Just Say the Word: NoteVault's Transcription Service Improves Daily Reports

BY DEBRA WOOD

With professionally transcribed daily reports from NoteVault, team members can take action to keep projects on track.

"We use NoteVault on all of our projects," says Max Kuney, president of Max J. Kuney Co. of Spokane, Washington, a member of multiple AGC chapters.

"Construction projects are complicated. You need to document what is occurring, so you have a good record of the work you did. Or if you have an issue, what the solution is going to be."

Superintendents or foremen call in reports from cellular phones as deliveries, inspections, questions and issues occur and may take photos to attach to the report, so the project manager receives visual not just verbal information about the concern. The real-time notes add detail and credibility, lacking if reports are typed up at the end of the day or even the next day. NoteVault customers, and owners if desired, receive the typed report the next morning.

Field personnel use the NoteVault app for iOS or Android to record reports. If they do not have a smartphone, they call a project-specific telephone number. They may speak English or Spanish. NoteVault will record the report even if cellular service is not available. Users also can tap out a message. Professional human transcribers are available.

The reports capture any variations to the schedule or scope as it happens and places a time stamp. Managers also can see the entries as they are posted for that job.

"These reports can be crucial when it comes time to resolving issues that come up now or later," says Peter Lasensky, president and CEO of NoteVault of San Diego, California. "It’s important to provide enough detail, so someone else unfamiliar with the project can read the report and know what happened."

NoteVault stores the original audio file, with a voiceprint, and an encrypted text file for a decade in secure cloud-based servers. The software can integrate with other applications, so that data can flow into the NoteVault daily report platform for archiving.

Not only do specified managers receive the report, NoteVault also alerts people interested in certain key terms. For instance, human resources might receive an alert about overtime or a safety director might receive any note that mentions the word fall or injury.

"I can track identified hazards and corrective actions taken as well as being able to identify developing trends," says Scott McElwain, assistant vice president and safety director of Lyles Services Co. in Fresno, California, a member of AGC of California. "We find NoteVault to be helpful and a good product."

NoteVault’s Crowd Source Safety, a special function, enables nonusers of NoteVault to ring a number to report a violation. Additionally, if an incident occurs, NoteVault’s Alert Me feature will call the designated list of people. And it sends the person calling in the report text messages listing all of the actions to take, such as identify witnesses, conduct a drug test or escort the worker to the clinic.

The new NoteVault Activities app captures labor, equipment and materials and compiles this into the project daily report, helping project managers to assesses whether the project remains on schedule or if a delay is occurring.

Note Vault

6305 Lusk Blvd.

San Diego, California 92121

858-755-9800

www.notevault.com

Pricing depends on the number of users and whether the company wants unlimited or as-needed human transcription. For instance, a standard plan for 1 to 24 users would cost $20 per month per user plus a per-file transcription fee, while an unlimited human transcription plan begins at $199 per month per user.