By Janice Robeson

As a baby boomer, I was slow to switch from paper to digital for keeping track of things. Gone are the days of the rolodex or the hefty 400-page phone book next to my phone. Now that I see how orderly and efficient it is to do things this way I would never go back to the old method.

Often I’ll have a co-worker ask me for a phone number or ask me to call another business to gather information. I go to my task list in Outlook, choose “Click here to add a new task” and start a list of frequently requested phone numbers.

Because I have a large number of categories, I have several different lists of lists in my task folder. I can print them if I want to keep a hard copy” or give my list to a co-worker.

The requested numbers will range anywhere from our favorite restaurant for ordering a pizza for a meeting to the local office supply or hardware store. It’s easy to add or delete numbers (and descriptions where necessary) and to change font colors on entries, making them easier to spot if I have a long list to scroll through.

This system also works for ordering supplies. I start a Word document and I keep digital copies every time I order office supplies – of the date ordered, how many and price per box or item. I type in the stock number and what page it is in the catalog. This helps me reference how fast we have used a particular supply and whether I need to order more the next time. I can always refer to a previous order, then copy and paste anything we are re-ordering. When I call to place the order I can refer to the stock number and assist the order person in getting the order placed quickly and efficiently.

My computer is like a compact filing system and I’m always finding ways to exploit it. Aha! A gadget that is doing exactly what it is supposed to do!

Janice Robeson is the Receptionist at WinePress Group and also handles copyright registration, and outgoing mail/shipping. She enjoys becoming acquainted with each of our authors and hearing their particular story.