A good portion of my time is spent on transcribing minutes (shouldn't they be called HOURS?!) and I have just been informed I have been tasked to take on this function for another committee. Since I'm not really welcoming the idea of spending yet more hours on minutes, I was wondering if anyone is aware of any software that will transcribe for you either through a digital recording or video system? Any ideas, software or otherwise on how to cut down the time involved would be appreciated!
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I use a minutes template and take minutes on my laptop. That way I am able to record the information I hear as well as make myself some notes if I have something to follow-up on for the minutes. When I am back at my desk I just need to clean them up and act on any notes I made for myself.
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Anonymous on
7/26/2011 12:10:06 PM
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I have used both digital recorders and the Pulse Pen. By far the Pulse Pen is the best, I think. You can record every word said in the room and when you get back to your computer just attach to the PC and it will upload along with your hand written notes. This way you have the best of both worlds, Voice and Written in one place.
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BJ Marcil on
7/25/2011 8:03:02 AM
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WOW! I just now had a chance to check for responses since posting this yesterday. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY! I definitely have some good options to investigate! Something else I'm thinking of is requesting to take a laptop home and working at home to transcribe the minutes. After some serious thinking about this, one of the reasons it is so time consuming is because of the number of interruptions I have during the process. I wonder if that suggestion would work for some of you as well. Again, thanks for the great responses.
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Anonymous on
7/22/2011 10:21:10 AM
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Your minutes shouldn't take any longer than the meeting unless you have to take them verbatum. The voice recognition software on the market is only good for one individual. You must program it to recognize the voice before it transcribes and it is not capable of recognizing many voices. I use the Olympus DM-520 and the DSS Player Transcription Module as well. I have to take minutes for 3 meetings a month (or more) and they generally last about 1 1/2 hours. My minutes are no more than four pages max. I found a good guide called "Minute Taking Made Easy" from theofficeprofessional.com. It gives you good guidelines about the purposes of minutes, what they should contain and what they should not contain. My company feels that if you want to know all the details of the meeting, you should attend it.
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Masterg on
7/22/2011 8:26:50 AM
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There are plenty of digital recorders on the market today, some as small as inkpens. Voice recognition software has come a long way, as well. You can research both and maybe find a tool that suits your needs. I caution you to be careful, though. Can you afford to be replaced by a computer? Good luck!
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Anonymous on
7/22/2011 7:18:37 AM
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I wish I could add to the topic for a solution for transcribing. We are not allowed to record meetings unless each meeting attendee agrees during roll call that they consent to the meeting being recorded. The meetings are high-level meetings and sensitive and/or proprietary information is discussed so this may be a factor. I do appreciate all the great suggestions others have offered. Maybe I can pitch some of the options others have provided.
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J. R. Hackett on
7/21/2011 2:55:56 PM
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I know how you feel. I do minutes as well and it takes days. I record them and then transcribe later. I am actually looking into Dragonspeak. It is a software that transcribes for you. You can do it with a voice or a recording. You would still have to edit and proof read of course but I really think it might be worthwhile. If I get it I will let you know how it works out! Last year, minutes from one meeting were a 160 pages and 20,000 words!
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Anonymous on
7/21/2011 2:30:26 PM
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I use an Olympus WS-321M or WS-110 digital recorder and they both work well for large conference room applications. I also have the Olympus DSS Player Standard Transciption Module with the play/reverse/fast forward foot pedal so you don't have to use 2 screens and toggle back and forth. It works much like the old dictaphone machines but is used with the digital recorders.
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Anonymous on
7/21/2011 1:44:39 PM
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I love my Pulse Pen from Livescribe; it has saved me hours of work and well worth the investment. I take 9 to 11 meetings per month and couldn't do it without my Pen; I definitely prefer it to a digital recorder. I have tried to type my minutes on a laptop as I go, and some meetings it works fine for, but some meetings are too intense and I miss too much.
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Diane Murphy on
7/21/2011 1:37:50 PM
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I also use a digital voice recorder, but I had not thought of downloading and utilizing two screens. I will definitely pursue that functionality. Thanks Alice. I recommend taking the webinar "Minutes Made Easy". This webinar helped me to stop trying to take down everything that was said, and capture the key points. It was well worth the investment of time and money. Good Luck. Debbie S.
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Lab EA on
7/21/2011 1:33:46 PM
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For the past several years, I have typed minutes while in the meeting from a computer or laptop. I would save the periodically during the meeting. After the meeting, you will just have to proof it for misspelled words, check grammar, etc.
Thanks,
Jacque
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Anonymous on
7/21/2011 1:25:06 PM
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As the Executive Assistant to a CEO, I am responsible for attending all meetings, Board, Audit/Finance, Nominating and Executive and transcribing the minutes. As my shorthand is rusty, I rely on a Digital Voice Recorder. The Olympus VN-6200 PC is the size of a small cell phone, takes two AA batteries, and is very dependable. I hold my meetings in large meeting rooms which accommodate sometimes 30 people. This small recorder can record from up to 30 feet away, even if the presenter is not using the microphone. When transcribing the minutes, I plug the recorder into my computer to play back. I utilize my two screens so I can view the recordings on one screen(pause/stop feature) while using the other screen to type up the minutes. Fast process and stress free!
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Alice on
7/21/2011 1:03:09 PM
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We use OLYMPUS Recorders. They are small and easy to cary and set up rather quickly. I jot down notes while the recorder records the entire conversation. Then when I go to type the minutes, the recording can download to your computer so you can save it and refer to it. Keep the Minutes short and sweet, stating the topic and motions made regarding the matter. Attendance too. SOme of our committees like it to put a few paragraphs in that may explain a matter, but they are not verbatim. Good luck.
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Julie Minegar Stasi on
7/21/2011 12:58:45 PM
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Hi
Right off hand I'm not aware of any software specifically for minutes. I can offer two alternatives though. 1) Would be just connecting a microphone to a laptop in the meeting room, then playing back to you through headphones, for example, when you can transcribe them or 2) I'm aware of services that do this for you. We did this in my last job. You played or spoke into the phone and it was transcribed by the service, then sending you an email with an attached Word doc.
I'm not sure of these are the things you're looking for, but maybe it will help. I'll be interested to see what other members come up with. I like that you called in hours and not minutes...lol
Good Luck
===debbie
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Deborah B on
7/21/2011 12:57:52 PM
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The LiveScribe pen/system may be a great option for you. It records the audio and also keeps track of the notes as you take them and can sync the notes with the audio. I found the Echo 8 GB pen worth it. More info is at http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/
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Dee Dee Heffernan on
7/21/2011 12:53:01 PM
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