Sam Hawkins, Practice Manager at Thomson & Bancks, shares her experience of moving the firm from a legacy dictation system to Diktamen Cloud Digital Dictation, and how it has improved workflows, staff productivity, and IT efficiency.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Thomson & Bancks?
Sam Hawkins: “I’m the Practice Manager here, and my role covers everything, including IT, which is quite a big part of what I do.”
What prompted Thomson & Bancks to look for a new digital dictation solution?
Sam Hawkins: “We were using an older Digital Dictation solution, but last year at renewal we were told they would no longer be developing the solution—only maintaining it. We started seeing more bugs, and it felt like it was being phased out. We needed a system that worked reliably, especially in our Citrix environment. After speaking with other firms using Diktamen, it was clear it was the right choice. We went straight to a trial and demo—it felt like the best solution.”
How would you describe your experience working with Diktamen and their team?
Sam Hawkins: “Fantastic. Joe and Joonas were brilliant. They understood our situation, allowed us a long trial period while we were still under contract with our previous provider, and supported us as we migrated department by department. Any small issue was solved quickly, and their guidance made the whole process stress-free.”
Were there any concerns when transitioning to a new system?
Sam Hawkins: “Naturally, we were cautious because we work in Citrix and have a range of tech abilities across the firm. But the Diktamen team made it easy. Staff adapted quickly, and the system just worked from day one.”
What stands out about Diktamen compared to your old system?
Sam Hawkins: “The consistency and flexibility. Some staff rarely use dictation, while others rely on it for everything. Diktamen supports both traditional workflows and modern approaches, working smoothly across desktop and mobile. It just works—it’s reliable and scalable for the whole firm.”
Based on your experience so far, would you recommend Diktamen to other firms?
Sam Hawkins: “Yes, definitely. It’s simple, effective, and the support team is second to none. I’d recommend it without hesitation.”
Digital dictation is often seen as a traditional tool. How do you see its role at Thomson & Bancks?
Sam Hawkins: “It’s still essential for us. Some staff like to work in traditional ways, and Diktamen supports that. At the same time, it offers the flexibility younger staff expect from modern software. It bridges the gap really well.”
What about the future—are you exploring other technologies or AI?
Sam Hawkins: “We’re very open to modern ways of working. Moving to a cloud-based dictation platform has been a big step, and we’re also looking at cloud case management solutions. AI has mixed interest across partners, but there’s definitely curiosity and openness to tools that improve efficiency.”
What advice would you give to other firms thinking about switching to Diktamen?
Sam Hawkins: “Don’t overthink it. The transition was straightforward, the product works brilliantly, and the support is fantastic. It’s made a real difference to our workflows and productivity.”
Discover Thomson & Bancks’ journey with Diktamen Cloud Digital Dictation!
Click below to read the full case study and explore their successful transition.