Turn process maps into online wizards: gStepOne

If you have a set of procedures that you would like to take someone through, online, then this application by gStepone http://www.gStepOne.com helps you do this. You are taken through the steps of linking any online information, like documents, videos, photos, form etc in a way that takes someone step by step through the process. For example, this could be for ordering a product, doing an expense claim, booking a meeting.

I'm always on the lookout for innovative ways to change how we do business and especially ways that combine know-what with know-how. Imagine if clinical guidelines could be set up using a system like this, where individual patients could have their treatment customised. Of course this would need to be set up on proprietary systems rather than on the Internet. gStepOne - if you're listening there is a market for this.

In the meantime, for non-proprietary procedures and processes this tool can be very useful.

How to send your RSS feed directly to Twitter

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ is the place to be. It is where people turn to get up-to-date information, breaking news and generally hang out. Twitter search is gaining in strength and popularity http://search.twitter.com/ From Twitter, someone can't subscribe directly to your RSS feed from your website or blog. So how can you set this up so what you write on your blog automatically gets sent to your twitter account?

There are a number of "feed" products online that will do this for you.

I use Twitterfeed http://www.twitterfeed.com/. What I like about this is it is easy to use and I can set up multiple feeds. If you make a mistake or get stuck, the help features are good. I got muddled for a while on exactly where to find the address of the feed I wanted to send to Twitter. This helped me through the process. You can configure how often you want the updates to happen and how many updates at a time.

While Twitterfeed is probably the market leader, there are some new systems coming online all the time. Feednest http://www.feednest.com/ is one. Or you can try Pingvine http://www.pingvine.com/ or Tweetmyfeed http://www.tweetmyfeed.net

Google analytics helps me identify business strategies

Watching how your own website is used can become a bit addictive. I'm interested not in how it is being used right now, or in historical information. Now I've been using it for some months it is clear to me that spotting the trends is important. For example, when the map overlay shows a flurry of interest from one country or city then I can expect to get a call from there, or it may be just the place I need to aim some marketing at. Similarly, finding out which pages are most accessed hints at what value people are placing on different parts of it.

Google Analytics takes only 10 minutes to set up. You do need to be the owner of the webiste (or ask your IT department to help). It is really not complicated http://www.google.com/analytics/

Do you know how your website is being used? Do you know how you would use the information to inform your strategy?

Create charts online, then share

ChartTool offers you a number of types of charts, including meter and bubble which are not on the common "Excel" list of options. You can create your chart online using your own data and then share the results. A useful thing to do is to link these to your website - great if you are keeping track of your improvement efforts and want to find a way to share your results.

http://www.onlinecharttool.com/

Tracking computer use for personal productivity

ManicTime have created a personal time management software application. Dead cool it measures what you are doing on your computer, with what software and over what time (including idle time..). You get all sorts of easy to read and useful graphs.

If you're wondering whether your time on your computer is valuable and if you want to find out what you actually do rather than what you think you do - then try this out http://www.manictime.com/

Using voting buttons in Outlook

OK, so this probably doesn't count as "new stuff" though it is new to me and I've since found it useful.

Outlook has an option where you can send an email with the question in the title and then all the recipients have to do is answer the question by choosing one of the options you give them. They do not need to reply. You can also track the responses.

To set up and use the voting buttons, click on the Options tab which is part of the email msg bar (open a new msg and then usually the bottom row has a bar with Options in it). Click the voting buttons checkbox, select the choices from the list, or make your own list. To make your own list, delete one of the lists available and list your own options, with a semi-colon betwene them. To track the responses, open each reply (that tells Outlook to count the responses). Or you can set outlook to track automatically (Tools - Options - Email options - tracking). To see the results open the original email (usually in your sent folder)

When you create an email with voting buttons, make the subject line the question. In the body of the email write something like "Click on the bar as indicated above to give your response. You do not need to reply to this email".

All this sounds a lot more complicated than it is so try it out.

I use this to test whether I am still required to hold a time / appointment, to ask whether more infomration is required and also who is attending a meeting.

(I use Microsoft Outlook 2003)

No acces to the web? Get a page sent to your email inbox

I'm continually finding staff who have web access denied. While I can understand the fear they may spend half the day on Facebook and eBay, they are also missing out on infomration that is available to them and which may help them in their work.

Nice to see someone has found a way round the problem! If you know the web page you want to view (and yes, you need to know the address so you can't go browing - but it is good if someone has sent you a link you can't access) then send a command in the subject to browse@webinmail.com and the system will send you the webpage you wanted to browse in reply to your mail.

You get the page and if you then want to go deeper into the website, then if you click on the webpage buttons the process can be automatically repeated for you.

A clunky way to view web pages but sometimes it has to be done.

www.webinmail.com for more info