SpeechExec Pro Setup With Networking
In this guide to configuring the Philips SpeechExec Pro software, we’re going to show you some of our recommended settings for version 8.5 of both the dictate and transcribe editions. Yes, there are tons of options available to Philips users; and no, we won’t be able to cover them all here.
Nevertheless, we figured we’d equip you with some common best practices for these applications. In addition, we’re going to help you create a networked author-transcriptionist workflow. After following these steps, if you’d like further customization or training with SpeechExec Pro, let us know.
A Few Prerequisites
Prior to jumping into the applications themselves, there are a few setup operations to perform.
1. Create a Dictations folder on your network. Within it, you’ll need two subfolders:
- Active_Dictation
- Archived_Dictation
2. In Active_Dictation, add a subfolder for each author, using their initials as the folder name. In Archived_Dictation, do the same for each transcriptionist who will be using the software.
3. Verify that the appropriate network folder permissions are set for both authors and transcriptionists.
Configuring For Authors – SEP Dictate
1. Create a profile for each author within the Philips SEP Dictate application. Go to Settings > Rules > Author profiles and add the author(s) by their initials.
2. Prevent subfolders from automatically being created when a worktype is selected. This is recommended in order to simplify the folder structure.
Go to Settings > Rules > Subfolder creation and deselect “Create a subfolder in the destination folder based on property values.”
3. Enable automatic software and hardware updates. Go to Settings > Updates and select “Check for updates automatically” for both SpeechExec and DPM firmware.
4. Assign the author’s initials to the Philips DPM8000 Pocket Memo. Go to Settings > DPM Configuration > DPM Settings > Start Configuration > Keywords > Author. Type the initials into the “Author” column and click Transfer keywords.
5. Set the Philips SEP software to fully exit when the application window is closed. This will prevent the program from running in the background.
Go to Settings > Worklist > Visibility and select “Exit SpeechExec when you click the Close (X) button.” If you prefer the software to remain open after closing the window, skip this step.
6. Change the download path of Finished dictations to point to the Active_Dictations network folder (created in the Prerequisites section above).
Go to the Folders window of the Philips SEP Dictate application (on the far left, with all of the folders in it). Right-click on Finished dictations, select Folder properties, and then select the folder icon to the right of Path.
Browse to the newly-created network folder you named Active_Dictations. Be sure to point to the appropriate subfolder, indicated by the author’s initials.
7. Simplify the author’s view by hiding any information not needed in the header row. From the main menu at the top, go to View > Choose Columns. Select only those columns that you feel provide relevant information.
Configuring For Typists – SEP Transcribe
1. Change the Pending dictations folder path to the assigned author’s folder.
Go to the Folders window of the Philips SEP Transcribe application (on the far left, with all of the folders in it). Right-click on Pending dictations, select Folder properties, and then select the folder icon to the right of Path.
Browse to the newly-created network folder you named Active_Dictations. Be sure to point to the subfolder with the assigned author’s initials, so that the transcriptionist can work on the dictations created by that author.
If you like, right-click Pending dictations and choose Rename to change the name of the folder to reflect the assigned author.
2. If the transcriptionist is assigned to more than one author, you will need to add additional Pending dictation-type folders.
Go to Settings > Worklist > Folders and click [New]. Then select New Pending dictations folder. Use the Folder properties window below to change the name and folder path.
3. By default, the Philips SEP Transcribe application will save the audio files locally to an Archive folder. Change the archive path to point to the appropriate transcriptionist folder on the network (created in the Prerequisites section above).
To do this, go to the Folders window again. Right-click on Archive, select Folder properties, and then select the folder icon to the right of Path. Browse to the network folder Archived_Dictation, and choose the subfolder that pertains to the appropriate transcriptionist.
4. Simplify the transcriptionist’s view by hiding any information not needed in the header row. From the main menu at the top, go to View > Choose Columns. Select only those columns that you feel provide relevant information.
5. Enable automatic software and hardware updates. Go to Settings > Updates and select “Check for updates automatically” for both SpeechExec and DPM firmware.
6. While the Philips SEP Transcribe application is open, transcriptionists will see a notification window when they receive a new dictation. The software will also remind them about this dictation at a set interval. The default is every minute, which is great (said no transcriptionist ever).
To change this, go to Settings > Worklist > Notification > Reminder and make adjustments as needed.
7. Set the Philips SEP software to automatically hide when the application window is closed. This will keep the application running in the background to ensure proper receipt of notifications.
Go to Settings > Worklist > Visibility and deselect “Exit SpeechExec when you click the Close (X) button.” If you prefer the software to fully exit after closing the window, skip this step.
8. Finally, you’ll want to know how to customize the functions of the foot pedal, since many transcriptionists have their own preferences about which buttons do what.
With the foot pedal connected, go to Settings > FootControl Configuration > FootControl Wizard. Follow the wizard prompts to select the desired configuration schema.