Digitalisation is invariably as good as the people using it. Contrary to widespread fears that the transformation of innovative technology for the world of work is about replacing people, it is more about making qualified, skilled personnel even better
Take the construction site as an example: by using networked mobile devices, you instantly accelerate data collection and inspection processes. You make fewer mistakes. Forget the worksheet on the clipboard, indexed plans in the office and sketches in your hand: digitalisation clears up all this chaos. At dawin we’ve gone one step further. We’ve focused on language and translated it into a viable principle in modern software. We’ve defined applications that are ready-made for voice-controlled solutions. We’ve found an initial target group in the area of crop protection and plant breeding and improved their field testing processes. Whether percentage or category scores, value or performance tests – data collection in field testing relies on experienced specialists examining and evaluating relevant plant characteristics so that the experts in product development can analyse and process these indicators. The data are recorded by hand or entered into a computer.
This is where humans come up against their natural limits. Simply put: we only have two hands.
So we are constantly jumping back and forth between the plant assessment and evalation, on the one hand, and the necessary data documentation on the other. The upshot is that data collection in the greenhouse or the field is always being interrupted. Not only is this time-consuming, it is also frustrating, exhausting and leads to errors. And hand on heart: those who are at home in the field testing process know that there are factors beyond their control that also interfere with their work. The position of the sun, wind or rain are just a few of the typical complications of collecting data via paper or monitor. dawin provides practical support in this environment with a complete solution for voice-supported data collection.
test results are dictated directly into a digital table. The navigation also works completely by voice input. This gives you the security of entirely dedicating your senses to a professional assessment of the test object – with no need to switch between object and clipboard, writing pad or tablet. What remains is a framework for flawless, focused work. And since the data has to be converted into digital form for analysis after being collected anyway, there is no reason not to rely on voice-supported data collection. On the contrary. HANDS AND EYES FREE. FOR CLARITY OF MIND. smatrix means letting go. Both literally and figuratively. Of course, the first contact with interactive, digital assistance systems is unusual at first. But using them is a logical step – we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. Manual data entry is being replaced by the most natural and human skill: language. When you take this leap, you experience cognitively and physically that hands-free data entry without looking back and forth at the monitor or clipboard is not only possible, but intuitive. Above all, the adjustment process is far simpler than you might expect. The reason is simple: as soon as you feel that something is beneficial, your habits change. Even habits you might have grown fond of. It has a lot to do with letting go. And that’s exactly why it brings so many benefits.
For us, digitalisation means human progress for human beings.
Voice-controlled software comes into its own wherever technical systems are relied upon to make work easier and to make processes and workflows more user-friendly and human-oriented. It makes use of language and brings benefits through language. However, the uniquely human gift is not the word itself, but the ability to combine words according to certain rules. Only when they are joined together according to a defined grammar do words become meaningful. Applied to the domain of smatrix, to “become meaningful” means to adapt the software to individual needs. As such, smatrix is not a software solution that standardises processes. Rather, smatrix is a flexible solution that can handle any application area and any table structure. After all, workflows vary from customer to customer. The basis is a speech dialogue that is individually adapted to the required workflow – case by case, so the respective user can continue to work exactly the way they are used to. And all this applies regardless of whether the table to be filled via voice originates from some testing software or was created completely freely in Excel. As with all relevant developments, adaptability is key here as well. This goes for the table structure and language – smatrix is currently available in German, English, French, Spanish and Dutch – as well as the platform used. In addition to the currently dominant Windows operating system, an Android version has recently been added, thus meeting the increasing demand for alternative operating systems.
"Language is what makes us human."
—
Jürgen Trabant,
Linguist
