How can you best and most efficient draft documents? Think digitally.
If you can, eliminate steps to get your drafting and instructions digital. This means don’t hand-write. Don’t worry, you have lots of options. Remember, minimize printing and scanning. This means get your drafts digital as soon as possible.
Digital dictation
If you dictate, get digital dictation equipment so you can create MP3s. MP3′s are great because they can be stored electronically. Also, if you use speech recognition software it can transcribe your MP3s.
Think about it, you can dictate into a digital recorder while driving or away from the office, the plug it into your Dragon Naturally Speaking software which will transcribe it for you. It won’t be as accurate as an assistant doing it, but it sure is much, much cheaper and faster.
Also, MP3 are easily distributed within networks (including over the internet) and by e-mail. Remember though, it’s best people go to the document (including recording) than the documents going to people.Digital dictation is the fastest, but requires more staff or more expense for transcription services, unless you use speech recognition software.
Digital note-taking
If you type well, then type your drafts. This way your drafts are already electronic and ready for final preparation.
Handwriting into tablets or tablet pc’s which digitizes your drafts right away.
I type and use voice recognition software Dragon Naturally Speaking. One very important and often under-looked way to vastly improve voice recognition accuracy is using a top quality microphone. The best are the ones that have USB plug-in.
Invest time into document automation. This is a very powerful way to quickly generate lots of routine documents such as routine correspondence and pleadings. It takes time to set up and organize but will save you tons of money in the long run.
Money saving technique
It saves resources to dictate or type your letters as you wish them to go out rather than saying something like “write so and so and tell them that May 23 will work for me to attend XYZ function”. This type of instruction requires your assistant to re-write it. That being said, it is quicker for the author, so if there is lots of assistant’s time, then don’t dictate precisely what will be said. The same goes for pleadings and other communication unless precision is important.
It’s also important that your staff know about all the precedents available so that they’re used. If you have new staff, tell them there’s a precedent letter or pleading for what you’re asking be drafted.
Related posts: