Arne Baek, 52, runs a carpentry business with five skilled carpenters and three apprentices. Arne is manager, day-to-day head as well as administrative director all in one person. He spends most of his working hours with his colleagues on construction sites. Naturally, he wants to be well equipped, and apart from his toolbox, his equipment consists of a mobile phone, which he practically never puts down, and a Voicebird.

Arne is known to be a master of multi-tasking, and notes from his calls used to stick to everything from DIY centre receipts to the back of wallboards.

“Today my Voicebird is as important as my rule. It may not be particularly good at measuring things, but it can record and save all my phone conversations so I don’t miss important details.”

At the moment, Arne and one of the carpenters are installing new windows in a villa. Today they are working alone because the apprentice is in school. This creates a bit of extra work because they have to constantly circulate between the car and the villa to get tools and building materials – on top of balancing the windows.

Just as they are about to have a window in place, the phone starts ringing. Arne doesn’t hesitate and instinctively answers it via his headset. It’s a customer asking for an offer on an extension to his house. “One second,” Arne says politely and activates his Voicebird, which is peeping up from his breast pocket. “Alright, now I’m ready, what did you say the measurements were again?”

Over the next five minutes he receives detailed pieces of information about the job so that later in the day he can make an offer. Simultaneously, he and the carpenter guide the window into place, communicating by means of complex gestures and facial expressions. Several times, however, he must assure the customer on the phone, “Sure, sure, I got that…” and, “Yes, I will remember to include that in the offer.”

Throughout the day, Arne receives several inquiries on the phone. But this doesn’t prevent him from getting things done on the construction site.

With one click on the Voicebird’s recording button, Arne makes the device save all vital details. Knowing that new jobs are queuing up gives him a sense of peace.

When the day is over, Arne comfortably goes through all incoming offers on his computer. The Voicebird has recorded all the important measurements and pieces of information for the extension project. This could turn into a very profitable thing, he thinks to himself, listening to the conversation while making notes.