The ever-growing popularity of mobile devices capable of accessing the Internet from anywhere has allowed people to stay in touch on the move in a way that was never possible before. Now, being out of the office no longer means being out of touch with everything that’s happening.
Things went even further with the advent of apps; these handy pieces of software turned smartphones into devices able to perform a wide range of tasks. It wasn’t long before developers started to churn out apps that made our work lives a little easier. So, with that in mind, I’ve drawn up a list of five apps that can help you increase your productivity — both in and out of the office.
1. Google Drive
Cost: Free
Availability: Any device
More info: drive.google.com
In the past, staff in different locations or on different computers weren’t able to access each other’s documents. This became a real issue if a staff member left or went on holiday; if anyone needed to access their computer, there were only so many times they could try to guess their password!
Fortunately, Google has a completely free service that enables colleagues to work together without being together. Google Drive is one of the leaders in free cloud storage, providing 15GB of data to its users. It’s also fully integrated with all of Google’s other services, like Gmail, YouTube and Google Docs.
With a Google Drive account, you can upload your documents and access them on every device you have synced. You can also share them with an unlimited number of colleagues, who can also edit it them, make notes, etc.
2. Evernote
Cost: Free
Availability: Any device
More info: www.evernote.com
Also vying for the cloud storage crown, but with extra enhancements, is Evernote. It not only stores and syncs documents and photos; it also allows you to categorize and share certain tagged documents with selected contacts. In this way, you can ensure that particular groups — such as a sales team — can be supplied with the documents you need them to see. Documents can be grouped by customer, ensuring that you always have the right ones.
Evernote also has a useful Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature, which allows it to understand writing on scanned documents. You can use this in tandem with its easy keyword search to look for documents you’ve scanned by name or text string. If you add in Evernote Clipper, which bookmarks documents where you want them, you have a very useful app.
3. Time Master
Cost: $9.99
Availability: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
More info: www.on-core.com/timemaster
On-Core’s Time Master is one of the most useful apps you’ll come across if you’re a professional who bills by the hour. Available as a stand-alone app, but with a series of optional add-on modules available, Time Master has found a huge following. The app can be set to track via session start or end time, or by duration, and it can run multiple sessions as well, so the user will be able to see a full picture of where they’ve spent their time.
The Quickbooks Export and Synchronization module allows data to be synchronized on two devices and is augmented by an invoicing add-on that allows direct billing from your Apple device. You can produce professional-looking invoices based on hours spent, with your own logos and details embedded, and have them automatically sent to your clients. All from one app!
4. Genius Scan
Cost: Free
Availability: Any device
More info: www.thegrizzlylabs.com/genius-scan or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thegrizzlylabs.geniusscan.free
This handy app is great for those of you who spend a lot of your time on the move meeting prospective clients (while racking up expenses). It essentially turns your smartphone into a portable scanner, allowing you to instantly upload receipts, meeting notes or anything you find interesting into PDF format. You can then send them on to whoever needs to see them or upload them into your chosen cloud storage.
No need to worry about pixelated images or an unprofessional object sneaking into the top left corner of your PDF; Genius Scan also comes with a number of features to help you edit your images to ensure they’re usable later on. One of the most useful is the enhancement option, which turns dull pictures into sharper contrast so you can make things out clearly.
5. LogMeIn Ignition
Cost: $30.00
Availability: Any device
More info: https://secure.logmein.com/products/ignition/
This app is brilliant in its simplicity. LogMeIn Ignition allows users to access their computers (or any computer they have access to) from their tablets, smartphones or other computers. It may not sound like much, but if you want to work on a document and realize, to your horror, that you didn’t upload it to cloud storage, this app becomes a lifesaver. All you have to do is download the software appropriate for your device (don’t worry, these add-ons are free), and away you go, able to access any computer from anywhere.
What apps have you found essential to your productivity on the go? Share your favorites in the comments!
Josh Hansen writes on behalf of Edison Red, a London-based team of experts who help companies and individuals communicate their ideas by improving their presentation skills. They run one-on-one sessions, as well as in-house and open courses, for a wide range of clients, helping them to be the best they can be.
Image: Flickr
