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I’m a fan of using technology to allow me to do new things and to make everyday stuff easier.
People often ask me about some of the specific bits of hardware and software I use, so I thought it would be helpful to create a list for reference.
Do let me know if you have any queries or would like any support with making use of similar solutions for yourself or your team (I do quite a few tutorials on software, and really enjoy showing people how to get the most out of things).
Here’s what I use for meetings, workshops and conferences:
For the past year or so I’ve used Zoho One for almost everything. It’s not perfect but it’s very very good, and both cheaper and simpler than the best-known enterprise systems. (I do like MS Project and Dynamics but they’re too pricey for me).
Zoho gives me…
CRM (contacts management). Groups, filtering, group emails with tracking, list management, tasks attached to a contact, link emails to a contact, link a contact to calendar entries … and more. STOP USING SPREADSHEETS FOR CONTACTS LISTS. Phew!
Calendar management. Manage multiple calendars, assign calendar entries to specific people / teams / projects, offer an online direct booking function for people to book an appointment with me. [I also like Calendly and Doodle for calendar management, but they’re less flexible and integrated for me than doing it all within Zoho. And, of course, if you’re working chiefly inside one part of a large organisation like the NHS, Microsoft Outlook now offers some pretty impressive meeting booking features for colleagues – try the “Meeting Secretary” button.]
Online forms. Proper forms with extensive options. Automated responses, and options for automatic export (Eg to a live spreadsheet) or linking with CRM (eg new responses can add a new person in the CRM app, assign them to a group, create a follow-up task, etc, etc).
There are several other apps they include which I don’t currently use.
The pricing is amazing if you go for bundles (eg Zoho One) and the customer support is some of the best I’ve encountered. They treat you like Microsoft treat enterprise customers – email is fine, but if it’s complex they’re happy to speak on the phone or do a video call and demo with you. I got myself in a twist with some data analysis and they put an analyst onto setting up the formulas for me. Brilliant.
PS they don’t pay me, I’m just seriously impressed. Having tried around 15 other systems, I’m not leaving.
I still get involved in analytical work from time-to-time. Systems I use include the following …
Atlas.ti for qualitative analysis
n.vivo for qualitative analysis
Winchart for statistical process control (SPC)
Kutools plugin for Excel
BlueSky statistics analysis
Zotero for reference management
I sometimes help primary care teams with setting up and using systems. The biggest focus usually is not getting started but making the most of what people already have.
Examples are …
TeamNet for governance. An intranet-on-steroids system. Like steroids, it’s not pretty but it does an amazing amount. It’s hugely underrated by many teams, I find. Functions people often don’t make best use of include:
WordPress for intranets
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