We play a crucial role in the justice system, but managing our workloads can often feel overwhelming. Brynn Seymour and Rachel Artis are designing a Virtual Transcript Management (VTM) program, designed to provide VAs specifically trained and equipped for court reporters' workflows.
This innovative service aims to streamline administrative tasks such as coordinating with scopists and proofreaders, managing communication, and ensuring deadlines are met.
As Brynn highlights, participating in the beta testing program offers an exclusive opportunity to refine these processes and improve workflow efficiency. With a focus on personalized support and cutting-edge technology, the VTM program is set to revolutionize the way court reporters manage their workloads, allowing them to spend more time on what truly matters in their professional and personal lives.
Takeaways:
Links referenced in this episode:
00:00 - None
00:01 - Introduction to Court Reporting
00:27 - The Role of Virtual Transcript Manager
01:31 - Beta Testing Program Overview
04:03 - VTM Features and Benefits
11:12 - Onboarding Process and Timeline
11:56 - Revolutionizing Court Reporting
14:07 - Conclusion and Coaching Offer
Court reporters hold one of the most important roles in the justice system.
We're entrusted with the official records of the courts, and we also have to run our own businesses, which is not something most of us were prepared for.
I'm Bryn Seymour, court reporter and life coach, and I invite you to join the discussion about the problems we face and the solutions we create on the unique journey of a stenographer.
Welcome to the court Reporter podcast.
So I have some very exciting news about the beta testing program for the VTL, which stands for virtual transcript manager.
If you missed episode 55, be sure to check it out.
It's called stressed with deadlines and pages.
You may need a VTM.
So that episode explains everything about what a VTM is, why it's important, and why you need one.
So, virtual transcript manager, it's basically like a virtual assistant specifically for a court reporter, someone who has the ability to scope and proofread everything and to manage your workflow so that, you know, never have to worry about missing a deadline.
Coordinating with Scopus and proofreaders, checking to see if they're available, waiting to hear back from them before you can get your transcript out of sight and out of mind.
No one wants to have to deal with that.
It's like a whole second job.
It's like a whole office job.
We could hire an office manager to do that.
Like, this is something that we should not be spending our precious time doing.
Our time is our most limited resource, and it's something that we should be wise in the way that we use it.
We want to be using our time for the things that are the most meaningful in our lives.
The good news is that we are moving forward with this beta testing program, and we have two court reporters that are signing up in the process of onboarding.
And on November 1, we will be having our first group call where everyone will get to meet each other, and we'll do kind of like a little orientation where we'll go over all the details and make the plan and, well, the plan will already be made, but you know what I mean, it's going to be a little orientation.
So, so we're going to be working together closely as a group for the three months of the beta testing program.
So it'll be November, December, and January.
And by the end of January, you should have a reliable team with a VTM and a pool of scopists and proofreaders that you can trust, that you never have to coordinate and go back and forth with.
So I'm just going through the PDF that Rachel Artis created for our united program called Virtual Transcript Management Service beta testing version.
So the disclaimer here as a participant in our virtual transcript management beta program, you are part of an exclusive group helping us refine and improve our services.
Please note the following number one, confidentiality.
All information about this beta program, including but not limited to features, pricing and operational details, is strictly confidential.
By participating, you agree not to share any information about the program with the public or non participants until otherwise specified.
Number two, beta status this is a beta test program.
While we strive to provide valuable details, we are still in the process of growth and development.
Features, workflows and offerings may change as we optimize our services based on feedback and testing results.
Number three, limitations as a beta testing service, there may be limitations or occasional issues as we refine our processes.
We appreciate your understanding and feedback during this phase.
Number four, value and development.
Our goal is to provide significant value to you while we continue to build and improve our services.
Your input is crucial in shaping the future of VTM services.
By participating in this beta program, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.
Your cooperation helps ensure the success of this program and the development of a service that will benefit the entire court reporting industry.
Thank you for your participation and your discretion.
Welcome to our virtual transcript management service beta version.
We are thrilled to welcome you to our innovative virtual transcript management service.
Thank you for choosing to partner with us as we revolutionize the way court reporters manage their workload and streamline their processes.
We understand that your work demands precision, efficiency, and unwavering attention to detail.
Our team is committed to meeting and exceeding these expectations, allowing you to focus on what you do best, capturing the spoken word with unparalleled accuracy.
So here's what you can look forward to with our VTM services.
Number one, personalized support.
So we've carefully, well, we will carefully review your comprehensive preference sheet that we will create together, if you don't already have one, through a questionnaire.
And we are prepared to adhere to your specific requirements, ensuring consistency and quality across all your transcripts.
Number two oh, and also on that point, it's like once we so we'll basically be building a portal for you, and inside that portal, all your preferences will be listed.
Anything that comes up that you don't like, any notes that you want to make.
Like for example, whenever I have some kind of feedback or notes that I want to share with a scopist, I'm always like, man, I don't know if it's really worth taking the time to write these notes down, save them somewhere, or to send these things to this person one by one.
It seems so tedious and so just like not efficient at all.
There has to be a better way.
Because even if I take the time and the effort and put this time and effort into this one person, into this scopist, how do I know that I'm going to be sticking with them?
Like, if I'm doing this, if I'm investing my time into this person, it means that this should be like a guaranteed, exclusive person that's working for me, right?
But that's not the case.
As we know, as court reporters working as independent contractors, that is not the case.
But when you work, when you become a part of our VTM program, you never have to worry about that again.
Your preferences will be saved and built up continually.
So whenever you have any feedback for any scopus that you're working with, it goes in the portal and it will be organized in a way that no matter who you're training next, you never have to train someone.
You never have to repeat the same thing.
Because it's all going to be very easy to see and easy to understand.
So that whoever your scopist is, if you ever have to replace a scopist or train a new person, you don't have to lift a finger.
It is already in there.
It's already done for you.
From coordinating with scopists and proofreaders, to managing client communications, exhibit indexing, and all those administrative tasks that come with the job, we've got you covered.
Number three, cutting edge technology.
Our state of the art systems will seamlessly integrate with your workflow, enhancing efficiency without compromising on security or confidentiality.
Number four, time saving solutions.
So by taking care of time consuming administrative tasks, we will give you more time to focus on reporting and accomplishing your goals.
So whatever your goal might be, it might be some professional goal, or it might be a personal goal, or it might be a hobby or a new skill you're trying to learn.
You can use your time for whatever's meaningful to you and maintain a healthy work life balance.
Maybe you just want to spend more time with your family.
Maybe you just want more time to relax.
I don't know.
Whatever it is, you know what it is.
So I want you to think about what it would be worth to have your time to be doing those things.
Number five, dedicated support team.
So our experienced professionals, meaning scopists, proofreaders, and us court reporters, trained professionals are here to assist you.
Okay?
So in the coming days, your virtual transcript manager in this case.
So for this onboarding one, I didn't say the name of who it is, but the name of the virtual transcript manager is Rachel Artisan and she will be reaching out to schedule an onboarding session.
This will be an opportunity to fine tune our processes to your specific needs and address any questions or concerns that you may have.
So this will all happen.
So okay, this we have to change because she's not going to be reaching out to schedule an onboarding session, but we are all going to be doing this onboarding session together on November 1.
Of course, there will be some onboarding processes that happen before November 1, but November 1 is like the orientation, so we're super excited about the possibility of significantly streamlining your workflow and enhancing your professional life.
Your success is our priority and we look forward to demonstrating the value of our service.
P's don't hesitate to reach out if you have any immediate questions or concerns.
We are here to help and then the next page is the services offered.
Number one email services we handle all email communications with attorneys, agencies and other relevant parties on your behalf.
Our team ensures that every aspect of transcript production is managed efficiently, from initial requests to final delivery.
We keep you informed of important developments while freeing your time while freeing you from the time consuming task of managing your inbox.
File Management our comprehensive file management service covers all aspects of document handling.
We take care of organizing and indexing exhibits, ensuring that all necessary files are properly stored and easily accessible.
This service allows you to focus on reporting without worrying about the administrative details of file organization.
Scoping and proofreading so, as a service, we will offer professional scoping and proofreading to ensure the highest quality of your transcripts.
When you don't have your own team available, our skilled professionals step in to provide thorough and accurate editing.
We maintain your preferred style and formatting while delivering polished, error free transcripts and then project management our project management service keeps all your transcripts on track.
We manage workflows, ensure your scopists and proofreaders meet deadlines, and find coverage when needed.
By overseeing the entire production process, we help you to maintain a smooth, efficient operation, allowing you to take on more work with confidence, and then transcript delivery.
Once your transcripts are complete, we, meaning the VTM, will handle the final delivery to your clients, whether it's via email or uploading to a secure portal.
We ensure your transcripts are delivered on time and in the format specified by you or your clients, and this service guarantees professional punctual delivery, enhancing your reputation for reliability.
Now, the project timeline is going to be October.
So from now until November 1, we'll be getting little details together and preparing for the orientation and the kickoff.
So the kickoff orientation meeting is going to be November 1 at 04:45 p.m.
eST.
And during the onboarding there will be like an initial consultation and then system integration with Rachel and trial period and feedback loop.
Then in November, the whole month of November will be the optimization phase where we will optimize, enhance support and performance review and then in December will be the scaling phase so will amplify the performance and plan for future partnerships.
What are we doing?
We're revolutionizing the court reporting industry.
My vision of empowering court reporters with personalized virtual support aims to transform how professionals manage their workload.
As the host of the court Reporter podcast, I stay closely connected to the evolving needs of the community, ensuring that our service remains at the cutting edge of the industry innovations and best practices.
And then we have Rachel artist, virtual transcript manager Rachel artist is our lead virtual transcript manager, bringing a unique blend of court reporting knowledge and tech savvy efficiency to our beta program.
With her innovative systems and streamlined workflows, Rachel expertly manages the day to day needs of our participating reporters.
Rachel's dedication to continuous improvement and client satisfaction sets the gold standard for our VTM service, promising a seamless experience for all reporters in the program.
All right, so there you have it.
That's our update on the VTM beta testing program.
That is where we stand right now.
That is a draft of the onboarding paperwork.
And I mean not the paperwork like the welcome, welcome aboard message.
So if you're interested in joining, there are still two spots available.
We want the, we want there to be a total of four, actually five court reporters, including myself, who will be participating in this program.
And Rachel and I together will work hard to help ensure a smooth, we'll do our best.
I mean, it is a beta testing program, so you have to have the understanding that it's not going to be perfect until.
That's why we're doing this, to kind of finalize and perfect it and see how much feedback we can get.
This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to streamline their workflows, save time, have more life balance, and who wants to be a part of our little inner circle group that's going to play a major role in revolutionizing the court reporting industry.
So if you want to join, I'll put a link in the show notes for you to schedule and we'll take it from there.
Thanks for listening.
Before we wrap up, I just want to say if you're feeling like you could use a little more confidence in the courtroom, or maybe you just want to take command of the deposition room, I've been there, and I'd love to help you.
Whether it's speaking up with more authority, navigating tough interactions with attorneys, or just feeling more at ease and in control of your career and life.
You can reach out and schedule a free consultation for coaching by going to brinsamorecoaching.com, or you can even find my scheduling link on the court Reporter podcast website, which is courtreportedpodcast.com.
and I'll also leave it in the show notes.
Have a great day.