Time management. Science and technology

Time management. Science and technology.
It's no secret that technology can help keep workers on task and improve their time management skills -- just imagine the length of time it used to take to send a message to someone via postal service, versus the now-instant gratification of email. But as you attempt to uncover the importance of technology on time management, you must also examine ways to make sure the technology doesn't get in your way.

PaperworkImagine the mounds of paper that used to litter the offices of accountants, newspapers and nearly every other business. With the advent of technology, there's no longer the need for all of that mess, which requires manual cataloguing in order to find the right piece. Technology -- including even the most basic email or word processing software -- allows us to keep that same information in a digital format, and best of all, allows us to search for it by title and keyword so it's there when we need it. The ability to find the information quickly when we need it is a big time-saver.
Calendars
Many companies and individuals find great success in managing time by using online scheduling, calendars and time clock technology. A calendar kept on a personal device such as an iPhone or BlackBerry can be synched with a larger company or business calendar, thereby saving time in entering the information in multiple locations, or having to inform co-workers about your whereabouts. By using these tools, other workers know when you're in or out of the office, when you have a meeting set up and other information that keeps them from spending time tracking you down.
Challenges
There's no doubt that the number of productivity and planning tools out there are many -- in fact there can be so many that the technology itself can get in the way of productivity. According to one study by the research firm Basex, the average attention span of workers is about three minutes, so the challenge here is to use the tools you have appropriately, and to be conscious of time-wasters disguised as time management tools. For example, if you're using Tweets or Instant Messages to send out notes to co-workers, don't get caught up in looking at the tweets or IM's of a bunch of people who don't have anything to do with the task at hand. Just use the tool for the work-related purpose.

Ways to Improve
It's important to keep some things in mind to make your tools don't end up costing you even more time. First, unless you're a company that specializes in staying on the cutting edge of technology, don't be the first to test-drive a new technology tool. New programs -- sometimes called beta releases -- are often fraught with bugs that need to be worked out by the first set of users. Instead wait for a later release of that technology. Also develop a time management plan for you and other workers. Map out your days in the same way you map out your daily calendar; decide how much time you'll spend on email, Facebook and reading the news, and stick with those times. Also schedule a regular assessment of what's working and what's not; you don't want to keep a technology around if it's actually costing you more time.
Summary: Get to know how you can manage your task-time properly with the assistance of this article. Not only that, but you can also have access to various time management tools, like a time calculator, to manage your time efficiently. It will keep you in a routine with the work you are carrying out.