By Richard Oppenheim, CPA, CITP
Introduction
The most significant new product this year for the accounting profession is the new Microsoft Office 2007. It is a true upgrade, rather than just cosmetic changes, of the programs we use most often. Word and Excel are vital tools that accountants use every day. One of the physical requirements for our computer use is the ability to use the keyboard and mouse.
There is an age barrier that clearly separates keyboarding expertise. The under 35 set grew up with using computers and therefore have an easier time typing. While I am 35 plus, I took a high school course in personal typing. We actually used a real typewriter complete with paper and ribbon and typebars. The world has changed but the QWERTY keyboard remains standard.
To use a computer effectively we need to be able to type competently. That means, for example, using all 10 fingers rather than getting by with only two fingers in the hunt and peck mode. Being your own typist is something that had to be learned. Today, there are fewer secretaries and clerks and administrative assistants to do the mechanical effort surrounding typing tasks. The days of mechanical typewriters and carbon paper are long gone.
The age of technology is advancing and the focus of this article is to look at a few products that can bring significant benefit to our workday. These products are all designed to reduce the physical effort of typing for the entry of text and numbers into documents and spreadsheets. The products reviewed in this article:
- Dragon Naturally Speaking
- CardScan
- Planon DocuPen
Dragon Naturally Speaking (http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking)
I would like to introduce you to one of my new best friends - Dragon Naturally Speaking software. I have used stenographers, I have written on yellow pads longhand, I have dictated into tape recorders. All of that effort has provided the practice that can help with using the Dragon software. To create a document with Dragon, you speak the words into a headset microphone connected to your computer and the software converts what you say into a word, excel or program document. The application has to be the active application to receive spoken commands and text. As the words are verbalized, the translation appears within the document on your monitor.
Along with text entry, the Dragon software supports the use of formatting commands such as sentence end, start of new paragraphs, adding bold or italics to words, move column left or right, etc. Using the software does take practice as it requires learning a few navigation and system commands.
Let’s start at the beginning. When you receive the Dragon software, it comes with a program disk, a headset, and a hundred page paperback sized instruction book. The quick install card makes life a lot easier as it shows a short list of common voice commands. Installing the software is like any other program. The Dragon software requires training and the program also needs to train you.
The environment where I am using this program is my home office, a separate room with two other computers running. I have a small TV tuned to CNN on a low volume in the background. I am wearing the headset provided by Dragon with their microphone. I am using Microsoft Office 2007 on a Lenovo Z61t laptop (a great laptop).
Training between your voice and the software is needed so that the program can identify the words and intonation and volume of your voice. Dragon provides specific paragraphs for you to read that will train the software. This initial training takes about 15 minutes. Once completed, you can start to use the program. As you continue, the software will learn new words; make voice adjustments for any specialized terminology and to keep learning about any variations in your voice.
As part of your training, you need to practice the speed of delivery, find a comfortable speaking volume and learn how to turn the microphone off so you can answer a telephone or perform other actions. When active, the Dragon program inserts a toolbar on the top of the desktop. The commands on the toolbar enable you to activate various features, turn the microphone on and off, and interact with Dragon in ways other than through the microphone.
At all times, you can use the keyboard to type or change text formatting. There is no conflict with the software as both typing and voice are active at the same time. You can insert pictures, insert new pages, change font formatting and do everything that you would do while typing a document while continuously using Dragon. This provides the best of both worlds. I lean back in my chair, talk out loud, look at what was inserted, check a reference book on my desk, locate a document on a second computer. This may sound like work excess, but by leaving both hands free and reducing physical hand strain I am more effective and relaxed while creating. Clearly I will be using this software frequently.
At $200, Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred 9.0 provides substantial value to me and to my work environment.
CardScan (http://www.cardscan.com/index.asp)
The next technology resource is CardScan, from a subsidiary of Newell Rubbermaid. This scanning device is built specifically for reading business cards and interpreting the information on the card. When’s the last time you went to a networking event, tradeshow, seminar, or workshop and you return with anywhere from five to 50 to several hundred business cards? I know when I go to a tradeshow, like the Consumer Electronics Show, I can carry back 150 to 200 business cards. It would be great to have an easy way to extract the information into my contact manager without having to type everything.
The CardScan is a small footprint device, less than 7 inches wide by 4 inches deep. It connects to the computer through a USB interface which also provides the necessary power. You install the software and connect the CardScan equipment. The company provides a calibration card and a cleaner which are used as part of the initial setup. For my test, inserting the calibration card once was sufficient and the system was ready to go.
I took my stack of 150 business cards from CES and started. At first I scanned one at a time. Each card was displayed both as an image and the interpreted data shown in the CardScan contact manager. Scanning with CardScan is 100% successful more than 85% of the time. Other cards were between 80 and 90% accurate. Scanning problems occur when the card has a dark background and white lettering. Also, very unusual fonts can be misread.
After my initial test, I started inserting the cards in a “batch mode”. This enabled the reading of multiple cards without pausing to view each individual card. After reading the batch , I was able to view the results and make any specific changes. The CardScan was able to properly read most of the cards and required my manual intervention for less than 25 cards. It is an effective timesaver.
As an option CardScan can also save a full image of the business card. In this way you can store a view that includes logos, handwritten information and other card visual content.
CardScan has an automatic interface with Microsoft Outlook and can also transfer information to other contact managers, such as ACT! and Goldmine. Of course once you transfer information to your contact manager, you could easily sync the data with any PDA device. Contacts synchronization is essential when trying to maintain lots of data.
The price of CardScan is under $300. This is a good value if you collect a few hundred business cards per year. The time and effort saved by scanning all those new entries to your contact manager is well worth having the device sitting quietly on a corner of your desk waiting to be used.
DocuPen (http://www.planon.com/index.php)
The third technology product is the DocuPen, from Planon. The DocuPen physically resembles an elongated pen. It is about 9 inches long. The DocuPen can scan an entire page, an image on that page, a newspaper column, a magazine article, or a stock certificate. The value of DocuPen is the portability of taking this scanning device wherever you are. You can place the scanner in a briefcase or in your jacket pocket and take it with you at all times.
The new executive combination bundle packages charger cords, USB connectors and several other cable links necessary to handle any situation within a metal box.
With an easy on-off button, this portable scanner is ready to go when you are. When you view a magazine article in a Doctor’s office, rather than secretly tearing out the page, take out the scanner and drag it down the page. In my workday I do not have a significant amount of a requirement for scanning a lot of documents. However if your work calls for making copies of client documents in an audit or tax environment, this tool can be very usable and useful.
Even when you use a copier, the result is another piece of paper (or lots of papers.) You would then have to carry and store all this extra paper. When using the scanner, you can carry several hundred pages. The additional good news is that once you return to the office all of the images are already digitized and the information can be downloaded tp the computer of your choice.
Priced under $300, the DocuPen can be a valuable addition to any road warrior toolkit.
Summary
I use technology every day. I learned to type a long time ago and consider myself a rapid typist. The devices described here substantially improve my effectiveness of getting work done. The first draft of this article was dictated using Dragon. My trade show business cards are now filed away. I have scanned a few magazine articles to share with friends. I will use these devices again tomorrow.