This time of year traditionally marks a period of re-evaluation, when small to mid-sized businesses revisit fiscal plans and budgets for the next six months. This activity includes analyzing the technology solutions already in place and investigating new tools that can enhance these existing investments. A smart business forecast will determine how everything — PCs, smart phones, web browsers — works together to take advantage of cost savings and technological efficiencies.
A streamlined software suite helps employees work faster and more intuitively — whether working on the road or in the office, individually or in a group. As businesses move at a break-neck pace to keep up with the competition, the organizations that will succeed are those that give employees the best options for optimized productivity.
Therefore, the best technology solutions for your company are not necessarily the newest offerings on the market, but those that best fit your company’s vision. Products like Microsoft Office 2010 bring together essential business tools and boost productivity through customizable options that can be tailored to your particular business.
Consider these tips to creatively get the most from technology and boost productivity within your organization:
Stand out by expressing your ideas more visually: Multimedia tools, such as pictures and videos, enhance your presentation, potentially making the difference in closing a deal. Visuals can help make sense of complex data, providing you with the best tools to prove your point. Editing photos and videos has become easier with PowerPoint 2010, which introduces new tools.
Accomplish more through real-time collaboration: When working in groups or co-authoring business documents, use OneNote to get real-time feedback and save a significant amount of time. Use your technology to work on a file with multiple people simultaneously, even from different locations.
Manage large volumes of e-mail: Sort through mass amounts of e-mail or long threads by categorizing content into folders. Simplify your inbox with Outlook 2010 and such tools as Conversation View and Quicksteps. Spend more time addressing time-sensitive requests, rather than finding the appropriate correspondence.
Get things done faster and easier: Store and organize your text, photos, video and audio files in one place and share them with colleagues. Doing so will mean less time searching and more time driving results, allowing you more control and easier access.
Re-evaluating fiscal plans can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. This is the time to think creatively to ensure your business continues to progress and the technology tools on the market right now will help you do just that.
Jane Dickson is a regional general manager for managed partners in Microsoft’s Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners group. For more free technology tips and other valuable information, visit www.microsoft.com/midsizebusiness/default.mspx.
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