In June this year we surveyed legal professionals and IT decision makers. 80% of those already using speech recognition felt they were properly equipped for working from home before Covid-19. Only 53% of those not using speech recognition felt the same. Meanwhile 70% of IT decision makers told us productivity tools were a great investment in staying competitive in the future. We’ve published the key findings of our research along a more detailed discussion of how Dragon dictation software can help legal professional maintain their competitive advantage. Get your copy of our report today.