No matter what kind of job you have, getting as much done as possible during the time you have is probably a priority. By automating some of your typical tasks, you’ll use technology to your advantage, thereby maximizing your productivity.
1. Accomplish multiple things with one click
Some automation programs allow you to set triggers that set off more than one action at once, like a chain reaction. For example, you might use one of these programs to automatically send attachments to Dropbox when you receive files in your inbox.
IFTTT is one option to consider. It works with many of the apps you use daily and even has compatibility with smart speakers and light bulbs.
2. Break down language barriers
Language barriers are frustrating for everyone involved and can make it significantly more difficult and time-consuming to make business arrangements, describe services or nail down the details of upcoming meetings when speaking to people who speak a different language than you.
Before your next chat with a foreign client, consider downloading iTranslate. It recognizes the words you speak into your smartphone and automatically converts them into text your recipient can read.
Moreover, iTranslate has a Safari browser extension that instantly translates entire websites into a language you can read. Whether you’re preparing to book a hotel room for a business trip or doing research on websites that don’t have English language equivalents, iTranslate could save you precious time.
3. Improve your inbox management
Dealing with email is one of those things that most professionals must take care of at some point during the workday. It might seem like a small, rather mundane task, but time spent on it can quickly add up.
Many email providers already incorporate automation into their offerings. Gmail got a recent redesign that includes many AI-powered features that nudge users to answer time-sensitive messages and even analyze the content of the email body to serve up suggested replies.
Many companies also offer AI email helpers that help with specific things, such as helping you find communication threads or sorting your emails.
4. Get a virtual receptionist
Perhaps you’re part of a small business that doesn’t have a front desk worker to handle phone calls. Or maybe you’re a self-employed person taking care of all the responsibilities of running a business on your own. In cases such as these, a virtual assistant can automate tasks that would otherwise require at least one person.
Automating routine duties with the help of a virtual assistant allows businesses to focus on higher-value tasks such as lead nurturing and customer service. With automation, responsibilities such as answering calls and transferring them to other departments get handled without having a negative impact on other operations.
AccessDirect offers several virtual receptionist solutions for businesses that want to utilize their human resources better than ever while continuing to help people who reach out by phone.
5. Fill in forms faster
Whether you’re ordering office supplies or populating a registration form to beta test a new tech tool, repetitively entering details like your name, address and workplace waste more time than you might realize. Plus, many people consider it boring.
Also, there’s the chance you could make typos, meaning that things you order never arrive or your credit card gets declined due to an improperly typed number.
Services such as LastPass fill out forms for you based on information entered previously. Then, you can get them completed in a few clicks instead of dozens of keystrokes.
6. Posting content on social media
No matter if you’re a social media manager or someone who publishes material to your company’s social media accounts from time to time, there’s no reason to keep doing it manually.
The more extensive your social media presence, the more time it takes to keep all your profiles current. Moreover, it’s not always easy to remember to post things on time.
By bringing automation into your social media mix, it’s possible to publish content on all your social media feeds at once and even schedule posts, so you can take a “set it and forget it” approach to your social feeds. Buffer is one possibility among the many social media automation suites to consider.
Bring Automation Into Your Workspace
If you’re still manually doing all or most of the tasks mentioned above, now is the time to make a change.
The services above are good starting points to explore as you look for fruitful ways to use automation to boost your workplace productivity.
