Zero-Defect Voice Files the Next Standard of Excellence?

NHTSA Logo
The new NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines make zero defect voice files more important than ever.  What are zero defect voice files?  At a minimum the voice file must be correctly recorded and labeled.  For example, if a misnamed voice file prompts the driver to “exit left” off the freeway when it should say “exit right” the company could easily become liable in million dollar lawsuits and expensive and embarrassing recalls.
NHTSA is expanding its initiative to reduce distractions from the driver.  This means they want the driver’s eyes on the road and his hands on the wheel. And that means the computer’s voice in the car must speak to the driver clearly and correctly in the split second world of freeway travel to get the driver safely to the destination.
The Association has produced more zero defect voice files than anyone else in the world. The zero defect standard was put in place and perfected when The Association first began recording voice files for Alpine.
Alpine stands for excellence.  So, we established a production line to approach Six Sigma levels of quality. Basically, we isolated everything that could produce errors in sound files and eliminated them. It meant twelve additional steps that most sound studios don’t take. That was twelve years and tens of thousands of voice files ago.  The Association’s performance achieved “most reliable vendor” status with Alpine.
Six Sigma Symbol
The Association has also recorded voice files  for Clarion, deCarta, Honda, Raytheon, JCI, IBM, General Motors, and Chrysler in multiple languages since the beginning of automotive GPS systems.
We take our responsibility seriously.  For example, we apply twelve additional Quality Control steps in the pre-recording, recording and editing/naming of our voice files. Our vendors have come to rely on us for perfect performance.  Many times in a corporate environment one workgroup turns over work to the next group that is not QC’d and errors begin to propagate.  There isn’t a central control point monitoring the process from beginning to end.  That’s where we come in.  We QC the process throughout.  One clients navigation voice tree has involved twenty-two people over the years.  We remain constant as the safeguard of the purity of the fileset.  Though each employee is trying hard to do their best but let’s face it, we are humans and not 100% accurate 100% of the time.  So we serve as a an independent QC control point for our clients’ project managers and their workgroups.
The cost of the zero defect production line seems more expensive than a sound studio that just records voice files.  But when you factor in the cost of a recall, the immense negative PR, or worse a lawsuit resulting from errorless voice files that compromised a person’s safety, we are actually a wise investment for the company.  We have not yet produced a million voice files but we have achieved six sigma quality levels in our production line and we’re proud to help keep the driving public safe.  We take measures no one else does to produce the best voice files for telematics applications. I think that’s why we have the clients we do.

 

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