What is outsourcing? Outsourcing refers to the process wherein a function which has been performed in-house is being sent out to an external service provider. Outsourcing has crept into all arenas of business.

Why outsource? Companies looking for more productive and cost efficient methods of handling certain business functions often choose to go the outsourcing route while they concentrate on their core competencies.

Where to outsource? Outsourcing may be to a service provider within the country or to a global market. The cost effectiveness of using the global talent pool has seen a rise in the offshore option.

Outsourcing transcription - Transcription is one function which is most often outsourced. This is due to transcription being a time consuming job requiring great attention to detail. Outsourcing transcription allows a business to have excellent quality transcripts on time along with cost savings while the business remains focused on its core competency. Transcription service providers employ trained transcriptionists who are professionals with expertise in their field of transcription. Transcriptionists generally tend to specialize in a particular field of transcription, for example, like medical transcription, legal transcription, podcast transcription, business transcription, etc. Most of the other types of transcription generally fall under the banner of general transcription.

How to choose an outsourcing transcription partner - Choosing the right transcription service provider is a very important process. The person/company providing transcription services needs to have a clear understanding of the customer's requirements in terms of subject matter, formatting, style of transcribing, and turn around. Cost is usually based upon both turn around as well as the quality of the audio/video to be transcribed. To achieve this understanding, the customer clearly needs to communicate the requirements and the transcription service provider needs to assure whether these can be met.

Outsourcing transcription allows a business to save on the cost of having an in-house employee for this function. The business will only be paying for what needs to be transcribed while saving on the salary and all other benefits that need to be paid to a regular employee. Most transcription service providers offer transcription services 24/7 hence mitigating the problem of weekends and other holidays affecting work.

There are numerous online transcription service providers. It is a simple matter to visit the websites of these transcription service providers and upload the audio/video that needs to be transcribed. Transcripts are generally emailed back within a specified number of days depending on the turn around package chosen.