Outsourcing software development has brought flexibility and process efficiency through AI
Spoken is a Finnish language service company serving customers in the Nordic countries and the Netherlands. The service portfolio is based on subtitles and transcription. Spoken’s services include high-quality video subtitling and transcription of all audio files into text. AI-generated transcription and subtitling are also now available. The company also provides assistance in proofreading and translation. Spoken’s services are widely used by video production companies, public administration, researchers, law firms, and other businesses that need efficient speech recognition and recording solutions.
“Our software development and the addition of new features are smooth because the development team is already familiar with the software. Sometimes we have long periods with little development, and other times there’s a lot to develop. Therefore, the outsourced software development model has been very effective for us, as we can use development resources according to our needs.”
Jukka Ihatsu, CEO, Spoken Oy
Technologies Used:
Symfony
Vue3
Google Cloud
OpenAI Whisper
The need for reliable and professional ongoing development initiated the collaboration
Spoken’s collaboration with Hurja began when Spoken’s in-house developer was leaving, and the company needed a new partner to continue the development and maintenance of its software. It was crucial to find a professional developer to maintain Spoken’s competitiveness and meet its growing customer needs.
“We started the collaboration when our system needed further development after our in-house developer’s contract ended. We scouted providers across Finland and requested quotes from four companies. Hurja’s proposal and expertise matched well with what we were looking for,” says Jukka Ihatsu.
Significant improvements and new features implemented during the collaboration
Hurja took over Spoken’s software and began developing and maintaining the system. During the collaboration, Hurja has made several significant improvements and added new features according to customer requests. Examples of these improvements include:
UX/UI Design and Updating
Hurja designed and updated Spoken’s software interface, making it both visually appealing and functionally efficient. New tools and sections were designed into the system due to AI services, enhancing the interface’s intuitiveness and user-friendliness, which eases daily use and increases user satisfaction. The new features and improvements make the software more user-friendly and efficient, providing a smoother and more pleasant user experience for all users. Previously existing interface sections were also updated to match the new corporate identity. Special attention was paid to the interface’s appearance, whose new modern and clear design enhances the service’s attractiveness.
Billing Integration with Procountor
Integration with Procountor is a significant improvement that enables more efficient and automated billing in Spoken’s system. This integration greatly reduces the need for manual work, as many billing-related functions can now be performed automatically. Reducing manual processes, in turn, decreases the risk of human error, making the billing process more accurate and reliable. The integration makes billing management smoother and faster, freeing up resources for other important tasks. This improvement helps Spoken offer better service to its customers and ensures that billing is always handled timely and correctly.
Utilizing AI
The 2023 integration of OpenAI Whisper brought AI into Spoken’s services, improving speech recognition accuracy and streamlining processes. AI is used both as an aid to employees and as a service offered to customers, saving time and resources. Whisper uses advanced speech recognition technology to analyze audio recordings and convert speech into raw text using AI. This raw text serves as the basis for high-quality end products, such as transcriptions or subtitles. Whisper also identifies speaker changes in video clips and counts the number of different speakers in the clip. This process combines AI’s ability for fast and accurate data processing with human expertise, ensuring that the end result is precise, easy to read, and understandable, allowing Spoken to offer faster and higher quality service to its customers.
Continuous and flexible collaboration keeps things running
Spoken Oy has gained significant benefits from its collaboration with Hurja. Continuous and flexible cooperation has made it possible to keep software development active and to improve its functionalities constantly.
Flexibility and Resource Utilization: The continuous development of software and the addition of new features are efficient because the development team is thoroughly familiar with the software. During long quiet periods, active development is not needed, while sometimes there are extensive development needs. The outsourced software development model has proven to be an excellent solution for Spoken, as it allows for flexible use of resources according to needs.
Precise Attention to Customer Needs: Listening to customer wishes and needs has ensured that Spoken’s software meets the business requirements well. Among other things, a shared Trello board is used, where the customer logs new needs and questions, facilitating communication. This customer-centric approach has improved the quality of collaboration and made it productive.
Utilizing AI: Integrating the AI solution, OpenAI Whisper, has significantly improved the performance of Spoken’s software. The new technology enables accurate and fast speech recognition, enhancing employee efficiency and customer service quality.
“Our several years of collaboration have gone very well! At the beginning, there were communication challenges, but our feedback was considered, and things improved. Development work is done entirely according to our wishes, making the software perfectly suited to our needs,” says Jukka Ihatsu.
The collaboration between Spoken and Hurja is an example of how outsourced software development can bring significant advantages to a company. Hurja’s expert and flexible service has allowed Spoken to focus on its core business while its software continuously develops and improves. This collaboration has given Spoken a competitive edge in the market and improved its ability to serve its customers even better. The utilized technologies particularly support the scalability, reliability, and performance of Spoken’s software. Especially with new AI solutions, Spoken can offer top-level language services to its customers, meeting today’s demands and exceeding customer expectations.
Are you looking for a reliable partner for ongoing development of your existing software? We can offer you extensive experience, strong insight, and innovative solutions. We are a reliable and flexible partner with whom collaboration runs smoothly. Don’t hesitate to contact us!
