People are now working digitally and working from anywhere. The internet and mobile technology make for a super effective way to accommodate your work. Devices are portable; apps are available; and online tools are free.
The only things you need are an internet connection and a device to keep you connected to the internet. While there are dedicated hotspot devices for such a purpose, you can easily do it through your smartphone.
Despite the fact that the mobile market expanded to the point where now most of the work is done on the go, AutoCAD remained one of the few software solutions to keep its desktop-first legacy intact.
The folks at AutoDesk definitely recognized the workplace evolution pattern (and even made a mobile version of AutoCAD), but that didn’t change the fact that the art of producing top quality drafts and designs still resides in the realm of the good old mouse and keyboard.
However, engineers and designers still largely belong to that group of tech-savvy people who spend a lot of free time on their mobile phones. Especially youngsters who are just starting out in the business.
That’s exactly why we decided to round up iOS apps that every CAD user needs to have.
It’s no mystery that we’re all about making your paperless transition easier. Regardless of your usual paper-based habits, businesses are increasingly adopting the practice. This slow acceptance and office-changing trend is making a nearly completely digital office more realistic.
Every small step towards a paperless workplace counts, and people are going about it at their own pace. Yet with today being World Paper Free Day, an AIIM initiative that tries to get people and businesses to go paperless for one day, there’s no time like the present to practice one full day without paper!
So we’re taking a quick, light hearted look at where you stand as a paper free advocate, and offering up a few strategies to help you take it one step further to working smarter, more efficiently in the workplace today.
Here’s what you can do if….
Most of you may still using notepads, notebooks and agendas, and that’s understandable. You’re more comfortable with pen and paper. It feels more natural to you than typing on a screen. We get it. But keep in mind that comfort zones can be a disadvantage, and investing over 75% of your work in hard copy ways can make it difficult to go paper free.
For today, take baby steps. For example, to get into the habit of digitizing your schedule, start small by scheduling certain things, like face-to-face meetings or meals in Google Calendar. Or try integrating a few tools into your brainstorming sessions like mind mapping tools. Even project management tools like Trello is simple yet powerful enought to keep your task lists organized and up to date with your team or meeting objectives.
If you’re using sticky notes, you’re on the path towards being paperless—you don’t use entire sheets of paper or spend too much time in notebooks. A scant piece of paper is all that’s needed. While you’re on your way, there’s still the issue of getting you to do it digitally.
An easy way to turn this into a paperless habit? If you’re on a computer, you may as well use your browser. Try quick tricks like turning Chrome into a notepad or creating a Google Doc from your browser toolbar and give yourself access to a digital note with a single click. Also, consider using Sticky Notes on Windows 10 or Notes on Mac straight from the desktop itself. Now’s the time to use those apps, if you haven’t been doing so already.
A picture says a thousand words, and over time a quick digital snap can save you just as many pieces of paper. We wouldn’t be surprised if you’re already taking pictures of information and documents with your phone when there’s no pen or paper to be had. And that’s great! It’s an effective, yet simple method for jotting things down.
Quite obviously, this also comes in handy at the office. For instance, if you want a few hard copy documents on file and don’t have access to a scanner, get a scanning app on your phone. Evernote Scannable, for instance, is convenient and works on your iPhone and iPad. For Android, try CamScanner. Both have great features to work with any type of document you scan into digital form.
You practically have no paper to work with whatsoever. Your work is all within MS Word, MS Excel or some digital file format, which are primarily on your computer. You have everything at your disposal, yet there are times when printing up a document is tempting. Trust us. We’ve been there before.
As a digital worker, you can come across PDF documents that require either conversion, editing or minor modifications. So consider the tools you use. For instance, you may want to set up a document management system complete with an all-around PDF converter tool to keep your work going smoothly no matter what the task.
You’re more paper-free friendly than you realize! Almost all your work is stored online, shared digitally, and being mobile, well, that means gadgets are your main tool for working with documents. The one obstacle that may draw you back to paper is the limited tasks you can perform with light weight tools. If you’re working on a netbook or tablet, web-based tools and apps are your best bet to getting things done.
For this, try curating a good list of online go-to tools. For example, when you have a PDF, there are a few that let you perform PDF tasks in a web browser, no software needed. Also, ensure that you have a way to work with and access your cloud accounts effectively. They’re your main document hubs, so they’re essential to your work.
One last trick? Use the speech-to-text feature on both Android and iPhones for dictations. It’s a convenient mobile alternative to pulling out a notepad. Your keyboard, when activated in any app, will usually have a microphone icon. Tap on that, start talking and you’re good to go.
How are you going paper free today?
You’re all familiar with the concept of the “paperless office.” Who isn’t? It’s the ideal workplace where everything is done digitally. No recycling boxes, no shredders. Although we’re a lot closer to that efficient digital office than we were 10 years ago, it’s no surprise that getting to “paper zero” is tough.
True, our technologically oriented world makes it easy to go paperless wherever we can. Free online tools, integrated cloud services and accessible networks make digitizing workflows simple. Even basic things like drafting documents and communicating with colleagues are already being done digitally with MS Word and email.
And we know that the widely used PDF format makes the transition to a paperless office simple. Lawyers, accountants, and business professionals use the format on a daily basis for legal briefs, bank statements, and official contracts, respectively. The format is secured, credible, robust and accessible. Anyone can easily reuse and edit PDF content by converting it, if needed.
Moreover, paperless offices are appealing because it cuts down on costs. Fees and budgets associated with printing cartridges, file storage, and shredding services can be eliminated. Our mobile driven world is essentially about being paperless, too. Everything can be done on the go without pen or paper with free or low cost apps.
Yet, there are still some things that will always require paper. As one marketing ad reminds us, there are no substitutes for toilet paper!
In fact, a manufacturer of uncoated free sheet paper in North America, launched an advertizing campaign against the growing trend of digital offices known as PaperBecause. And just as the phrase implies, they provide reasons for using paper.
They point out one obvious fact: we still need paper. It’s true. We’re still attached to it. We still write up phone messages on a sticky note, we still read printed pages, we still use photocopiers.
Yet, the humorous videos also make another thing clear. The digital switch is still a work in progress and, fortunately, isn’t about keeping paper around permanently or about abolishing paper altogether. Rather, it’s all about developing a paper-efficient office first.
So before you start getting withdrawal symptoms from going cold turkey on trying to cut your paper usage completely, take your lead from a few of the following tips to make an effective transition:
Taking the first steps by getting some parts of your routine digitized is a great start, but don’t forget to monitor how much paper you’re still using.
Keeping an eye on those levels will help you realize how much paper you can slowly save on without cutting it out completely and all at once.
Any other suggestions you can think of?
Working via the cloud is unavoidable these days. Thanks to mobile devices, we’re finding more efficient ways of working while away from the office. In fact, a common productivity habit these days is to send the document you’re working on to Google Docs so you can edit them from anywhere.
Well, if you’re using Open Office to create those documents, we’ve got a great productivity tip for you. In addition to helping you convert PDF to Open Office, we came across an Open Office extension that will let you instantly export your Open Office files to Google Docs: OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocs (OOo2GD).
OpenOffice.org2Google Docs is an extremely handy plug in that allows you to export, import and update your Writer, Calc, and Impress files to and from Google Docs.
The best part about this extension is that it simplifies the entire process and lets you do it right from within the Open Office suite itself. Take a look.
Installing OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocs
To start exporting your files, you’ll obviously need to install the plug in first. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Download the OOo2GD extension by clicking on the Get it Now button. Save the extension to a location you will remember.
2. In Open Office Writer, go to Tools>Extension Manager…
3. In the Extension dialog, click on Add. Then browse, locate and select the OOo2GD extension you saved in step 1.
Once installed you should see it enabled in the extension list:
4. Restart Open Office. You’ll find the OOo2GD Add-On ready for you to add to your regular toolbar for quick one-click access to the functionality. Place it on your toolbar by clicking and dragging it to an empty spot on your toolbar.
Note: This is toolbar is optional. You can also access the functionality via File > Google Docs & Zoho.
How To Export Your Open Office Files to Google Docs
Now that you have the extension installed, you’re ready to start exporting your files to Google Docs. We put a quick step-by-step tutorial to help guide you through the process. To export your Open Office document,
1. Open the file you wish to export and click on the Export to Google Docs button:
2. In the pop up dialog, enter your Google Docs Account credentials
3. Select Convert to Google Docs format and Autoupdate. This will allow you to automatically set your file up for syncing and editing within Google Docs.
4. Click on OK. OOo2GD will then start uploading your file to your Google Drive.
5. Sign into your Google Drive account and locate the file
6. Click to open the file and you can then edit the document as needed within Google Docs
You can also quickly import Google Docs into Open Office in a similar manner. After clicking on Import to Google Docs, just input your credentials, click on Get list and you can select which file you want imported. Click on Open.
This extension is perfect and convenient for worker bees who need to take their work home with them. It eliminates the hassle of a USB key and toggling back and forth between saved copies. Do you have a favourite OpenOffice extension yourself? Which one helps you out the most?