Tips in Choosing a Transcription Service for Universities

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article | Tips in Choosing a Transcription Service for Universities

Transcription is necessary for the field of Academics. Whether you are a student, professor, or researcher, you will find yourself with the impossible task of transcribing a significant amount of audio file into written text. Fortunately, hiring a transcription service is just as easy. But to make sure that you find not only the best but also the most reliable transcription service, it is essential to take note of the following tips.

Is the transcription service an expert in the field of academics?

Transcribing files for different fields require varying levels of expertise. When it comes to university transcription, you are looking for a company that has extensive experience working with similar clientele. There are some vendors today that prefer to focus on one particular industry. For example, there are transcription services that specialize in the medical and legal fields.

It is possible to find a vendor that can claim versatility. But before you confidently trust their services, take time to check their history with academic transcription. If possible, look for feedback from past clients and focus on the essential aspects of the service they provide. Finding a transcription service with an extensive background in your field means you will not have a hard time explaining technical jargon.

Ask about their data privacy policy

Transacting with a third-party will always expose you to some level of risk. This is especially true with online transcription services. It would help if you were particularly vigilant about the vendor’s security and privacy policy. If the document contains proprietary information such as research papers, unpublished work, and dissertations, ask the vendor how they handle keeping your information secure.

Do they provide a secure network for sharing files? What is the level of encryption? Does the vendor use a transcription software or rely on human transcription? Asking these questions will help you determine whether or not there is a guarantee that they can keep your data secure.

What is their turnaround time?

Scheduling is essential, especially if you are concerned about meeting deadlines. Does the transcription company follow a specific turnaround time, or are they amenable to requests? Will they accept rush projects? How long will it take them to complete a particular volume or load? Anytime you are outsourcing transcription; you need to verify whether they can meet deadlines. Otherwise, your work will also suffer if it takes them a long time to get the job done.

Ask for samples

If the firm allows it, ask for examples of their archived academic transcription projects. You will gain better insight into the quality, accuracy, and level of professionalism by viewing their past work. If there are references available, you may also try to contact previous clients and ask about their experience with the firm.

What type of transcription software do they use?

Most transcription companies today make use of some computer software to enhance efficiency. You must know this aspect of their service so that you have some understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. How do they handle quality assurance? Do they have human transcriptionists available to edit or double-check automated transcription results?

With the help of these tips and other best practices, you can find an excellent university transcription service that best fits your needs.

5 Ways to Extend the Lifespan of Industrial Machinery

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Industrial Machinery|5 Ways to Extend the Lifespan of Industrial MachineryIndustrial machinery is heavy-duty, but it is not immune to wear and tear. Poorly maintained equipment is not efficient, breaks down frequently, and can be a severe safety hazard. Preventative maintenance can limit how often a machine breaks down and extend its lifespan. Below are five ways to increase the life of industrial machinery that help business owners reduce machine downtime, unnecessary repairs, and associated costs.

1.) Check Fluid Levels

When industrial equipment breaks down, it can cost the business a lot of money in lost productivity and expensive repairs. Simple measures, such as checking the Thermal Heat Transfer fluid levels, can help extend the lifespan of industrial machinery and decrease machine downtime. Thermal heat transfer fluid is often used to move heat to the outside to prevent overheating.

Another fluid to check regularly is a machine’s lubricant. Lubricants keep a machine running smoothly by reducing the amount of friction that occurs between moving parts. When lubricants run low, the machine can overheat and increase wear and tear.

2.) Clean Machines Thoroughly

The phrase “industrial machinery” often invokes thoughts of grimy, grease-laden machine shops. Unfortunately, leaving machinery filthy can cause them to break down more frequently. Dirt and debris will clog air filters, destroy the seals, and work its way into gears, causing the machine to become less efficient and eventually break down. Cleaning the machine thoroughly and often is a simple way to prevent this and extend the machine’s life.

3.) Check for Worn-Out Parts

Industrial machinery is exposed to extreme temperatures, constant vibrations, and extensive friction. These things will cause the parts of a machine to wear out quickly, which can cause an untimely breakdown. Regularly checking the machine for signs of wear such as warped belts, cracked seals, and loose bolts should be included in the maintenance schedule.

4.) Provide Extensive Operator Training

A machine is only as good as the person who operates it. A lack of training often means employees cannot operate or maintain the equipment properly, leading to wear and tear. Providing extensive training ensures that the machine is run properly and reduces the risk of downtime because of breakdowns and repairs. Proper training will protect employees from sustaining injuries because of improper operation and keep the facility in line with OSHA standards.

5.) Follow a Maintenance Schedule

Like a car, industrial machinery has a list of parts that need to be inspected regularly to keep it running efficiently. It is important for operators to know what needs to be checked and how often. The easiest way to keep track of the necessary maintenance is to create a schedule and train employees how to follow it.
Employees should not be asked to perform maintenance tasks best left to professionals, but they can perform operational safety checks. They should log every service that is performed on the machine in a logbook so that no maintenance check is overlooked, causing the machine to sustain more damage.

The Bottom Line

When industrial machines break down, it can grind production to a halt. Any pause in production can be costly for business owners. Proper equipment maintenance can reduce the number of machine breakdowns the experience and extend the life of their machinery. While there are some steps that operators or machine owners can take for themselves toward improving maintenance, in-house maintenance cannot replace yearly inspections and repairs provided by a professional.

Put Better Business Strategies In Place

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The business strategies that you have in place are going to change all the while. Business is about the ability to adapt and grow, and that’s only going to happen if you keep changing the strategies that you have in place. One might work for you for some while, but times change and better processes are developed to help businesses evolve. There is now more software and support packages offered by companies than ever before, making it easier than ever before to run a business. If we had all of the technology and equipment that we have now, twenty years ago, far more businesses would still be established and probably be very rich. So the point is, if you don’t adapt to the changes of the world and the changes that you can make, your business is always going to fall behind. We’re here to try and make sure that doesn’t happen. We want to show you some  of the better business strategies that you can have in place, to ensure your business is always flourishing.

StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Put Better Business Strategies In Place

Better Use Of Software & Computers

Software and computers are the staple to any office. Whether it be a home office or a huge one full of staff, the amount of technology in the room will be astounding. But that doesn’t mean that everyone is going to be using it properly. Software and computing is always evolving to make sure that the user has the best experience. So, you need to be looking at tools that can make the use of software easier, such as the different sql join types. You should also be looking at software to download that helps you with the management of different areas of your business. For example, there is financial management software that will show you the precise profits, loses, and trends that you’re following.

More Invasive Marketing

Invasive marketing is definitely a technique that you need to put in place. Invasive marketing is different because it focuses on direct attention to the customer. Non invasive techniques are ones such as SEO and PPC. They’re harder to spot in the sense that they’re more likely to be ignored. But if you were to use TV or radio advertising, for example, it would be far harder to ignore because it’s right there in your face. All of the marketing techniques out there should be explored if you want to get the most out of your business.

Customer Retention Strategies

Customer retention is another strategy that you need to focus on. The more you can retain loyal customers, the more the news about your business will spread, and the more profit you’ll be able to make. To retain customers, you can use software that will analyse good and bad reviews, leaving you to comment and resolve the negatives. The more you track what people are saying about you, the less likely you’ll be to go wrong. Customer retention can also be improved by offering personalised discounts, customer aftercare, and 24 hour support.

How We Prioritize at Sticker Mule

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | How We Prioritize at Sticker MuleOrganizations are the sum of their decisions. Those that prioritize well prosper and those that don’t falter. At Sticker Mule, prioritization is the most important thing we do. Our growth accelerates as we prioritized better, but there’s always room to improve.

What prioritization is not

Most literature on prioritization is terrible. It leads you to believe prioritization is about time management or how to use to-do lists. This way of thinking neglects that priorities are what make or break businesses.

Consider that Amazon started as a bookstore in 1994 and grew to $147 million within 3 years. Today they employ 500,000 people who handle $200 billion in revenue. They picked the right projects and grew at an extraordinary pace.

Other retailers had different priorities and either failed or are much smaller. Walmart could be Amazon, but they did not prioritize the Internet and now they are worth half as much.

What prioritization is

Prioritization is picking the right tasks to maximize impact. That means finding high impact tasks and avoiding low impact ones. Usually the highest impact tasks are elusive. We don’t know the highest impact projects we could pursue right now.

Prioritization might sound stressful, but it’s not. Most tasks won’t affect us. Consequently, we shouldn’t stress about the backlog of tasks we “need” to do. We need to keep our minds free to pursue high impact ideas, when they present themselves, by neglecting low impact ones.

Prioritization categories

It’s unproductive to precisely categorize every task, but it’s useful to roughly classify them in your mind. Prioritization improves with practice and thinking about these categories helps us improve.

  • Growth vs. costs – It’s generally better to use our time to grow revenue than reduce costs. Time is finite. Cash isn’t.
  • High vs. low impact – High impact is better, but completing lots of low impact tasks can be worthwhile if we complete them quickly.
  • Enduring vs. temporary – Tasks that provide enduring value are preferable to those that deliver value temporarily.
  • Definite vs. potential – It’s better to pursue improvements with definite benefits than those with potential.
  • Short vs. long term results – Quick wins are preferable, but you can build competitive advantage pursuing ideas that yield results in the long term since others tend to neglect them.
  • Related vs. unrelated tasks – Sometimes related tasks are completed more efficiently when grouped together. For this reason, we often do low impact tasks that pair well with high impact ones.
  • Estimated time to complete – All else equal, tasks that can be completed faster are preferable.

Questions

Ask yourself these questions periodically to improve your ability to prioritize:

  1. What’s the most impactful thing you can work on?
  2. Did you correctly identify the problems you are facing?
  3. Do you know the most important problem to solve next?
  4. Can you replace any planned tasks with better ones?
  5. Can you delete any especially low impact tasks entirely?

Conclusion

We aim to embed a passion for prioritization into our culture. If you think similarly and want to join our global team, we are hiring.

About the Author

Anthony Constantino is the cofounder and CEO of Sticker Mule. A factory guy at heart, Anthony oversees an operation that spans 16 countries in 4 continents with customers including Google, Facebook, Twitter and many of the world’s best brands. He’s determined to make Sticker Mule, already the Internet’s favorite printing company, the absolute best place to work and shop.

A Guide to Use a Scaffold Safely

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StrategyDriven Tactical Execution Article |Use Scaffold Safely|A Guide to Use a Scaffold SafelyYou can find scaffold everywhere, even around an under-construction small building or substantial triple-story buildings. The scaffold can ideally be used in a great variety of inspection, construction, repair, and maintenance projects. As per the recent survey of OSHA, around 65% of the workers in the construction industry work on a scaffolding recurrently and one of the most reliable is Bayside scaffolding.

But before we proceed further, let us explain what is the concept of scaffolding safety.

What is the concept of Scaffolding Safety?

Three things should be kept in mind about scaffolding safety, i.e. it must be built according to the proper well-competent person. Moreover, workers must be appropriately trained before they start working and using the scaffold, and all the components of the scaffold must be viewed properly by an expert. One of the most important things that require proper consideration is that the safety check must be ensured properly and tag well before the shifts start working on it. It will help in guaranteeing the integrity and safety of the scaffold, and thus forth, the fear of unpleasant happening reduces this way.

Unfortunately, around 60 percent of the construction industries have experienced injuries as well as deaths due to the absence of knowledge with the use of the scaffold. That is why your require proper care and a complete guide to use it without any fear of injury.

This article is also a practical attempt to let different industries know the importance of using the scaffold efficiently. This is why you are strongly recommended to pay complete attention and grab the most crucial detail. It will help you in avoiding unforeseen happening in your next construction project.

But before we proceed further, we would like to explain some of the significant Dos and Don’ts of a scaffold that must be kept in mind.

Some Major Dos and Don’ts of Scaffolding

We are presenting you with the basic and comprehensive guidelines to avoid scaffolding hazards.

Dos

  • Properly inspect the scaffolding by using the mobile inspection app. You can do it by properly maintaining the checklist as well.
  • Make sure your checklists have been appropriately checked before the shifts have started working on the scaffolding.
  • Properly train the employees on how to tackle the possible hazards.
  • Before you initiate the work, keep the toolbox with you and don’t ignore it at any cost.
  • Make sure you have appropriately worn the PPE.
  • If you don’t check the inspection bag habitually, then start checking them too.
  • It would be best if you had the idea about what is the weight capacity of the scaffold.
    You must have the support above the scaffold podium.
  • Make sure that you haven’t extended the adjusted leg screw more than 12 inches. If you have done this, then change it in the first place.
  • Keep the lanyard and attach it with the person who is on the scaffold.
  • Properly wear the belt if you are working on a higher altitude.
  • To access the scaffold, properly use the ladder.
  • Your feet must be on the decking else it can be dangerous for you.
  • Must check that the planking is secure enough for the movement.
  • Must take the instructor’s instruction seriously, because the direction of well-competent person makes the scaffolding less severe and dangerous for you.
  • Your mind must be active, and you should have a decent idea about who else is working with you. The co-workers above and below must be focused equally as it can guarantee better and secure work.
  • The debris chutes must be used with the help of your hands.
  • Make sure that the scaffold’s wheels are working correctly, and for this purpose, you can utilize the wheel blocks as well.
  • The wheel-lock should also be appropriately depressed before you start using the scaffold.
  • Netting should be used to catch anything that falls.

Don’ts

The following are the different don’ts that must be in your mind while using the scaffold.

  • Leave anything before the shift ends.
  • Always refrain from overloading the scaffold structures.
  • Also install some unbalanced objects including loose bricks, boxes, barrels, and the blocks to provide support to the scaffold, or to increase the height of the planks.
  • Working on the scaffolds if they have not been planked fully.
  • Working on the scaffolding without ensuring if the flooring and guardrails are not at their place has a hazardous potential.
  • Stand on the extensions, tiles, or guardrails.
  • If you are working on the already damaged scaffold or using the scaffold with the damaged parts or some of the significant components of a scaffold, including canopies, guardrails, planking, or toeboards, you are inviting disasters.
  • Working on the scaffold without checking the checklist or without consulting the experienced or well-competent individual is a perfect recipe for disaster.
  • Start walking on the scaffold that is covered with the mud, ice or snow.
  • Don’t use the scaffold in the unpleasant weather, including snowfall, rain, wind, or hail.
  • Using the strictly prohibited or dangerous portion of the scaffold for climbing it up.
  • Don’t climb up the scaffold by holding any tool or material in your hand; they must be hoisted up disjointedly.
  • Jump as of, to or among scaffolding.
  • Exceed your limit or bend over the guardrails.
  • Swing the scaffold.
  • Hurl everything overboard if the spotter is not available.
  • Shaking the scaffold if someone else is standing on the scaffold.

Guidelines before you start tagging the scaffold

The core purpose of the scaffold tag is to protect the life of the worker against any danger. It also helps in the identification of whether the scaffold is well-protected, can it be used or not.

The following are different guidelines that require consideration while tagging the scaffold.

  • A well-experienced or a competent person must be hired to inspect the tagging of the scaffold properly. The individual should be well-experienced in the erection of the scaffold.
  • While tagging the scaffold tracking process, the unique tags must be assigned to maintain a unique identity properly.
  • Soon after erecting the scaffold, they must be adequately inspected as per the pre-requisite standards.
  • You must identify the scaffold tagging by using different shades including red, blue, green or yellow color with the black labels.
  • The front informational details must be completed for all the tags.
  • Use can use a better color scheme as per the requirements.
  • The templates must be created to ensure that all the core points have been appropriately mentioned on the scaffold, and the checklist must be checked multiple times.
  • Make sure that you have provided enough training to the workers and they can efficiently manage the scaffolding and can act well in any unforeseen happening.

The Final Words

Every human life is precious and valuable. This is why it the responsibility of all the organizations to take the best care of their workers who put their lives at risk while working on the scaffolding structures. However, creating awareness is equally important, and it all can be done by adequately organizing the training programs.