In today’s busy work environment, we want to make sure that we can get to our data whether we are at our desks or on the go. CSRA business professionals all have their own workflows that make their organizations run smoothly.
Apple was a forerunner when developing applications that synced your data among your desktop computer to your iPhone and tablet to make sure all your data was always accurate with iCloud. Since the introduction of the first iCloud account in 2011, many advances in collaboration apps have been introduced and have expanded to the PC through your Microsoft 365 account or using Google for their cross-platform solutions of workspace applications. Google is useful because whether you have a Mac or a PC, you’ll be able to sync your data.
If you’ve been to any of our recent ABD events or have watched any of our video coverage from our panel discussion back in January, you’re familiar with Auben Realty and the Executive Director Of Sales & Commercial Leasing, Janie Peel. We were able to sit down with the Queen of Downtown and All Around to ask her about their workflow. They use both Microsoft 365 and Google to handle much of their collaboration workflow.
If you have a subscription to Microsoft 365, you probably appreciate the practical nature of Microsoft products. Excel is a common software for businesses because it has so many practical applications, especially when you consider the use of formulas to expand the usefulness of your data. Formulas turn your data into valuable reports to track your business operations better. Other practical uses of Microsoft 365 are the commonly used Word, Powerpoint, Teams for meetings, Outlook, OneNote for note taking and OneDrive for cloud storage.
Auben Realty also uses Google for many of their processes. Janie says that she likes using their products because they have such a great assortment of applications and their abilities to share documents with her team. Google has an application for almost any project. Whether you are looking to take your email on the go using Gmail, have a meeting using Google Meet, establish a work chat using Google Hangouts, store your data in Google Drive, or collaborate with your team’s data on platforms that are basically an online version of Microsoft Word or Excel in a couple of products called Google Docs or Sheets. You can even share documents using Google Photos or Google Docs to make sharing large files even more convenient. Just in case you were wondering, no I am not trying to sell you on Google, but I do find that it helps make the workday much more efficient. Janie and her team would agree.
An additional workflow application that you may not have heard of that Auben Realty and Janie’s team uses is a product called Metronome. This platform of applications is available on desktop computers, tablets, or cell phones and is a cloud-based business platform for CEOs, leaders, and business coaches. There is a cost associated with this platform, but it could add some real value to your workflow by saving you time. It has a dashboard to keep all your team’s data in one place and shared it among the group, further helping your team to collaborate.
Taking your data with you is key in today’s fast-paced workplace and hopefully, these tips will help you in deciding which apps to consider when looking to finetune your business processes for efficiency and collaboration.
Erin Campbell has worked in and around technology, media, and digital marketing in some aspects throughout her entire career. She loves being able to share that knowledge with you to help you succeed in business and in your career.
If you have ideas for technology in the workplace and how it can help you be more productive, send her an email at erin@augustabusinessdaily.com
