Intelligent-Ware.com the Blog – Page 5 – Dale Callow's rants, raves, and code

Enhancing Office Productivity With Google Chrome: The 12 Best Extensions To Improve Your Workflow

February 14, 2022

2:39 pm

Comments Off on Enhancing Office Productivity With Google Chrome: The 12 Best Extensions To Improve Your Workflow

Browser Extensions, Chrome, download, Google, Mobile Phones, protect information

Working from your computer or smartphone is convenient, but it can also be distracting. To maintain productivity, you should install effective Google Chrome Extensions.

Google Chrome is arguably the most popular browser on the planet. It’s best known for allowing faster loading of websites, optimized performance, and an intuitive interface. As a result, it can help your team complete their daily duties much faster.

However, it raises the same concern as other browsers – ample room for distractions.

Your team members can easily switch to YouTube videos or social media, lowering their productivity. And it can often get out of hand, preventing your staff from meeting deadlines and reducing customer satisfaction.

That said, you can help your employees get back on track and maintain productivity. All you need to do is incorporate practical extensions into your browser.

This article will list the 12 best Google Chrome extensions that can help increase office productivity in your business.

THE 12 EXTENSIONS

EXTENSION #1 – BLOCKSITE

BlockSite can enable your team to stay focused by blocking harmful or distracting websites. This extension is perfect for team members who tend to drift away due to all the online activities that seek their attention.

Some of the web pages you can block access to with BlockSite include social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But if you don’t wish to block them completely, you can limit access to them during breaks.

EXTENSION #2 – ADBLOCK

AdBlock is one of the most widely used extensions for Google Chrome. More than 10 million users rely on it to remove most ads by preventing them from showing up on their screens.

It can also help your team avoid malware-ridden ads, improving their experience in turn by increasing browsing speed.

EXTENSION #3 – LASTPASS

Remembering your passwords can be extremely challenging. Thankfully, LastPass can provide an efficient solution.

LastPass is an effective alternative to your browser’s built-in password manager, generating new passphrases whenever you log into a web page.

In addition, the extension can synchronize passwords across various devices, providing easy access to accounts, credit cards, and form filling.

EXTENSION #4 – EVERNOTE WEB CLIPPER

Although Chrome has a convenient bookmark feature, Evernote might be even more powerful. You can use Evernote Web Clipper to save your internet content for later viewing.

This extension enables you to easily save your web content and transfer it to your account. With just a few clicks, you can obtain images from any website, create summary links, save a distraction-free version of web pages, and make annotations.

EXTENSION #5 – POCKET

Another effective way to track your online content is through Pocket. This extension can also let you save articles, web pages, and videos for later use.

Whenever you come across interesting content, hit your Pocket extension and you’ll automatically save it on all your devices. You’ll then be able to access it whenever you want, even if you’re offline.

EXTENSION #6 – MOMENTUM

Momentum isn’t a standard extension. Rather, it’s a custom-made page to replace your default landing page.

It has a robust, personalized dashboard with a beautiful scenic background, inspirational quotes, weather reports, widgets to favorite sites, and to-do lists. Therefore, it doesn’t just help enhance productivity – it can also motivate your team members to keep grinding.

EXTENSION #7 – GOOGLE KEEP

Google Keep is a powerful extension that can allow your team to organize their data neatly. Its primary purpose is to help users create to-do lists and take notes. It also works great for saving pages, images and adding notes to them. Plus, it can make voice memos to simplify notetaking.

To further improve note organization, users can market them with colors and labels. This way, there’s no time wasted when looking for crucial notes.

EXTENSION #8 – CLOCKIFY TIME TRACKER

Monitoring workplace performance is critical, and Clockify Time Tracker is the ideal extension for this.

As the name suggests, it tracks time spent on specific activities. Your staff can later use the results to analyze their productivity levels and determine their weaknesses.

The extension lets users schedule break intervals, operate in pre-set work periods, detect idle time, set reminders, and integrate with more than 50 business apps.

EXTENSION #9 – STAYFOCUSED

If you want your team to stay away from distracting websites but don’t want to remove them altogether, StayFocused may be the answer.

This extension can help your employees avoid distractions by limiting the time they can spend on them.

What’s more, StayFocusd comes with a handy Nuclear Option. It sets the time during which your team can’t access certain websites. Once you activate this option, there’s no way to deactivate it until the time expires.

EXTENSION #10 – NOISLI

The main purpose of Noisli is to enhance your team’s productivity. It allows you to select the sound combination your staff finds most inspiring. This can include falling rain, storms, wood noises, wind, crickets, fire crackling, and coffee shop chatter.

Noisli can be particularly useful if your team works in open offices where background noises often cause distractions.

EXTENSION #11 – HYPERCONTEXT

Hypercontext is an extension that can help teams maintain high performance by combining engagement measures, quarterly priorities, and weekly meetings.

The platform enables you to create collaborative, one-on-one meetings, access conversations starters, and elicit feedback from each team member. You also get a feature that can help limit social media distractions and encourage your staff to prepare for their meeting.

EXTENSION #12 – TODOIST

Todoist is a straightforward yet helpful task manager. It can help users monitor their projects and tasks by delegating or organizing them from your browser.

This extension is a terrific option for tracking multiple deadlines. After all, it can set due dates and help you prioritize specific tasks accordingly.

TAKE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH GOOGLE CHROME

Streamlining office productivity isn’t just about providing your team with cutting-edge computers and advanced software. It also has to do with installing appropriate extensions on your web browser.

We’ve given you many options for Google Chrome with this article. It’s now up to you to decide which ones work best for your company. Remember that by incorporating them into your business, your workforce should become more efficient.

Give us a call if you want to find out other tips to help boost employee productivity. We can have a non-salesy chat about it.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Increasing Your Office Productivity With Streamlined Android Apps – The 3 Best Solutions

by Dale

February 6, 2022

4:49 pm

Comments Off on Increasing Your Office Productivity With Streamlined Android Apps – The 3 Best Solutions

Productivity, Technology

Android, Computer, G-Suite, MS-365, Productivity, Workplace, WPS Office

Is your team also using their Android mobile devices to do their tasks? Incorporating an Android suite of apps into your workplace can dramatically improve productivity.

Many organizations opt for Android to take their office productivity to the next level. After all, they can provide higher flexibility, better workflows, and efficient communication.

All sectors in your business can even benefit from a high-quality suite of Android apps.

For instance, your account representative can use an app to update client information while on sales calls instead of making notes and submitting the information later. This can save a lot of time and can reduce errors that can occur due to extra steps.

Another great thing about these apps is that they help reduce paperwork. Your team won’t have to wait until they go back to the office to fax, print documents, and maintain hard-copy files. They can perform these tasks on the go with less effort, all while also lowering ink, power, and paper consumption.

Numerous companies have gained a lot from using Android apps on their team’s devices, and you can reap the benefits, too. You just need to integrate a powerful yet intuitive suite of apps.

To help you do so, this article will detail the three best Android app suites for boosting office productivity.

THE THREE APPS

APP #1 – MICROSOFT 365

Unlike Microsoft Office (a one-time purchase), Microsoft 365 is a subscription service. With Microsoft 365, you don’t have to worry about paying full price when a new update rolls out.

Subscribers automatically gain access to new features, security updates, and tech support (at no additional cost). These can all be accessed through multiple PCs, tablets, smartphones, and Mac devices.

How many devices exactly? This depends on which Microsoft 365 plan you subscribe to. There are currently 4 business plans and 4 enterprise plans, so you can always tailor your subscription to optimize your return on investment.

Microsoft 365 is probably best described as a productivity hub. It provides much more than convenient access to the Office desktop apps that most people are familiar with: Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Subscribers also gain access to a holistic suite of productivity-boosting features:

Inbuilt professional email and calendaring
Store and share files from multiple devices, with 1 TB of online storage per user.
Collaboration tools: Microsoft 365 Groups, Yammer, and Microsoft Teams
Advanced security and device management: Microsoft 365 Defender

You can also consider pairing Microsoft 365 with other productivity tools like Windows 365 (aka “Cloud PC”) and Windows Analytics.

There is also the option of integrating third-party apps with Microsoft 365 In September 2021, Microsoft unveiled third-party integration options for Salesforce and Atlassian’s Confluence Cloud. They join other popular third-party apps like Slack, Mailchimp, Trello, and Evernote.

APP #2 – GOOGLE WORKSPACE

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is probably Microsoft 365’s main competitor. Subscribers gain access to a suite of communication and collaboration apps.

These include worldwide favorites like Gmail, Gdrive, Google Meet, and Calendar, as well as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, and more.

Google offers three business plans (Business Starter, Standard, and Plus) and one Enterprise plan (with custom pricing). Since you subscribe to Google Workspace on a monthly basis, there is more flexibility here. You can easily change from one plan to another each month if your business changes considerably over time. Furthermore, all Google Workspace plans feature a free 14-day trial. This is probably the best way to discover if a particular plan is worth the monthly price tag.

It is worth noting, however, that Google Workspace’s entry-level plan (Business Basic) only comes with a measly 30GB of storage per user. (Microsoft 365’s equivalent offers 1TB). Google Workspace’s Business Standard and Business Plus plans are nevertheless very competitive as far as storage is concerned. And both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace allow you to buy more storage on a per-user basis if you exceed your current quota.

If your business needs specific apps that go beyond Google Workspace’s core and supporting apps, you can head over to The Google Workspace Marketplace. This directory of third-party apps contains hundreds of additional apps that are compatible with Google Workspace. For example, Dropbox, Trello, HelloSign, and MindMeister.

APP #3 – WPS OFFICE

WPS Office can be a huge boon in your workplace, supporting nearly 50 languages. It’s free to install and consists of Spreadsheet, Presentation, and Writer. You can also purchase more features.

Unlike the other apps, WPS Office can even convert PDF to WPS and read Adobe files. This app supports several file types, including HTML, TXT, PPTX, DOT, RTF, and DOC. All documents are compatible with Google Docs and Microsoft Office.

Furthermore, WPS Writer lets you securely store your documents with passwords. You can also edit your files without the risk of data loss due to the auto-save feature. Additionally, the app comes with a spell checker, comments, and it can track changes.

That said, WPS Writer might be the strongest app for boosting office productivity on the Android platform.

OPTIMIZE YOUR WORKPLACE WITH CUTTING-EDGE ANDROID APPS

While all three suites are an excellent choice for Android users, Microsoft 365 might be your best bet.

It delivers the tools necessary for fruitful collaboration, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. The ongoing customer support is admirable, too, meaning you can overcome setbacks quickly. With that said, it is always best to carefully consider all your options before committing to a productivity suite for the long run.

Whichever app suite you choose, it is evident that addressing workplace productivity is pivotal. The trend towards digitization has influenced even the most skeptical and change-resistant.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote and hybrid working across multiple industries and countries. While everyone is undoubtedly looking forward to a post-pandemic future where the virus has finally been vanquished, it is evident that a new paradigm of work, management, and productivity will also be at hand.

If you wish to increase your business’s productivity and profitability, give us a call today. We can have a non-salesy chat to work out how we can be of help.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Improve Workplace Productivity With Microsoft Word: 11 Tips To Make the Most of This Program

by Dale

January 30, 2022

10:04 pm

Comments Off on Improve Workplace Productivity With Microsoft Word: 11 Tips To Make the Most of This Program

Productivity, Technology

Computer, Documents, MS Word, Productive, Word, Word Processor

Microsoft Word is an indispensable part of most business environments. It has numerous features that can help you boost productivity.

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular office programs in the world. It allows millions of people to complete their duties more efficiently.

Whether you’re a beginner or advanced user, you can use the software to create many different documents. The list includes business letters, resumes, flyers, marketing newsletters, labels, plans, employee reports, and seminar documents. Best of all, you can print and share them within seconds.

It’s easy to see why most companies rely on Word. But the reality is, many people haven’t tapped into the full potential of this tool. It’s chock-full of features that can help you be more productive, yet not a lot of people know about them.

This article will provide 11 tips on making the most of Microsoft Word to enhance your workplace productivity.

THE 11 TIPS

TIP #1 – SWITCH TO AN ONLINE WORKSPACE

One of the best things about Microsoft Word is that you don’t have to install it on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. The office.com website allows you to sign in with your Microsoft account and use Word Online, the online version of this program.

This is especially useful for people with limited storage on their devices since Word can be hefty. It uses around 1.2GB of storage space for Mac and 2.10GB for Windows.

It provides the same functionality without taking up space on your device.

TIP #2 – COLLABORATE EFFICIENTLY

Word allows you to edit the same documents simultaneously. You only need to save your file to your OneDrive account, use the Share function, and send it to your colleagues. People who receive the link can then edit the file with Word Online or the desktop app.

TIP #3 – INTEGRATE WITH DICTATE

Businesspersons do a lot of writing throughout the day, including responding to emails and creating presentations. This can cause both physical and mental fatigue. Using speech-to-text can be much easier, and this is where Dictate comes into play.

This Microsoft Garage add-in for Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook converts what you dictate to writing with advanced speech recognition technology. As a result, your fingers can finally take a break from all that typing.

TIP #4 – ESTABLISH EDITORIAL CONTROL

The Track Changes feature in Word enables you to monitor all the edits in your document. You can find it in the Review tab, and clicking it allows you to see all changes other users made.

Best of all, you can also accept your employees’ suggestions so that you don’t have to do all the work.

TIP #5 – USE LINKED NOTES

Facing deadlines is no fun when you can’t find the motivation to compose your articles. The best way to get around this problem is to keep your thoughts in OneNote. This program allows you to compose quotes and thoughts to keep your articles spotless.

To further improve your experience with this program, be sure to use Linked Notes.

Linked Notes enable you to place OneNote to the side of your screen. You can create Word articles and take your notes in OneNote simultaneously. This way, you can stay organized and focused.

TIP #6 – RESEARCH WITH SMART LOOKUP

Word’s Smart Lookup feature lets you perform online research while working on documents. Consequently, there’s no need to type in your query in a different tab.

To do it, highlight a word or phrase, right-click it, and choose Smart Lookup from the following menu. Word will then perform a Bing search and display the results in the right section of your display.

TIP #7 – PROTECT YOUR VISION WITH CONVENIENT ZOOMING

One of the biggest obstacles to productive work is eye strain caused by sitting too close to your screen. To resolve this issue, use the zoom feature.

Look for the slider in the lower-right part of your document to find the ideal setting, or press the Windows and Plus keys on your keyboard. Use the setting that feels most comfortable to you, as it can help prevent eye fatigue.

TIP #8 – INCORPORATE ICONS

Your documents need to be readable. Since most people focus on your images and headings, you should give them some artistic value.

Word’s Icons will help you accomplish this. They are a simple way to draw the reader’s attention to crucial information without cluttering your document. With it, you can help improve the readability of your files, meaning readers – whether you or a teammate – won’t have to look for distinct words or phrases.

TIP #9 – FORMAT YOUR FILES

The Styles section comes with ready-made text formatting options to help customize your documents more easily. Furthermore, you can add your own styles or frequently used ones.

By saving your preferences, you can incorporate them anytime without manually formatting your documents.

TIP #10 – LOOKUP AND USE IMAGES FASTER

With Word, you don’t need to open a web browser to find the perfect photo for your files.

Just place your cursor in the section where you wish to insert an image, navigate to the Insert tab, and choose Online pictures. Select the suitable image to add to your file, and it can become more visually appealing instantly.

TIP #11 – EDIT YOUR PDFS

You might think that you need to download and install PDF editing software to edit your PDF files, but that’s not the case.

Word has a convenient PDF editing feature that lets you quickly change your documents. This can save you a lot of time and prevents you from installing potentially malicious apps.

But before you start, note that you’ll need to convert your PDF file to a format compatible with Word.

STAY ON TOP OF YOUR DUTIES WITH MICROSOFT WORD

Microsoft Word is a must-have if you want to improve communication and collaboration in your business. It allows you and your team to create documents easily to facilitate correspondence with crucial clients.

But while using Word, be sure to utilize the above features to speed up document creation. You’ll then be able to work more efficiently and switch to other tasks faster.

That said, there are more ways for you to increase productivity when using Microsoft Word. To find out more tips, feel free to contact us. We can have a no-obligation chat about it.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press.