RE: voice data entry and reality

Rob, I agree.  Any decent data-entry person could type that waaaay
faster than saying it.  Really, 10-12K keystrokes/hour compares quite
favorably to how many words per hour someone can speak, especially when
that part number is 10 keystrokes to type and 10 words to say.

Typing for the most part requires no additional training.  Typing is
immune to accents.  Typing is immune to head colds and other things that
impact the quality of the spoken word.  Typing isn't subjected to
interference from background noise.


Jim, I'd think OCR would be a better technology upgrade than voice.
Here, we OCR in invoices and whatnot.  The data entry folks then verify
the scan and make minor corrections as necessary.  

John A. Jones, CISSP
Americas Information Security Officer
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.
V: +1-630-455-2787 F: +1-312-601-1782
john.jones@xxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 10:47 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: voice data entry and reality

I've not used Via Voice but I've known people who did, years ago.  For
non standard part numbers I could not fathom where voice would be any
faster than typing.  Like the part number A8NM59BDC3.  It would take
extensive training of the individual workstation to the individual user.
There's a reason why the military uses the phonetic alphabet (Alpha 8
November Mike Fife Niner Bravo Delta Charlie Tree, and no those were not
misspellings). 
Have your Via Voice advocate enter in that part number into something
Via Voice currently supports and see what they get.

Even if you could "wedge" something in, how would you handle Field
Exits? 
Program the wedge to change the word "tab" with a field exit?

Rob Berendt
--
Group Dekko Services, LLC
Dept 01.073
PO Box 2000
Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





"Jim Franz" <franz400@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
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Subject
voice data entry and reality






I have been asked (every year for the last 5 years) by a customer
why their large volume of data entry cannot be entered
with "voice" software like IBM's Via Voice.
Is anyone doing this today (successfully)?

This is not easily edited part number, qtys, dollars.
Orders consist of property legal descriptions (up to 500 characters) 
and up to 8 full names & addresses, plus some code fields.
Data entry clerk would be reading from computer generated pages
with many handwritten notes, modify the existing working order. 
Currently each order requires 1 to 2 minutes to complete. 
About 20% turnover in clerks each year, so if voice entry requires
extensive training & customization, that becomes a factor.

I have yet to find high volume data entry by voice in the real world, 
outside of 
large government organizations, usually using apps like MS Office (Word,

Excel).
Jim Franz