Interview with Sadie Hector on Blanchard’s Bailey Transition to Diktamen Cloud Digital Dictation

Sadie Hector, responsible for projects and training at Blanchard’s Bailey, shares her experience of moving the firm from their legacy dictation system to Diktamen Cloud Digital Dictation, highlighting how it has improved transcription reliability, workflow efficiency, and user satisfaction.

Can you tell us a bit about your role at Blanchard’s Bailey?

Sadie Hector: “I work on projects and training across the firm, which means I’m constantly looking for better ways of working. My role covers everything from reviewing our current systems, identifying pain points, and exploring new solutions, to implementing them and training staff on how to use them effectively. It’s a busy role, as I ensure that changes are practical for everyone—from senior lawyers to administrative staff—and that any improvements we implement genuinely make daily work easier and more efficient.”

What prompted Blanchard’s Bailey to explore Diktamen?

Sadie Hector: “We were using Team Talk, which was embedded in our case management system. Unfortunately, it wasn’t reliable. We experienced multiple issues with audio dropping out, recordings being silent, or dictations sounding distorted—almost underwater in some cases. These problems created significant inefficiencies because lawyers lost time trying to redo dictations, and administrative staff struggled to transcribe incomplete recordings. Despite raising tickets, the provider wasn’t able to resolve the issues, and there was no guarantee it would improve. It became clear that we needed a modern, dependable solution that would eliminate these frustrations and save everyone time.”

How did you discover Diktamen?

Sadie Hector: “I started with a web search to see what other options were available and reached out to a few different vendors to understand what they could offer. Diktamen stood out because of its reputation for reliability and its cloud-based architecture, which promised consistent performance across the firm. It seemed like a solution that could scale with us, especially given our growing offices, and offered the flexibility and support we needed for a smooth transition.”

What was your experience trialling and implementing Diktamen?

Sadie Hector: “It was a busy time for us because the firm was expanding and opening new offices, which made coordination more complex. The Diktamen team was very patient and supportive throughout. They guided me through the setup, answered my questions, and provided explanations when certain features couldn’t be changed, which made it much easier to manage expectations with staff. The trial period was extended to ensure we could adapt the system for different departments, as the workflows varied considerably between legal teams. Even with the chaos of expansion and busy schedules, the Diktamen team helped ensure a smooth implementation and made sure users could adopt the system without disruption.”

Would you recommend Diktamen to other law firms?

Sadie Hector: “Definitely. Since implementing Diktamen, we haven’t had a single report of lost or corrupted audio. Minor issues we’ve seen are almost entirely user error, like someone misconfiguring their settings, which is natural with any new software. The rollout was smooth, and staff adapted quickly—far better than we could have expected given past experiences with Team Talk. I feel confident recommending it to other firms because the support, reliability, and usability have exceeded our expectations.”

Are there any upcoming digital projects at Blanchard’s Bailey?

Sadie Hector: “We’re currently exploring AI-based dictation tools to supplement transcription for tasks like attendance notes and meeting transcripts. While we’ve experimented with previous solutions like Dragon, we found that staff often preferred typing themselves due to accuracy and speed issues. We’re researching options that could provide real efficiency gains without disrupting workflows, but nothing we’ve found yet delivers immediate value. The plan is to keep evaluating tools that can help us free up lawyers’ time so they can focus on high-value tasks, while still ensuring that the system is reliable and simple to use for all staff.”