There are so many communication and organization tools available today. Which ones do you use? When it comes to this type of programs most users think about email, instant messenger, a scheduler and internet telephony with Skype.
It can be a hard task to add all different data, like appointments, notes, tasks and contacts into a single tool and don't lose the overview. This often results into several tools, one for its own type of data. This way of organization may result in a higher level of confusion. When your different tools aren't synced with each other, you need to ask yourself which program is holding the information you currently need.
Is it hard for you to get a contact's private phone number when you're talking to someone else at phone? How difficult is it to find a meeting time for, let's say 3 people? How often do you have to talk to them until you have all agreed on a date and time? These are just some typical examples, where a good tool can help you save time. You may think of using Excel for this job. Many users try to manage their day this way. But keep in mind: Excel was designed to calculate, not to organize your day. There are much better approaches.
You should better consider using a Personal Information Manager (PIM). PIMs are designed to ease your daily personal and business work. Your output will rise with less effort.
Some PIMs are able to create a network which enables you to share information with others. Finding a free meeting time becomes a one click action, contacting others, too. When it comes to PIMs most users think about Microsoft Outlook. As Outlook offers the richest set of functions, it's also the most expensive one. Some cheaper alternatives and especially designed for individuals or small companies are Pimero, iCal or Do-Organizer.
It can be a hard task to add all different data, like appointments, notes, tasks and contacts into a single tool and don't lose the overview. This often results into several tools, one for its own type of data. This way of organization may result in a higher level of confusion. When your different tools aren't synced with each other, you need to ask yourself which program is holding the information you currently need.
Is it hard for you to get a contact's private phone number when you're talking to someone else at phone? How difficult is it to find a meeting time for, let's say 3 people? How often do you have to talk to them until you have all agreed on a date and time? These are just some typical examples, where a good tool can help you save time. You may think of using Excel for this job. Many users try to manage their day this way. But keep in mind: Excel was designed to calculate, not to organize your day. There are much better approaches.
You should better consider using a Personal Information Manager (PIM). PIMs are designed to ease your daily personal and business work. Your output will rise with less effort.
Some PIMs are able to create a network which enables you to share information with others. Finding a free meeting time becomes a one click action, contacting others, too. When it comes to PIMs most users think about Microsoft Outlook. As Outlook offers the richest set of functions, it's also the most expensive one. Some cheaper alternatives and especially designed for individuals or small companies are Pimero, iCal or Do-Organizer.
About the Author:
Gerard Schwabe is lead tech developer at soft-evolution, an innovative provider of team management software Pimero.
