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Perks of using dual monitorsWhile dual monitor setups aren’t as popular as single monitor setups, you should consider working with two screens since doing so has a lot of advantages. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of dual monitors. Enhanced productivity A survey by Jon Peddie Research shows that working with dual monitors increases overall productivity […]

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28 Sep, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020september28hardware_b, business, dual, enhanced, Hardware, improvement, leisure, monitors, Productivity, screen, space, visibility category
Perks of using dual monitors

While dual monitor setups aren’t as popular as single monitor setups, you should consider working with two screens since doing so has a lot of advantages. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of dual monitors.

Enhanced productivity

A survey by Jon Peddie Research shows that working with dual monitors increases overall productivity by 20–30%. Computer programmers, for example, can use one screen for source coding and the other for programming. By using dual monitors, they no longer need to toggle back and forth between tabs. This frees up time to complete more projects.

Better multitasking

Efficient multitasking requires adequate screen space to keep multiple applications simultaneously visible — a view that single monitors alone simply cannot accommodate. With a dual monitor setup, workers like customer service reps and web designers would no longer waste time scrolling up and down and resizing windows to fit the limited space. Instead, the enhanced visibility that dual monitors bring lets them focus on completing their tasks accurately and efficiently.

Easier layouting and image and video editing

With dual monitors, the days of stacking numerous editing tools on top of the newsletter, slide presentation, image, or video you’re working on are long gone. Instead of your screen looking like a game of Mahjong, you can position the editing tools on one screen and use the other monitor for the file you’re working on. With better visibility, you’re less likely to commit errors and more likely to accomplish the task faster.

Effortless product comparison

Imagine that you want to buy a camera, and you have two models in mind. Of course you want to look up and compare their specs before making a final decision.

If you had only one monitor, you’d need to go back and forth from one tab to another. But if you had two monitors, you could view the models side by side to help you clearly see their differences and make an informed purchase.

Want a dual monitor setup for your employees? We can help you roll it out. Contact us today to get started.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Make the most out of Microsoft Word with these tipsMicrosoft Word remains the word processing software of choice for businesses large and small. With Word, you can create a wide variety of documents, from reports to invoices to brochures. Word also has a number of features that, when utilized properly, could greatly enhance your productivity and efficiency at work. Let’s take a look at […]

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23 Sep, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020september23_office_b, collaboration, editing, file sharing, formatting, microsoft, Microsoft Office, microsoft word, Office, onedrive, Productivity, styles gallery, word online, word processor category
Make the most out of Microsoft Word with these tips

Microsoft Word remains the word processing software of choice for businesses large and small. With Word, you can create a wide variety of documents, from reports to invoices to brochures. Word also has a number of features that, when utilized properly, could greatly enhance your productivity and efficiency at work. Let’s take a look at some of these.

Work on Word Online

Don’t have the Word app on your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Go to office.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and open Word Online, the web version of Word.

Collaborate on files

You and your colleagues can now edit the same Word document simultaneously in real time. Simply save the document to your Microsoft OneDrive account, click Share, and send the link to the file to your coworkers. People with the link can access and edit the document using the Word desktop app or Word Online.

Keep editorial control

Use the Track Changes function of Word to monitor all edits made to your document. To turn on Track Changes, click on the Review tab then select Track Changes. When reviewing a colleague’s edits, click Accept or Reject as you see fit.

Do quick research using Smart Lookup

The Smart Lookup feature helps you do online research while you’re working on a document — no need to open another tab and type in a query. Simply highlight and right-click the word or phrase you want to look up, and select Smart Lookup from the menu that appears. Word uses Microsoft’s Bing search engine to conduct a search on the selected word or phrase, and displays the results in a pane that appears on the right side of your screen.

Format your document

The Styles gallery contains predefined formatting options for text. You can also add your own styles, or those you use frequently, to the gallery. By saving your own style preferences, you can apply them anytime without having to manually format everything. Just follow these steps:

Select the text you want to format as a new style (e.g., a heading or a certain phrase).
Specify the formatting you want on the mini toolbar that appears. For instance, click Bold and Red if you want the text to appear as such.
Click the More arrow in the lower-right corner of the Styles gallery. Select Create a Style. This will open the Create New Style from Formatting dialog box.
Give the style a name and click OK. Your new style will appear in the Styles gallery, ready for you to use anytime.

Look for and insert images faster

With Word, there’s no need to open your browser to look for images for your document. Just place the cursor in the area where you want to insert the photo, click the Insert tab and select Online pictures (type “clip art” in the search box if that’s what you need), select an image, then click Insert.

Edit a PDF file

Word’s PDF editing function allows you to make quick changes to PDF files without having to download and use a PDF editing app or software. But before you can edit a PDF file in Word, you have to convert it to a file format that Word can display. Follow these steps:

Click File > Open > Browse.
Choose the PDF file you want to edit, then click Open. Click OK to make a copy of the PDF file and convert its contents into a format that can be opened in Word. (Note: The original PDF will be preserved.)
Make edits to the copy of the PDF file.
When you’re done, click File > Save as > PDF.

Microsoft is constantly rolling out nifty new features for its popular word processor. To stay updated on the latest Word features and functionalities, reach out to our Microsoft experts now.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Maximize your efficiency with these Outlook tipsCountless companies prefer Microsoft Outlook over other web-based email and calendar services because of its ease of use and convenience. Aside from being handy for managing business communications and setting up meetings, it can be used for coordinating projects and organizing contacts as well. Here’s a quick guide to making the most out of these […]

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29 Jul, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020july29_b, business, calendar, contacts, efficiency, email, meeting, microsoft, Office, onedrive, organization, outlook, Productivity, tasks, teams, Tips category
Maximize your efficiency with these Outlook tips

Countless companies prefer Microsoft Outlook over other web-based email and calendar services because of its ease of use and convenience. Aside from being handy for managing business communications and setting up meetings, it can be used for coordinating projects and organizing contacts as well. Here’s a quick guide to making the most out of these and other nifty Outlook features.

Organize your inbox

Is your Outlook inbox getting a little too cluttered for your liking? Use the Clean Up feature to tidy up your inbox.

From your inbox, click the Home tab and choose from one of three Clean Up options:

  • Clean Up Conversation – reviews an email thread or a conversation and deletes redundant messages
  • Clean Up Folder – reviews conversations in a selected folder and deletes redundant messages
  • Clean Up Folder & Subfolders – reviews all messages in a selected folder and any subfolders, and deletes redundant messages in all of them

Ignore conversations

Besides redundant messages, group conversations that aren’t relevant to you can clutter up your inbox. The Ignore button helps you organize your inbox and focus on relevant emails.

To activate this feature, select a message, then click Home > Ignore > Ignore Conversation. You can also do this by opening a message in a new window and clicking Ignore under the Delete function. You can easily revert this action by going to the Deleted Items folder and clicking Ignore > Stop Ignoring Conversation.

Send links to files

This function is especially useful when you need to send large files to your coworkers or clients. You can send a link to the file instead of the file itself as well as set permissions to allow recipients to edit and collaborate on linked files in real time.

To do this, upload the file you wish to send to OneDrive. Then from the message box, click Attach File > Browse web locations > OneDrive.

Schedule a Teams meeting

Teams is Microsoft’s unified communication and collaboration platform, and it includes the Outlook add-in. This feature allows you to set up Teams meetings directly from Outlook. It also lets you view, accept, or join meetings in either app.

To schedule a Teams meeting on Outlook, follow these steps:

  1. Switch to the calendar view on Outlook. Click the New Teams Meeting tab.
  2. Add individual participants or entire contact groups to the Required or Optional fields.
  3. Type in the topic, start time, and end time of the meeting. There’s no need to add the dial-in phone numbers and conferencing IDs to the invite, as Outlook does this automatically for you.
  4. Create a message inviting the recipients to the meeting, then click Send.

Tag contacts

To get the attention of a specific person in a group email or meeting invite, use the @Mention function. This works particularly well for emails sent to multiple recipients or if you want to convey the urgency of your message.

In the body of your email or invite message, type the @ symbol followed by the name of the person you want to tag (e.g., @johndoe). Doing so will highlight the name in the message and automatically add it to the To line of your message.

You can also search for messages you’re tagged in by selecting Filter Email from the Home tab, and then clicking Mentioned.

These are just some of the things you can do to improve your Outlook experience. For more on how to get the most out of Outlook and other Microsoft products, drop us a line today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Guidelines on monitoring your employees’ online activitiesThere are advantages and disadvantages to monitoring your employees’ online behavior. Below is an honest and transparent list of arguments for and against such a practice. However, should you decide to monitor your employees, we have some guidelines for you to follow for a smooth implementation process. The case for monitoring Here are several reasons […]

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01 Jul, 2020 / by Complete Technology Resources / in 2020june29security_b, employee monitoring, employees, lawsuits, online behavior, online monitoring, policies, Productivity, Security, technology, Tips category
Guidelines on monitoring your employees’ online activities

There are advantages and disadvantages to monitoring your employees’ online behavior. Below is an honest and transparent list of arguments for and against such a practice. However, should you decide to monitor your employees, we have some guidelines for you to follow for a smooth implementation process.

The case for monitoring

Here are several reasons why monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices is a good idea. It can help you:

  • Protect your organization from data theft or harm – because careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.
  • Ensure you have a harassment-free workplace – because cyberharassment (sexual or otherwise) happens among employees.
  • Ensure members of your staff comply with policies – such as not downloading illegal programs or spending time on websites with illegal or hostile content.
  • Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit – should an employee participate in illegal activities using your business’s computers (heaven forbid!), monitoring their device can provide evidence of their involvement.

Sadly, many business owners who monitor their employees often discover that their staff members aren’t focused solely on the company’s success.

Arguments against employee monitoring

Of course, you should also be aware of the potential downsides to monitoring. These include:

  • Productivity loss – monitoring can put a damper on employee morale, and you may see the distrust leading to productivity losses.
  • Lost privacy and lawsuits – you’ll likely learn personal details about your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. You may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This subjects your business to potential privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information.

Monitoring guidelines to follow

If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow.

1. Create written policies
When you monitor your employees, ask yourself: “Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure my employees aren’t wasting time on games or social media?” If your monitoring policies are too strict, you could create an atmosphere of distrust.

Set guidelines for acceptable use of email and social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be used, secured, and destroyed.

2. Tell your employees
It’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it secretly, you could face legal issues. By being transparent, you may actually see a boost in productivity by deterring employees from wasting time on the web.

When you tell your employees, explain why you’re doing it and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal life, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to use their smartphones for personal matters. Also, provide your employees a copy of your written policy for them to read and sign.

3. Get the right technology tools
You don’t need to know each and every employee activity, so look for apps and software that alert you of the most relevant problems, so you can focus on more important tasks.

If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, get in touch with us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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