Category: Productivity

Technology has made life easier for everyone, but how has it transformed the daily tasks of an IT Project Manager?

To put it simply, advancements in hardware, software, and all other areas have changed the way project managers used to work. The technical project managers are now able to achieve more in less time. From seamless task management to collaboration, and performance analysis to accurate reporting, technology has made the life of every PM much easier now.

In this article, we will look at the revitalizing role of technology in project management.

Collaboration

The trend of remote work has come into force in the past few years. Also, the pandemic has accelerated the situation and project managers are supposed to work located in different parts of the world. In this, technology has played a vital role in bridging the communication gap. Enhanced accessibility and insistent communication have become possible without any distortion. The team members are also working from home and project managers can communicate with each member at any hour of the day or night.

The cloud collaboration tools allow project managers to communicate in real-time, schedule meetings, send documents, and organize interactions seamlessly. During work-from-home, project managers have been using communication tools such as Zoom, Skype, Slack, Google Meet, Microsoft Team, etc. to discuss the tasks for the day in stand-ups and schedule the tasks for the whole day. 

Increased Productivity at Work

Project managers are working on multiple projects at the same time. Each project could be of different nature with its own challenges and complexities. It becomes hard to manage, monitor, and report the tasks of each project efficiently. To optimize the way of work, the project managers often organize the PC in such a way that they can navigate to the folders and files easily.

Some challenges faced by project managers include:

• It becomes very hard to keep track of all the tasks of each project separately.
• The organization of multiple projects on one PC is very inefficient.
• The use of multiple different desktop apps for different projects becomes incompetent.
• Managing data of all the projects on one PC makes it difficult to track and find when you immediately need it.
• The use of browsers is very messy. The browsers get overflowed with hundreds of tabs of different projects with multiple online accounts that make it hard to sync with the right web pages.
• It is complex to manage the bookmarks, folders, and emails of different projects on one browser.
• The system performance is affected as a result of dozens of apps and browser tabs opened on a PC at the same time.
• It takes an equal amount of time every day to organize the desktop screen with the most used apps, adjust their window size and display position on the screen.

All the mentioned challenges affect the productivity of project managers at work. To address these, SmartWindows is one feature-rich productivity software that assists project managers in managing multiple projects efficiently at the same time. SmartWindows allows you to:

Restore the apps: Organize the screen with the most-used apps, adjust their window size and position on the screen according to your liking. Save the configuration in your SmartWindows profile and restore it any time you need. SmartWindows remembers the window size and position on the screen as you saved the last time.

MS Office File Support: SmartWindows gives full support of Microsoft Office files such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Project, Notepad, etc. So, if you are using any or all of these Office files, SmartWindows remembers the last file you were working on and opens it on restoration. 

Multiple Displays: Create up to 6 displays and make presets on each screen to work in an organized way. SmartWindows allows you to work on a unified interface and gives access to up to 6 monitors with restoration and auto-arrangement capabilities in each display.

Unlimited Profiles: Create unlimited profiles and dedicate each to a specific project. Separate profiles would make data management and tracking easy for each project. Each profile will remember the files you were working on and the positioning of your workspace across multiple displays.

Multi-Browser & Multi-Tab Support: SmartWindows support multiple browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It maintains an active tab history of each browser on each display and profile. You can restore the browsers with respective URLs with just one click.

Benefits of using SmartWindows:

• SmartWindows allows you to work smart and not hard.
• It empowers your Windows 10 and Windows 11 with its enhanced features.
• It auto-arranges all the desktop apps at the same position on the screen with the same window size.
• It eliminates the headache of arranging apps every time you open your computer. With just one click, you are ready to work.
• SmartWindows increases your productivity at work, saves your time and effort.
• Efficient use of a PC makes project management operations easy to operate.
• Reduces the number of excessive clicks to switch between desktop apps. A unified interface gives a 360-degree view of all the apps on the desktop screen. 
• Optimizes the performance of PCs with efficient use of browsers.

Regular Updates and Reporting

One of the responsibilities of project managers includes gathering updates from each team member, evaluating their performance and ensuring regular reporting. Sometimes, project managers are managing a number of projects at the same time and therefore it becomes crucial for them to track the tasks and progress of each project and avoid any delay in the project delivery. Technology has streamlined the cumbersome processes for project managers by giving advanced task and time tracking features in project management software. With this,

• Project managers can track the time of each task
• Determine the status of each task
• Assign tasks to team members accordingly
• Evaluate the performance of each team member
• Collaborate and attach files easily

Project management software such as Asana, Trello, Jira, Zoho projects, etc. are on top and provide enhanced capabilities to ease the life of project managers. 

Easy Access to Data

Cloud-based tools have made it easy for project managers to access their different project-related files from any device and anywhere across the globe. The files are not limited to just office computers. Technology has made it easy to access the files even outside the office. One important thing is that there is no security risk in accessing data from anywhere for the remote project managers. Strong authentication measures and security practices ensure controlled access to data that eliminates the fear of any breach.

Zoho Projects, Asana, LiquidPlanner, Mavenlink, Microsoft Project Online, etc. are some project management tools that secure all the data on the cloud and make access easy.

Data Analytics 

Technology has empowered project managers. The operations that an IT project manager used to do manually can be done automatically in real-time. Advanced data analytics tools allow project managers to look at the performance of each project at a glance. It is one of the project manager’s skills to determine the trends, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the project. Data analytics tools make it easy through detailed visualization and identify the patterns that demonstrate the project accomplishments. Meaningful insights from these tools play a central role in the success of a project.

IBM Cognos Analytics, Microsoft Power BI, and Zoho Analytics are some top data analytics software used by organizations.

Work-from-home has turned everyone to their personal computers to remain productive. If you feel tangled between documents, watching Netflix, browsing, or gaming tabs next to emails, you will be glad to know that SmartWindows can help you separate your work life from your personal life on Windows 10 and 11.

Manage your entertainment life on Windows 10 and Windows 11 by creating separate Windows profiles or displays that give you a customized environment. Empower your productivity and enjoy your personal life to the full with a modern experience. 
The following are some ways to fire up your entertainment profile with SmartWindows.

Create Multiple Profiles

The best way to utilize your personal computer for both work and entertainment is that you create multiple user profiles. Each profile would serve the ultimate purpose of work, games, learning, etc. separately. You can add or remove the user profile on Windows 10 & 11 as well. Moreover, if you have more than one PC user at home, creating multiple profiles can help each user. SmartWindows allows you to create unlimited profiles on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It offers you the flexibility of working on multiple profiles and displays. For instance, a work profile will help you:

• Use multiple browsers (Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge)
• Work on Microsoft Office Files (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Project, etc.)
• Code on IDEs (PyCharm, Visual Studio, NetBeans, Eclipse, Android Studio, etc.)
• Create designs on your favorite software (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)

A dedicated work profile helps you manage desktop applications related to work in an efficient manner. It allows easy access to apps through the visually clean interface. Similarly, an entertainment profile can be devoted to:

• Netflix
• Games
• Music
• Youtube/Streaming
• Online Shopping
• Social Media

And more…

Separate profiles help you manage your personal and work life effectively without jumbling up things and actions. Moreover, SmartWindows gives you the ability to make presets and group the most-used desktop apps on the display screen. Once you have set the layout according to your liking, save the screen configuration in SmartWindows. It also remembers the window size and the display position of all apps on the desktop screen. With just one click, the apps will pull up every time you startup your computer or decide to switch between work and entertainment.

Switch to the work profile when you are on job and similarly to the entertainment profile in your spare time. Make layouts of apps on separate desktops for each part of your life and customize them according to your taste. Imagine having separate desktops for school, gaming, and work.

Use Different Browsers

Now use multiple browsers without compromising the system performance. SmartWindows allows you to use different browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. for defined purposes. Instead of accumulating browsers with hundreds of tabs both for entertainment and work that also slow down the system performance, create two profiles and open browsers and tabs in each separately. SmartWindows also gives you multi-tab and multi-browser support to open browsers in each profile or display for work and entertainment.  

You can also use separate user accounts on browsers. Set one default browser and you can switch to another anytime based on the task you are doing. SmartWindows also gives you the capability to auto-restore the browsers and tabs with one click. You do not need to manually reopen the tabs in each browser separately. Separate the browsers on different profiles to manage activities related to entertainment and work. Moreover, when tabs will be divided into multiple browsers on different profiles, your PC will ensure optimized performance and processing of apps.

Multiple Displays

SmartWindows supports up to 6 displays on each profile. SmartWindows has the ability to restore the app positioning and window size on each screen. You can create customized setups for work and entertainment purposes. You can easily switch between the custom displays and eliminate the headache of finding apps and tabs in the mess. A 360-degree view of all apps will help you to multitask and switch between the apps seamlessly. Now use Windows profiles efficiently to organize your entertainment and work activities.

Make your Windows smarter with SmartWindows and boost up your entertainment and work profiles. Enjoy the custom-built user experience by enjoying the enhanced features of SmartWindows on your Windows. 

Working smartly means getting the desired outcomes in less time. Instead of putting in extra hours and effort, you can do most of the work just by focusing on the way of doing it. Organizing tasks in the most optimal ways, managing time efficiently, prioritization, and automation are some of the skills and tricks that are employed by professionals to get the important tasks done in time.

According to The Economist, France is on top of the list of countries with full productivity at work. It works only forty hours a week with lots of vacations. On the other hand, the United States puts more hours into work with fewer holidays as compared to other industrialized countries but still is not counted as the most productive country. What it means is, productivity does not come with the amount of time you spend at work rather by working smart.   

Why is it Important to Work Smart?

Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, self-employed, or an employee, you constantly lookout for ways that help you do more in less time. There are several reasons why it is important to work smart. 

• Working smart saves time and energy. It allows you to accomplish your goals and all the challenging tasks on time.
• It increases your motivation to work, especially when you meet the expectations seamlessly. 
• It adds value to your work since you are able to get the important and critical work done in time.
• It helps you save time and get more done in less time. Extra time can be used to do other important tasks
• It increases your productivity at work when you are able to meet your objectives in time
• It saves costs and labor. A smart approach eliminates the need for work-intensive tasks
•  Working smart increases your self-esteem and confidence. It allows you to do quality work in much less time.

A smart approach towards working requires changes in procedures, speed, attention, and management. Here we list some amazing tips that help you to work smart and not hard. 

1. Make a to-do list

Identify the routine tasks that you must do each day. Figure out how much time those tasks consume. Set aside 5-10 minutes each morning to update this list. Allocate time and set alarms for each of them. Try to beat the time for routine tasks. It is one of the most important tips to work from home. As there are many distractions when you are working remotely. It is important to curb all those challenges and set a timer to perform each task before time.

2. Stop Multitasking

It is important that you focus on one task at a time. It is a misconception that multitasking increases your productivity at work. One of the time management tips for work is that you do not distribute your attention to a number of tasks. The more focused you are on one task, the quicker you will be able to do it. The reason is that in multitasking your brain is switching between the tasks all the time. It does not only delay the work but also affects the quality. 

3. Automate your Tasks

Technology is there to help us in many of our routine tasks and it is important to leverage its power. The tasks that used to take hours when done manually can be done in seconds through automation. One remote work tip is that you find the best productivity tools and applications that give you more hands at work. SmartWindows is one such productivity application that allows you to create profiles of your desktop applications and browser URLs. When a profile is created, SmartWindows saves all the open applications and their display positions. When a profile is restored, all the associated applications such as Microsoft Office, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge are restored to their display positions. It restores browser tabs and their URLs as well. This makes it really easy for professionals to switch between projects or reopen applications after the computer boots up.

4. Communicate

Communication is an important part of your work. The more you communicate with your team and other departments, the better you can perform your tasks. There will always be a time when you need to work with others. For this, it is important to use this productivity tip and improve your communication skills. It will help you eliminate misunderstandings, unnecessary tasks and save as much time as possible.

5. Stay Focused

Make a habit to stay focused. Empower your concentration and attention towards the tasks you are doing. For this, it is important that you identify the activities and things that amuse you. First, freshen up your mind with them and then start your work. Take regular breaks between the tasks to increase your speed and productivity at work. Some tasks have high priority and do not necessarily demand excessive work. Prioritize such critical tasks over others to get them done sooner and free up your mind.Working smart is a skill in itself. It sets you apart from the crowd. Use these amazing tips to work smartly and get the same results in much less time.