We’ve talked about productivity apps but most of our time is still spent in an office at a computer. And sometimes a mobile application just isn’t the right tool for the job.
A full-featured web app or a dedicated piece of software can be just as powerful for eliminating bottlenecks, automating workflow or making collaboration more efficient.
Here’s a list of some of the most powerful personal productivity software available! But real quickly, let’s look at the definition.
Productivity software refers to applications dedicated to producing and in some cases, storing information such as digital videos, documents, worksheets, charts, computer graphics, presentations etc.
1. Basecamp
Basecamp is one of the most simple and straightforward projects management suites online.
The cheerful interface lets you delegate tasks, replace meetings with discussions and keep everything in one place for even the most complicated projects.
Login to basecamp online or keep up on the go with apps for Windows, Android and iOs.
2. Asana
Asana is an online productivity suite for project management and remote collaboration with a sleek, modernized user interface.
The customizable dashboard and inbox keep you focused on the tasks, including discussions you need to be included in.
It does this with unbelievable personalization and useful integrations to other software services like your email, Slack channels, Dropbox or Google Drive.
This software makes collaboration easier.
3. Rescue Time
Rescue Time works on your desktop computer and phone to track your time habits.
We’ve discussed productivity at length, so having a tool that audits your Internet and app usage can show you where hours of lost productivity are disappearing to each week.
Rescue Time works inside your browser but protects your privacy, while letting you know what services or websites are eating up most of your time. Including when you’re most likely to be distracted!
You wouldn’t spend money without a budget and Rescue Time helps you budget your time wisely.
4. ZenDesk
Customer service is one of the driving forces behind customer loyalty.
But hundreds of support tickets and dozens of representatives can be difficult to manage for even the most seasoned leadership. Automating as much of the workflow as possible keeps customer service departments lean and focused on the big picture.
The perfect mixture of multi-channel support and project management software lets your agents spend their time on the people who matter. By far, this is one of the best personal productivity software on the market for individuals and companies of all sizes.
5. Evernote
Ever since David Allen wrote about the benefits of externalizing your memory, Evernote has taken off as a tool for getting things done.
The tool also has practical purposes for organizational productivity with shared resources, notebooks, project and objective tracking. Also, for in-house discussions and communication with collaborators.
Best of all, you can take this app with you on your laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
6. Google Drive and Office365
As more software moves to the cloud, Microsoft and Google lead the charge with online office software.
Both allow collaboration and sharing of multiple types of documents.
Instead of dealing with lost email attachments and cluttered file systems, you can share folders, as well as allow commenting or editing in real time.
With apps for tablets, mobile devices and powerful online user interfaces, cloud-based document editing is the future of office software.
7. Pocket
Pocket is software that lets you save articles for later!
If you’re distracted in the middle of a workflow but you know you’ll want to read an article or watch a video later, you can put it in your “pocket”.
This software allows you to view web pages offline through your browser or mobile device at another time.
Realistically, you may find that these distractions you thought you had to read during the day aren’t actually important enough to keep up with!
Put those bite-sized articles of entertainment in your pocket and if you don’t get to them later, you’ve saved time in and out of the office!
8. Zapier
Finally, there is Zapier. With the number of specialized solutions and services we use, it was inevitable that someone wanted to join them all together.
This productivity software lets you integrate services with simple “zaps”. Essentially, if this happens, do this action. For example, if an email is received, forward it to this application.
The possibilities are endless with hundreds of integrated web apps and services available on the platform. Create your own zaps or see what others are using to automate time-consuming tasks and bottlenecks.
Author’s Note: Penney Computer Consulting is a computer consulting company helping businesses improve the productivity of their workforce and expanding IT department knowledge.
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