In the world today, we have access to a plethora of digital tools to make our lives easier. There is an app for everything and we carry more technology around in our pockets than it took to get to the moon in 1969. When it comes to a business setting, we need to know how to use these tools to our advantage to increase productivity and efficiency.
Digital communication associate Chris Wilkey had the privilege of presenting over this topic at the Indiana Society for Association Executives annual conference. He wanted to share a few of the tools that can help any professional on a daily basis to save time and to accomplish more.
Passpack™ – www.passpack.com – Free and Paid Accounts
Passpack is a secure password database that can be used to store and recall usernames and passwords. This free service has multiple layers of encryption including username, password, and even a packing phrase. It also allows you to share passwords between team members, while also giving you the ability to revoke access if an employee leaves or changes roles.
Hootsuite™ – www.hootsuite.com – Free and Paid Accounts
Best known as social media aggregator, Hootsuite is your one stop shop for all things social media. It allows you to bring in multiple social media networks, monitor activity on each network, and even allows you to schedule posts for future posting. It is a fantastic tool to use if you manage more than one social media platform or if you work with a team of people. Hootsuite also includes some great analytical reports that can show your progress on social media.
Dropbox™ – www.dropbox.com – Free and Paid Accounts
Dropbox is one of many cloud based storage solutions on the market today (other include Box, Google Drive, etc). It allows you to share project files with others in your company and/or outside resources. The administrative controls allow you to share documents through links and through email invitations. There is even a desktop application that allows you to use Dropbox like an additional folder on your computer (much like My Documents or a server folder).
Warning: One major issue companies have with adding new digital tools is trying to add too many tools all at once. The overload of technology is bound to cause workflow issues and other challenges such as training and transitioning data from old systems. Each tool has a specific function. Be sure to use the right tool for each job and take gradual steps to implement that tool in your company.
If you would like to see all of the tools that were a part of the presentation Chris gave, you can access the slide deck here.