Why do Barristers and their Chambers Outsource their Transcription Needs?

It is fair to say that Barristers and their chambers have started to move with the times and are adapting and embracing different ways of working. This includes outsourcing work to businesses that support them. When you think of outsourcing work, we often only think about the savings that will be achieved by getting the work done at a lower cost. However, most firms overlook the fact they benefit from a wealth of other factors. So, what are the benefits of outsourcing dictation for Barristers and their chambers?

Helps You Increase Productivity

So, Why Is Dictation More Efficient Than Typing?

We interestingly, we can all speak faster, than even the fasted typist can type. And, here are some stats:

“The average person types between 38 and 40 words per minute”.

A “good rate of speech ranges between 140 -160 words per minute.”

As a result, this means that dictation is up to four times faster. So, simply dictating a document is more cost-efficient, giving Barristers more time to be working on other projects that would generate income. Effectively you could dictate two hours of typing in 30 minutes, leaving you an hour and half to do other things whilst it was being typed. So just like you would throw clothes into a washing machine and get on with other things that needed doing in life, dictation allows you to do the same.

Gives You Access to Experienced Typists

At OutSec we believe in having highly experienced legal transcriptionists who have worked in the legal profession. OutSec have been providing transcription services to the legal sector since 2002. Our transcriptionists truly understand the importance of client confidentiality and accuracy in their work. That is what makes OutSec’s Legal Transcription Team, one of the best in the industry. Of course, they are available to you at the touch of a button. Our services are available on a pay as you go basis too meaning you can use as and when you need to. You are not tied into any contract.

Reduces Costs

When you employ staff you must pay: monthly salaries, PAYE costs, National Insurance contributions, offer a pension scheme and pay a certain percentage of tax per employee. You also have other fixed costs such as desk space and office costs per employee, and the costs of infrastructure like computers, telephones, workspaces etc.

Unproductive Time

What most employers forget is the indirect costs of employment such as “unproductive” time. Recent research suggests that:

“In an eight hour day, the average worker is only productive for two hours 53 minutes”.

Clearly, by outsourcing your transcription needs, you eliminate any unproductive time. By using OutSec, you pay per minute of recorded dictation (rounded up to the nearest minute) which means you are not paying for any unproductive time. Therefore, you are not paying for your transcriptionist to make a cup of tea or coffee, to have or make a snack or lunch, or indeed have an office chat – all of that is eliminated!

Reduces Expensive Office Space

Obviously, by outsourcing your transcription needs, you can reduce the amount of office space you need. According to Business Matters Magazine in 2019:

“The average cost to rent an office space per person, per month is between £650 and £1,500” in London”.

The cost of desk space in London is therefore somewhere between £7,800 to £18,000 per annum. Just on this cost alone, you could approximately have somewhere between 6,500 and 15,000 minutes of dictation typed up by OutSec instead!

Reduces HR Costs

There are costs involved in advertising for a qualified typist or secretary. Whilst you would also have training and supervision costs. By outsourcing, you never have to worry about any of these HR related costs.

According to the National Office of Statistics, an “estimated 185.6 million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in 2022“. Again, by outsourcing, that cost is not yours, but ours.

Holiday Pay

Whilst statutory paid holiday entitlement in the UK is 28 paid holiday days, most employers in the UK give considerably more.

Indeed, “the average UK holiday entitlement including public holidays is 33.5 days”.

Clearly, by outsourcing your transcription needs, you eliminate this cost too.

Changes a Fixed Cost into a Flexible Cost

Many Barristers and their chambers recognise that replacing a static fixed cost with a flexible skilled outsourced provider has many positives. If your typing requirements are low, then the costs are low too. This also enables upscaling support in times when workloads are high. Consequently, OutSec can offer support by either acting as a complete, secure, outsourced solution. Or as an overflow, allowing your or your Chambers to keep up with the demands of your business.

Business Continuity Planning

In 2020, businesses around the world had their business continuity plans truly put to the test, as Covid-19 swept the globe. Whilst some businesses were forced to close their doors when lockdowns came into effect, OutSec continued to operate as normal, and continued to support their clients during that difficult time.

As one of our clients stated:

“We are so glad that we have you as it certainly makes it less stressful not having to worry about getting typing completed. I know some firms are struggling if staff cannot get in”.

Having an OutSec account affords you or Chambers to have a business continuity solution to enable access to typing support, when needed.

Eliminate the Need for Temporary Staff

As any manager knows, the need for temporary transcriptionists or secretaries can easily fluctuate over time. We know that staff are likely to take the majority of their holiday entitlement in the summer months. Unfortunately, it is harder for firms to predict unexpected illnesses. We can, of course, predict that in the winter months, someone may come to work with a cold (and in a matter of days, everyone has come down with it!). Environmental factors such as snow, or other extreme weather events, can also result in staff being unable to make it into an office environment. By using OutSec, you can access typists in times of absence, whether it is through illness or extreme weather, reducing the need for using expensive temporary staff to bridge the gap at a cheaper cost.

What Our Client’s Say:

Well here is one such review:

I have received an absolutely outstanding level of service from Outsec for well over 5 years.

Work is always turned around promptly; with a very high level of accuracy. Documents are always laid out in accordance with my specific formatting instructions.

They have never let me down; the level of customer service is first-rate. My account managers have always provided a prompt and very personal service.

I would highly recommend them.
Benjamin Bradley, Barrister

About OutSec

OutSec is the UK’s leading online transcription company whose business has grown substantially since its inception in 2002. We are now one of the most successful transcription companies in the United Kingdom.

OutSec provides secure outsourced transcription services to the medical, legal, property and surveying, universities, media and interviews, advisory boards, conferences & seminars, inventories, financial, corporate, HR, recruitment and Executive Search sectors.

Accounts are free, you pay on a per-minute basis (rounded to the nearest minute) on a pay-as-you-go basis, with no contracts or minimum spend. So why not open an account today?

We also provide a boutique Virtual Personal Assistant Service, Crystal Clara, for those who require a more personal and tailored service.

LinkedIn Articles: Legal Division

OutSec is more than a transcription partner, we provide our valuable business insights to help you and your practice do more.

Do you have an extra five minutes to spare? If so, why not read one of our articles below:

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Helps You Increase Productivity

So, Why Is Dictation More Efficient Than Typing?

Gives You Access to Experienced Typists

Reduces Costs

Unproductive Time

Reduces Expensive Office Space

Reduces HR Costs

Holiday Pay

Changes a Fixed Cost into a Flexible Cost

Business Continuity Planning

Eliminate the Need for Temporary Staff

What Our Client’s Say:

About OutSec

LinkedIn Articles: Legal Division

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