This time I would like to talk about work efficiency and visualization.
Before COVID-19, I used to print out schedules, to-do lists, checklists, etc. and keep them at hand at all times while working. When I first started working remotely, the problem I ran into was that printing at home was difficult due to security concerns. The first challenge with working remotely was finding a way to do things digitally without printing and without interfering with work.
The most difficult thing was managing detailed tasks.
Gantt charts are not suitable for managing detailed tasks, and external tools cannot be used due to security issues. I spent days trying to find a good tool among the Microsoft apps I use at work. Microsoft To Do lacks a few functions, and Excel is not suitable for task management either.
After trying various things, I came across “Planner” and “Power Automate.”
Microsoft Planner
Monthly email newsletters are a routine task that requires a set flow, but when you are in charge of multiple emails, the tasks you do in a day tend to overlap. For this reason, there were three things I wanted from Planner.
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Calendar view of tasks
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Share a task
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Categorize tasks (completed)
As shown in the image above, Planner can display a calendar or just the cases, and if you register the person in charge, you can also display them by the person in charge. I like how the color changes when a task is completed, making it very easy to understand.
Tasks can be shared, so you can see the progress of not only your own tasks but also your colleagues’ tasks, allowing you to support each other when you miss something or when you are on vacation.
It would have been perfect if I could manage deadlines, but Planner doesn’t have a time management function. Instead, I used the calendar view, which arranges tasks alphabetically, and set a rule to name tasks “Project abbreviation_time_task content,” which allowed me to arrange them chronologically within the same project.
“Planner” seemed very good, but the drawback was that registering tasks was a hassle. I had to register each monthly task one by one, and it took more than an hour just to register them. It was unfortunate that the work to visualize it took a lot of time.
“Power Automate” solved that problem.
Microsoft Power Automate
I learned on YouTube that “Power Automate” is a tool that can automate repetitive tasks and can bulk register tasks in “Planner”. I was really phone number list happy when I was able to bulk register a month’s worth of tasks in just a few minutes by loading a spreadsheet schedule (Excel) into “Power Automate” and running the flow. I was able to say goodbye to the tedious task of registering tasks.
Being able to see my tasks on a schedule means I don’t miss anything even when I’m busy, and it’s also great to be able to cross off a task when I’ve completed it, which gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Snipping Tool
This is a different topic from work efficiency, but as part of my job, I also proofread the contents of emails to make sure they are consistent with the contents of the linked pages.
Although it is called digital, it is still analog work
as it has simply become a screen Its important Use tokens such capture instead of a printout on paper. Previously, I would print out the email manuscript and check the boxes, but since this is not possible with telework, I now capture the entire review b email with a browser extension (add-on), open the captured image with “Snipping Tool”, and use the pen function to put check marks on the captured image. If
you check only with your eyes, it is easy to miss something, so by leaving a check mark to indicate that you have confirmed it, you can leave a mark that you have definitely responded, and
