CompuFiciency — Applied CompuTelligence

Latest CompuFiciency eBook

Click here for the latest eBook I’ve created for CompuFiciency 101.  This is a FREE goldmine of helpful tips, tricks, etc.

SSCU CompuFiciency 101 Training Manual.pdf

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Training videos - Excel 2007

The outline below corresponds to a 5 week introductory Excel 2007 course Walsh University. 

The training videos track with the textbook used in the course which I do not name to ensure no copyright violations occur. 

Nevertheless, a tremendous amount of FREE training is here for the taking–for whole the world to enjoy! 

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Why Excel alone cannot satisfy every business need.

Skate shop wisdom « Smurf on Spreadsheets

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Excellent list of online Excel resources

You can’t learn too much about Excel!  Most so-called ‘experts’ at the office are barely knowledgeable compared to all there is to know.  The reason they are ‘local experts’ is because no one else around them knows all that much either! 

What a shame, however.  There is a tremendous amount of FREE help available.  Take advantage and expand your own knowledge base today.  You’ll be glad you did.

Top 10 Online Resources to Learn and Master Microsoft Excel: Training and Tutorials

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Free 411 - Directory Service via your Cell Phone

Business road warriors frequently place calls to numbers they do not have in their cell phone contacts.  Verizon 411 (aka ‘directory service’) calls are very handy, but also very expensive.  Waste money no more!  Try 1-800-GOOG-411 to get the same results entirely for free.

It’s very simple.  Create an entry for Google (or whatever you wish to know it by) and enter the number 800-GOOG-411 or 800-466-4411.  An automated voice will answer the call and ask for city and state (same as 411) and the business type (pizza) or business name (Peacock Cleaners).  Then you will have it dialed and connected automatically for you!! How cool is that.

Follow this link [click here] to see the actual Google page, or press play below to get a better idea of this service.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Recent Documents

10 Office features you need to know about – Help and How-to – Microsoft Office Online

* Misty Kush, working from Norcross, Georgia noticed a tiny little icon in Word that ended up saving her time and irritation:

Hey there Crabby!! I’m fairly new to Word…and in all the training and classes no one showed me this little tip:

When you Click the Office Button, the documents you were working on most recently show up under Recent Documents. What I didn’t know, until a short time ago, was that if you click the push pin to the right of the name of the document, it “pins” that document to your recent documents so that it always shows up. What a find!! This is great for forms and documents that you need often. I work in accounting, and we use a lot of check requisition forms and form letters that are connected to databases.

Right you are Misty! That is a great find. So, in other words, YOU have control over what’s in that Recent Documents list.

Note Recent Documents, the display of the last few files you opened in that program appears from the Office Button Office button image in Office 2007 versions of Access, Excel, InfoPath, PowerPoint, Visio, and Word. Push pin imageThe adorable push pin that Misty is talking about is only available in Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. When a document has been pinned to the Recent Documents list, the pin button looks like a push pin viewed from the top. Push pin image

“A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.” — Mark Twain

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Repeat the Last Action

Here’s a handy trick to know. 

We often find ourselves making an editing decision that we then need to reapply throughout an entire document or spreadsheet.  For instance, you may want to change the indent of your paragraphs. 

As long as you don’t make any other actions, you can repeat that action throughout your document.  It’s as simple as selecting the F4 key.

This is one of those understated CompuFiciency tricks.

Repeat the Last Action

Actions are generally defined as things you do with menus and title bars, like merging, formatting, running macros, etc, not typing in a cell. Sometimes you may like to repeat the last action easily, without going back through the menus again, there’s a shortcut!

Shortcut: Repeat the Last Action

Keys to press:
F4

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Solve a business problem--fast, accurately, and repetitively

If you are debating whether or it’s worth your time learn macros or delve a little deeper into the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language, perhaps it’s because you simply don’t understand how it could solve business problems for you, or perhaps you question whether the payback for your learning time is legitimately not worth your effort. 

I can understand both reasons, perhaps the latter more than the former.  I only ask you to make yourself aware of likely lost opportunities.  You see, even simple macros can accomplish some incredible amounts of work–remarkably fast, incredibly accurately, and effortlessly repetitively.

Digest that last sentence, and then ask yourself this:  how much money (in wages paid) does your company spend having someone who daily, weekly, or constantly spends significant time retooling data before they are able to get some useful analysis out of it?  Probably more than you know or care to admit (I’ve seen it far too often). 

Because you may not have been introduced to the power of macros and the nuances of VBA, you are missing out on huge cost-savings opportunities.  Even if you legitimately conclude it’s not worth your time to learn VBA don’t let that deter you. Seize the power of macros by out-sourcing.  You would be surprised how quickly and inexpensively a VBA consultant like MrExcel [consulting link] could solve some of these costly recurring business needs.   The ROI and future cost avoidance could be well worth stepping outside of your routine and asking:  ‘Can we automate this?” 

Remember, a good consultant doesn’t cost your company money, they save you money!

Bill Jelen, aka MrExcel has another great 2 minute example to help shine a light on your own potential lost opportunities.  Let your mind wander the desks and cubes of your own workforce and see what similar repetitive tasks could benefit from automation. 

Learn Excel from MrExcel Video Podcast: Episode 871 – Finding Dates

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Reclaim your desk - mount the monitor

If you really want to maximize efficiency in the office environment, there are a few no-brainer steps you need to take.  Besides a cordless keyboard and mouse, and double-monitors (the obvious choice being flat-screen monitors), the next improvement is to mount your monitors above the desk surface.

Most all newer flat-screen monitors come with industry-standard bracket mount holes already manufactured into the design.  Your task is simply find a mounting system suitable to your office/desk environment.  There are poles, swivels, telescopes, direct to wall, etc.  Google ‘flat screen monitor brackets’ and you will find an impressive variety spanning a range of prices.  Pick the one that matches your budget and workspace layout.

I purchased two mount brackets on EBay for $9.99 each–very rudimentary but all I needed.  What was for years a tight, keyboard nearly in my lap workspace is now a spacious work area. 

Two screens at perfect eye level, above the desk, and all for around $20.  Who wouldn’t make that investment! 

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Voicemail as emailed text - what a great solution

This is the next best thing to a memory!  Each voicemail is transcribed and sent to your email account and your cell phone.

Not only does it take seconds to scan to the most important parts, it gives you a written archive for those things you would like to retain, act upon, forward to a colleague or assistant, etc.

http://phonetag.com/newsandevents.html is where you’ll fine this up-and-coming business dream!  And the price is right, too.

Formerly called SimulScribe, PhoneTag is a voice to text service. To be precise, PhoneTag converts your voicemail into text messages and then sends them directly to your mobile phone, Blackberry, and/or your email account.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

2009 calendar on multiple worksheets - by Microsoft

Visit the Microsoft site [click here] to download an Excel workbook nicely preformatted as 2009 calendar, one page for each month.

It’s business office uses are many–even if the most simple argument is just saving money.

There are also other templates available, and I got this idea from the AutomateExcel.com web site.  I like to give credit where it’s due!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Keyboard shortcuts - Keys for the Office interface

Keyboard shortcuts – Excel – Microsoft Office Online

Keyboard shortcuts lists are all over the place. Here is one that neatly organizes and catalogs the entire Microsoft office suite in a very handy fashion. 

Browse the page and see how many new ones you can learn that fit within your work style — everyone has different requirements and not everyone benefits from the same set of shortcuts.  But everyone benefits from shortcuts that match their own personal work requirements — learn yours!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

You can convert a ROW of data into a COLUMN by using 'Transpose'

A surprisingly common Excel requirement of business users is this scenario:  I have some data that is ‘up-and-down’ in a column that I need to get into ‘across-the-row’ format.  Is there a way to do that?

Yes, it’s called ‘transpose’, and there are two ways in Excel.  Neither is difficult. 

The more basic and limited way is simply by selecting the range to transpose and ‘copying’ into memory with Ctrl-C,

Next, put your cursor where you want to relocate the data and select ‘Paste Special’ and check ‘Transpose’

The result will be like this.  The horizontal rows are now vertical columns.  Changing from vertical to horizontal alignment is done exactly the same way.

—————————–

The second way to transpose is by using an array function called surprisingly enough =Transpose (see array explanation in previous post). 

Here is an excellent 2 minute video that will explain it faster than you can read it–honestly! 

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

131 Productivity Boosters for Email, Instant Messaging, Word, Excel, and More

I created beCompuSmart for the same reason others create similar blogs–spread an incredible wealth of information to those who use computers on a daily basis.

That there are many ways to achieve most things comes as no surprise, but FINDING and then LEARNING those more efficient ways takes incredible amounts of time–something most of us lack.

So, don’t reinvent the wheel.  Learn from those of us who waste our time finding it and trying it for you.

Here is another site with many compuFiciency examples: 131 Productivity Boosters for Email, Instant Messaging, Word, Excel, and More.  Give it a visit!!

Freelancer’s Hyper-Drive: 131 Productivity Boosters for Email, Instant Messaging, Word, Excel, and More : Codswallop

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

FREE download lets you create your own PDF files

Let’s face it, the PDF file format is here to stay.  If you’re not creating them for your customers, or sending vital key documents as PDF formatted files, then you may want to reconsider — especially given how inexpensively you can begin creating your own PDF files. 

There are many solid business reasons to embrace PDF files, not the least of which is security for the recipient.  I can assure you that I do not download any file format other than PDF or HTML, and other knowledgeable users are equally as wary.

Admittedly, not everyone has the budget to purchase the full-fledged Adobe Acrobat.  But on the other hand, unless you need the full power of that suite there is no reason to think that’s the only way to generate these important files.

You may not realize that creating a PDF file is as simple as ‘File, Print’.  The only added step is selecting the PDF print driver rather than your standard printer.  The file you saved as a PDF is then available on the network to email, print, or simply store for future use.

There are any number of open-source free programs available for download that create PDF files.  One worth looking at is doPDF at http://www.dopdf.com/.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Need more advanced PDF file conversions?

As mentioned in a previous post, PDF files are highly prized in the business sector.  Yet it is equally true that not all small businesses need or can afford the full weight of Adobe Acrobat.

But don’t limit yourself by an all-or-none mentality.  Many programs exist which afford you considerable capability at a fraction of the cost.  Check out the free Print2pdf download available at .  Here is what the folks at LifeHacker.com had to say about it:

“Like other PDF apps, Print2PDF installs itself as a printer, but after you hit “Print,” you can add watermarks, passwords, change the read/edit/print permissions, add attachments and auto-email, manually change the compression levels, and do much more. Print2PDF also integrates itself directly into Microsoft Word, Excelt, and Internet Explorer, and supports encryption for sensitive documents. It’s probably more than the average home user needs, but office workers may find its options seriously handy. Print2PDF is a free download for Windows systems only.”

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Save Time and Typing with Outlook 2007's Quick Parts

Click here to go to original web post:  Step By Step: Save Time and Typing with Outlook 2007’s Quick Parts

Outlook 2007 users, if you find yourself entering the same things into
email messages, you should take a look at the Quick Parts feature,
which saves snippets of both text and images for easy reuse. While Gina
briefly mentioned this feature in her guide to Tweaking Outlook to empty your inbox faster, let’s take a closer look at how to use it.

Open up a new email and create the “Quick Part” that you want to
save for later re-use, then find Quick Parts in the Text section, and
choose “Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery”.

Give it a name and a brief description so you can easily find it later.

Now, any time you want to enter that snippet of text, you can simply
pick it from the drop-down button menu. Hovering your mouse over it
will show you the description that you entered above.

If you want to edit your Quick Parts, you can right-click on any one of them, and choose “Organize and Delete” from the menu.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

The growing productivity divide

Obviously, I agree with Seth Godin here. Had Seth known of my term ‘compuTelligence’ he may well have used it himself.

FAR too many Most ‘office workers’ don’t know the fundamental tools of their trade. I sincerely hope you do not fit into this category.

What a way to declare inefficiency. What a way to declare indifference. What a way to prepare to lose out when the economy struggles or a better firm decides to gobble up your own market segment or share!

———————— Extracted from [award-winning Seth Godin blog].

Here’s a simple quiz:

• Can you capture something you see on your screen and paste it into Word or PowerPoint?
  
• Do you have a blog?
  
• Can you open a link you get in an email message?
  
• Do you read more than five blogs a day?
  
• Do you have a signature in your outbound email?
  
• Do you have an RSS reader?
  
• Can you generate a PDF document from a Word file you’re working on?
  
• Do you know how to build and share a simple spreadsheet using Google Docs?
  
• Do have a shortcut for sending mail to the six co-workers you usually write to?
  
• Are you able to find what you’re looking for on Google most of the time?
  
• Do you know how to download a file from the internet?
  
• Do you back up your work?
  
• Do you keep track of contacts using a digital tool?
  
• Do you use anti-virus software?
  
• Do you fall for internet hoaxes and forward stuff to friends and then regret it?
  
• Have you ever bought something from a piece of spam?
  

Can you imagine someone who works in a factory that processes metal not knowing how to use a blowtorch?

How can you imagine yourself as a highly-paid knowledge worker and not know how to do these things…

If you don’t, it’s not hard to find someone to teach you.

————————-

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Adjusting the font size of your Outlook emails for ‘readability’

Adjusting Font Size

If the information in the email is too hard to read, you may want to adjust the size of the font used to display that information. Here’s how to do it in various e-mail clients and browsers:

• Outlook Express: Hold down the Ctrl key as you turn the scroll wheel on your mouse. Or, open the message in its own window and use View | Text Size to specify a font size.
   
  
• Outlook 2003: Hold down the Ctrl key as you turn the scroll wheel on your mouse. Or, open the message in its own window and use View | Text Size to specify a font size.
   
  
• Outlook 2007: Hold down the Ctrl key as you turn the scroll wheel on your mouse. Or, open the message in its own window and click Other Actions | Zoom to pick a viewing magnification.
  

See the full article here [www.tips.net]

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Not a good typist?? Have you tried dictation software?

Right now I am speaking into my headset microphone and have not touched the keyboard at all. The only error that I see is the addition of one extra question mark above.

For those who do not like to type, or cannot type, or those who simply want to jot thoughts or instructions… perhaps dictation software is a great solution.

The version I am using is called Dragon naturally speaking and it is probably the most highly regarded at the moment. A little of training and a half ways decent microphone, and you’re off and running.

This entry took me less than two minutes to write and I have not touched the keyboard, so you can see that the accuracy is pretty darn good!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Clean up Word formatting in one click using Ctrl-Space

If you ever need to clean up some text (get rid of bold, underlining, italics, etc) but retain the ’style’ simply select the text and hit Ctrl-Space.

Your text will become plain vanilla—perfect for pasting into an email, document, or report.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Excel calculations in the blink of an eye

You likely have never noticed Excel’s handy at-a-glance calculator in the lower right corner of the status bar (2003). 

Simply highlight a range of cells (contiguous or not) and the running sum (or average, min, max, etc) is reflected at the bottom.

In the example, the range C409:C416 totals 183.80 as is shown at the arrow pointer.  All I did was select the range!

In this example (the four selected blue cells) total 114.85.  Very compuFicient!

To change the calculation (function), right click on the gray bar area and the menu (below) appears.  Chose your preference.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Google Desktop - "Information when you want it, right on your desktop!"

If you find Google handy for web searches, imagine bringing that same deep-search capability to your desktop. 

And that is exactly what Google Desktop does.  It searches your entire PC and catalogs the contents.  You then query your computer to find information the same way ‘Google’ something on the web.  Talk about compuFicient! 

Here’s what it looks like after I did a search for AEP (note the word ‘Desktop’ — that’s about the only difference you’ll see).  I have 9 emails, 9 files, and some web history.  Click each category to see which is the ‘right’ one.  Very cool!

Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

File indexing

After initially installing Google Desktop, the software completes an indexing of all the files in the computer. And after the initial indexing is completed, the software continues to index files as needed. Users can start searching for files immediately after installing the program. After performing searches, results can also be returned in an Internet browser on the Google Desktop Home Page much like the results for Google Web searches.

Google Desktop can index several different types of data, including email, web browsing history from Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, office documents in the OpenDocument and Microsoft Office formats, instant messenger transcripts from AOL, Google, MSN, Skype, Tencent QQ, and several multimedia file types. Additional file types can be indexed through the use of plug-ins.^[1] Google Desktop allows the user to control which types of data are indexed by the program.

I have found this invaluable.  Download, install, and begin using it today.  You’ll not be disappointed. [Get it here]

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Folder & file naming conventions - a great payback for the time spent!

Storage capacity keeps growing (160 gig drive for under $100!!), and the number of retained folders and files increases exponentially.  Many people, rather than create well-organized folder systems, simply keep making copies of ‘important files’ and saving it somewhere else.

The problem with the make-multiple-copies-of-files approach is two-fold.  First, simply having a ‘backup’ to revert to does no good if you cannot locate it.  Second, working on any ‘copy’ of the document when there is more than one is a recipe for disaster because the odds are great that you’ll not update all of the others.  You will then be in the same boat you started in… the most important single copy is the one most recently updated.  All of the ‘old copies’ are out-of-date, and potentially without value.

Rather, you must first implement an analyzed, structured, and disciplined, folder tree system.  Next, you must create a meaningful file-naming convention and stick to it.  Lastly, you must back-up the folder tree, the critical branches, or the specific folders which contain business-critical data.

“… Like getting a flat tire (inevitable if you drive enough) data loss is a statistical probability.  The magnitude and cost are the only variables.”

Let me show my own ‘tree’ as an example, far from perfect, but largely effective.  I offer no set criteria, only the concept of process.

Note that I have created ‘logical’ drives for special purposes.  I created a drive for each of the institutions where I teach (W:) and (S:).  I also have one entire drive that is solely for all corporate data (I:) and another for the beCompuSmart initiative (K:).

Under each drive is a folder tree directory.  Under (W:) you will find these folders, each course has it’s own folder, syllabus materials their own, text book data yet another.

Now, anything I create or receive for this institution must go in one of these folders, or into a new one created under the Walsh(W:) drive.  This is old news to many, but certainly foreign to far more computer users than necessary.  Even savvy, heavy computer users, far too often reveal a mile-long list of files stored on ‘MyDocuments’ !

The next step is proper naming of files to ensure they can be located when needed.  This can be incredibly simple or highly complex.  What it can’t be is random or ad hoc, which is the source of all the problems.  Besides a detailed enough descriptive file name, the first thing every user should take into consideration is the sorting capability Windows Explorer file views.  If you create file names that will group themselves automatically and then sort themselves within that group, you have 87.3% of your problem solved! 

Some examples:  Agendas may be labeled ‘Agenda May 08.doc’, ‘Agenda Jun 08.doc’, ‘Agenda Jul 08.doc’, and ‘Agenda May 08 minutes.doc’ ‘Agenda Jun 08 minutes.doc’ ‘Agenda Jul 08 minutes.doc’  These would sort themselves into all agendas located along with their corresponding minutes grouped tother when you click the sort by file name feature.  What’s that you ask?  It’s the gray box on top of the file list.  You can also sort by date (my most frequent sort) so the most recently used file pushes to the top.

How do I do this?  I select an existing file name and edit it in the ‘Save As’ dialog box to ensure the similarity and pattern remains.

Other file naming conventions are more elaborate, and more valuable.  In this example below, each client estimate or invoice is automatically saved with the following fields:

Client name _ Invoice Number _ Status (Estimate or Invoice) _ Dollar value _ Date generated.  Now any sort will put any sales staff within reach of all orders or estimates ever created for a given client, and provide enough information to decide which is the correct one to open.

NOTE:  you can take this concept even further by adopting file properties, as discussed in other posts.

The final piece of the puzzle is backups.  That is a highly personal matter, there are a zillion ways to go about it, and many are quite cheap and easy.  So why do so many businesses and workers neglect it?  Perhaps because they’ve never lost weeks of effort, lots of money, or a job due to data loss.  Simple luck.  Like getting a flat tire (inevitable if you drive enough) data loss is a statistical probability.  The magnitude and cost are the only variables.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Two documents from one with 'hidden text' in Word

Very often a professional needs to create similar documents for internal and/or external use.  This can be as simple as a teacher creating a test for students (external) and making a second version with the answers (internal).  Or, a project proposal to a client (external) created from a version with all of the in house narrative and computations (internal). 

The good news is this–with some compuTelligence, that is really only one document, displayed two ways.  We make use of Word’s text format ‘hidden’ checkbox. 

Here is a very simple macro (VBA code) to show or hide the ‘hidden text’ in your document.  I attach this to a user created toolbar button and my one document becomes two documents–one for internal usage and another for external publication.

Very compuFicient way to avoid duplicating effort.

How is this valuable to me, you ask? 

Say you have to create an agenda.  But you also need ‘talking points’ to remind you of specifics, facts, etc.  Format everything you want the world to see normally and format your own stuff as ‘hidden text’.  Then print the two different views and distribute as appropriate. 

Or, create a PDF while the hidden text is hidden, and then un-hide the text for ‘internal only’ distribution before saving.

Many uses for a compuTelligent user armed with this little technique.

Don’t let the VBA or macro scare you either.  If you don’t know these techniques for adding toolbar buttons or creating macros, simply turn the text on and off manually.  Here is a link explaining how easily it is done.  [Hide/Show Word text]

—————————-

Sub macShowHiddenText()
‘
‘ macShowHiddenText Macro
‘ Macro recorded 9/25/2008 by Brian T Mickley
‘
    With ActiveWindow
        With .View
        If .ShowHiddenText = True Then
            .ShowHiddenText = False
        Else
            .ShowHiddenText = True
        End If
        End With
    End With
End Sub

————————

Here is a macro to format selected text as hidden and colored brown (chose preferred color).  A second click returns the text to normal, like a toggle switch 

————————–

Sub macMakeHiddenText()
‘
‘ macMakeHiddenText Macro
‘ Macro recorded 9/25/2008 by Brian T Mickley
‘
    With Selection.Font
        If Not .Hidden = True Then
        .Hidden = True
        .Color = wdColorBrown
       Else
       .Hidden = False
       .Color = wdColorAutomatic
       End If
    End With
End Sub

————————–

NOTE:  the second code FORMATS the text as hidden or plain; the first code determines WHETHER ‘hidden’ text is displayed or not.  Hidden text is never printed (even in print preview)–check it out!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Comments in Excel - excellent place for 'corporate knowledge'

In business, there is nothing worse than being ‘one deep’ or having all the smarts locked in an employee’s head. 

Customers rightly become angry when told “We can’t [fill-in]…  until next [fill-in]… the person who knows/does [fill-in]… is on [fill-in]… and none of the rest of us knows how.”

That is a surefire way to anger customers at best or lose them at worst.

Likewise with internal processes and documents.  “The spreadsheet was created by so-and-so.  No one here can understand it (or make any decisions) because so-and-so is unavailable”, or worse yet, gone from the business.  This is no way to run a business, but most are run this way–whether large or small, government or private.

One small step to begin to solve these types of problems is by liberal use of cell comments in a spreadsheet.  Simply right click on the cell and click ‘Insert Comment’.  Cells with contents display the small red triangle. 

Users then simply ‘hover’ their cursor over that cell and the comment ‘pops up’ automatically for review (Comment example below.  I cut and pasted the online ‘confirmation’ of sales tax payment and pasted into the cell comments).  This is a great way to document internal processes (Here is how we do this.  This is where this number comes from.) and preserve the ‘corporate knowledge’ so one person’s absence does not hamstring an organization or business.

Follow this link to see how to enter ‘hidden text’ into a Word document which can be displayed or hidden at will.  [Hide or show Word text]

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Hide document paragraphs, spreadsheet columns or rows. Don't delete them unnecessarily.

Business users often have many different ‘dual purposes’ for their spreadsheets and documents.  What starts as an ‘internal pricing drill’ eventually becomes the basis for an ‘Estimate’ or ‘Statement of Work’, etc. 

The problem is, different documents have different audiences–internal and external–and businesses don’t typically want to reveal assumptions, rates, mark-ups, etc. externally. 

Result–businesses create an internal document to formulate the bid, estimate, RFP response, etc.  AND THEN they double the work because they create an external document (proposal, agreement, contract, etc.) which is sanitized and distributed.

Good business, undoubtedly.  Not necessarily compuFicient.

Try incorporating variations of these suggestions: 

1. Unless you’re collaborating (more on that later), resolve NEVER to send the Word or Excel file
2. Pre-design (or re-design) your worksheets and/or documents such that you can simply HIDE certain paragraphs or columns for ‘internal use only’
3. Use the ‘hide column/row’ or ‘hide text’ features of Word and Excel to prepare the document for external distribution
4. Using the hidden version, print hard copies or create a PDF file which can safely be used externally

What to do about the possible ’stray’ information that doesn’t fit neatly into the PDF version? 

Here’s a great suggestion–for info that must be kept that you don’t want ‘revealed’, color the font white.  White font on white background will not show when the file is printed or made into a PDF.

Then, when done printing or making into a PDF simply return the font color for internal use. 

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

OpenOffice.org 3.0

OpenOffice.org 3.0 – At A Glance – Reviews by PC Magazine

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Excel primer - from zero to 60 in 22 minutes!

This 22 minute video training is for the most basic of Excel learners, those who don’t even know what a spreadsheet is, or how to ‘turn one on’. 

By the time the video is completed you will have learned with step-by-step ease how to build a personal budget spreadsheet that is potentially life-changing.

Link to Excel training video.  Or here for a Windows Media version.  [Spreadsheet Budget]

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

How Do I Add An Item To The Send To Menu

If you store files in a frequently used folder why not create a shortcut to this folder and add it to the Send To menu, so the shortcut is available from the right mouse click menu.

NOTE: Entry copied in entirety from John Barnett’s ‘XP Help and Support’ web site [click here].

Open Windows Explorer

As the Send To folder is an hidden folder you will need to ‘unhide’ it. to do this click the Tools option on the main toolbar and, from the drop down menu, click Folder Options. In the Folder options window click View tab. Next click the radio button next to the ’show hidden files and folders’ option and then click OK

From the Windows Explorer menu click the Plus sign (+) next to My Computer

Next click the Plus sign (+) next to the C: drive

From the expanded menu that appears, click on the Documents and Settings Folder

Next click on the folder for the User you want to add the shortcut for

Now click the Send To Folder

In the Send To Folder, click File on the main toolbar and select New

From the menu that appears click the Shortcut option and follow the instructions for creating a shortcut

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Email distribution lists

Wouldn’t it be nice to send an email to ‘Family’, or to ‘Work’ or ‘Bowling’ or ‘Team’? There is this ability, and it’s called Distribution List.

Select File | New | Distribution List from the menu.

Type a desired name for the list

Now just add members to the list using the ‘Add, New’ or ‘Select Members’ button

To use the list, simply type the group name into your email To: or Cc: or Bcc: input boxes. Until you’re confident in what you’re doing, when the name appears, you can double-click to see the expanded list of addressees.

For more on this see About.com “How to Use Contact Categories as Distribution Lists in Outlook” by clicking here.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Accept credit card payments using your computer

Many service businesses (non-retail) have occasion to accept credit card payments but are not set up to do so. CompuTelligence to the rescue!!!

You can use your computer and PayPal Virtual Terminal to establish a business account and then accept credit cards as a form of payment. Attached is an example of an invoice paid in this fashion and it was flawless. Further, the government entity could not have used my store without the ability to pay using a card.

Visit www.PayPal.com to learn more about this capability.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Save all key documents as PDF

Let’s face it, 97.3% of the paperwork we business owners save and file is never again touched. That’s a lot of wasted time, effort, and space!

But then there is 2.7% that we do need again, and again, and again—yet it is always a hassle to find those documents, let alone transmit them to someone else.

Forget about the day-to-day receipts. Focus on these one-time documents.

Examples:

1. your business tax returns are requested by loan officers,

2. or you need to submit them for annual verification after your loan has been approved.

3. a copy of you driver license, or

4. professional certification, training attended… you name it.

5. how about key contracts, leases, policies

6. In seconds I can forward to anyone the sales agreements, purchase price and distribution of assets for six businesses I own.

Having these electronic documents on file, properly named and organized, will save you oodles of time when you least want to be wasting it (during a sale or purchase of a business, requesting a loan, tax preparation, etc)

Don’t plan or offer to fax to anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary and no other option exists. The get blurred, lost, and take time. There is no ‘paper trail’, and you can’t do a ‘Save As’.

Use email to send PDF documents and always request an email instead of fax, too.

Compuficient solution: save all of those documents as PDF files in a key documents folder the moment you get them.

Admittedly, if you don’t already own them, this may require purchase of a scanner and PDF software. But I can’t imagine a CompuFicient office not having these mandatory tools.

Seek a ‘two-fer’… find a scanner/printer/fax that ‘scans to PDF’. These are compuFiciency workhorses, inexpensive, and highly time-saving devices I couldn’t live without.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Set reminders to email messages

Talk about a no-brainer! You’ve just received an email requiring action, follow-up, or feedback. How do you remember to do it?

Very simple. Right-click the message and select ‘Follow-up, Add Reminder’

From there, select whatever type of reminder will benefit you most. Be sure to use a calendar date for an actual suspense.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Automatically add holidays to your Calendar

On the ‘Tools’ menu, click ‘Options, Calendar Options’. Then click the ‘Add Holidays’ choice for your locale.

This is a great way to ensure you don’t schedule conflicts with those lesser known holiday events scattered throughout the year.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Single click to the desktop and back—Windows-D

Multi-tasking business users typically have lots of desktop icons and lots of applications up-and-running. Peeling them back to get to the desktop can be time-consuming unless you know about Windows-D (lower left on your keyboard).

Pressing the Windows-D key combo exposes your desktop instantly. A second time and you’re back to where you were.

Learn it.  Use it.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Wireless keyboard / mouse – de-clutter your desktop

Desktop space and computing freedom are priceless, so why not make the most of them? For less than a meal for two you can cut two cords that bind you more than any others.

Just like your cordless phone, your keyboard and mouse are paired to a tiny receiver, and all inputs are made without wires. Talk about liberating. For a business computer user, it’s greater than a TV remote or the cordless phone—and you have invested in these, right?

Time to install: 5 minutes. Cost: as low as $29.99 for a Logitech EX110 at TigerDirect.com. Payback: priceless.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Use Filenames That Sort Properly

File storage is a bigger problem the more files you have, the longer the time since creation or last use, and the number of copies of the same file you’ve created and saved.  This is a known set of business problems.  The first is remedied by creating well-thought file naming ‘conventions’, the second is file ‘configuration management.’  If you keep creating copies, you may never know which is the ‘correct’ version.  That is a very common problem to computer users.

It’s important that you adopt a way to name your files.  Here is one way Alan Wyatt solves the problem.

Summary: If you take some care when you name your document files, you’ll find it much easier to manage those files at a later time. This tip provides some guidance that you may find helpful as you consider how you should name your files. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

Topics: Use Filenames That Sort Properly

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Change where MS Office puts your documents

Do you rely too heavily on ‘My Documents’?  Worse yet, do you have to browse to change directory every single time you open or close a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, etc?

The remedy is simple:  change your ‘option’ for file storage location.  Here’s how in Word (the other applications are similar)

1. Select ‘Tools, Options, Files’
2. Double-click ‘Documents’ (or click ‘Modify’) and browse for the last time to the folder you want to default to
3. Do the same for ‘User templates’ and ‘Workgroup templates’

You’ll save hundreds of clicks and browse searches this way. 

CompuFiciency payback:  be a ‘force multiplier’ by setting up each of your co-workers’ primary folders on a shared drive as sub-folders of the primary document repository.  Then, everyone can access needed documents and there will be a backup.

Even better, set the company templates on a shared template folder for all to use.  If you spend some time creating templates based upon a master, you can save hundreds of hours, force conformity and standardization to company standards, and make yourselves look exceedingly smart!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Word 'tabs' - MUCH smarter than you think

Tabs offer so much flexibility to the CompuTelligent user.  In addition to the obvious (left and right alignment) and the not-so-obvious (centering, aligning decimals), are the “I-didn’t-know-that!”s like ….. line leaders, underlines, and even the ability to create fully lined areas of print.

On the Word menu, select ‘Format, Tabs’ and you’ll be presented with this dialog box. 

The alignment section (1) is somewhat self-explanatory.  Left is standard alignment; typing at a center-aligned tab causes text to ‘grow’ left and right evenly from the centered tab (not necessarily center of page!); right aligned tabs cause text to begin at the right and ‘fill’ to the left.

Here you can see the effect of some various tab settings in word.  Note that I’ve left show/hide on so you can see the actual tab marks (arrows) and paragraph marks (¶).

 Important note:  Tabs are ‘carried forward’ in the paragraph marker.  Each new paragraph ‘inherits’ the tabs from the paragraph you’re in when you select ‘Enter’.

Here is the same text with show/hide turned off.  

Click here for even more tab information.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

6 Google Shortcuts to Save You Time

Click here to learn some interesting Google time-savers.  Like calculations, package tracking, flight progress or schedules, and more.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Paragraph formatting - line spacing, alignment, numbering, and more

Too few computer users do much of anything ‘right’ when it comes to formatting a document or spreadsheet.  This traces back to using the computer ‘like a typewriter’ rather than actually word processing.  Another culprit is the ‘What-you-see-is-what-you-get’ (WYSIWYG) capabilities of most applications.  So users simply force the desired ‘WYS’ onto the screen and are all-too-content with ‘WYG’.

But that’s not ‘word processing’, it’s not efficient, and it’s certainly not CompuSmart at all.  Multiple enter keys or space keys to create white space is an abomination when it comes time to edit that document, reuse it, re-shape it (for an article, email paste, etc). 

We all know about formatting fonts but we don’t think of formatting paragraphs.  Instead we just force the ‘WYS’.

So, next time you are tempted to use multiple enter keys or paragraphs for spacing, take a look at ‘Format, Paragraph’

You’ll notice many things you didn’t know existed.

You can add space before a paragraph (1) or after a paragraph (2) or change to double-space the entire paragraph (3).

CompuFiciency payoff:  if you ever need to edit this document, use it in an email, PowerPoint presentation, web page, etc. you will not have to fight with clean-up.

CompuTelligent goal:  use styles to achieve this instead of simple paragraph formatting.  With styles you can chance the entire document by making one change to a style’s format (say font color for headings, or wider gaps between rows of text).

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Power endings for presentations

Make next-to-last slide the title slide all over again and end the show there

Then, have one final slide with your name, e-mail address, and company and event logos in case you overshoot the final slide or want to have something up for your Q & A session that looks a bit different from your presentation topic.

If you moderate a panel or if you’re the last speaker, that last slide can have all the panelists’ names. If possible adjust the names just before show time to reflect the order they’re seated on the speaker platform, so all participants are highlighted—not just you.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Learn to employ 'tables' for max CompuFiciency

We modern literates know all about columns, rows, white space, and readability. 

Yet far too many computer users hack away at paragraph after paragraph, using multiple tab keys (moderately uggish) or even worse, multiple space keys (hits me worse than fingers on a chalk board), to create horizontal spacing or right alignment.

What’s up with that!  Word processors facilitate use of tables with ease while most other applications have rudimentary table capability at minimum. 

Sure, you may not want to see the ‘window frame’… easy, hide the grid to prevent displaying or printing.  But for goodness sake, seize the countless advantages of tables.  Here are but a few:

• Sorting: by ABC, or date, or amount
• Alignment and visual separation
• Calculation (yes, in Word simple calculations can add real value to a document)
• Add or delete additional entries in the list
• Multiple columns that do not word-wrap (more on true columns in a different post)
• Ability to work with data from the web, excel, and more
• Use table as a ‘data source’ for mail merge into letters
• Tabular data can be imported and exported across applications, making you much more powerful

So the next time you’re thinking about how to align some columns, stop!  Enter a table instead and then add the data, letting alignment care for itself.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

What is the 'Work Menu' and how can it benefit me?

Disclaimer:  I’ve been a hard-core Word user for 25 years and just today learned about the ‘Work Menu’ from the site below.  It will definitely become a top time-saver!

Wisconsin attorney Charles Keynon has been offering countless pages of free Word tips for years now. Check his site if you really want to be CompuFicient.

I am pasting his ‘Work Menu’ page here and encouraging you to give this no-brainer a try! 

The Work menu is great but is virtually undocumented and seems to be a hold-over from earlier versions of Word. It may predate templates.

It is like having another “Favorites” menu, just for Word, letting you list documents that you want to keep on a menu. Unlike the regular Favorites menu, it does not allow sub-menus of documents nor can you re-order documents (except by adding them again to the menu, in which case they move to the top of the list). Also, like the Favorites menu, items in the Work menu are merely shortcuts to an actual document. Moving or deleting the document doesn’t change the shortcut, just makes in unable to work. 

There is a temptation to use the Work menu to open documents that have been useful in the past, make changes to those documents, and then use Save As… to save the changed document under a new name. This is a poor use of the Work menu! If you are considering doing this, look into templates. That is their job and they are superior in all ways to reusing old documents as the basis for new documents. Likewise, the Work menu is not the place to store your boilerplate text. You want to be using AutoText or AutoCorrect for this.

Use the Work menu to hold

1. online reference documents
2. log files, and 
3. current projects that keep slipping off your recent files list.
4. sample documents to use as starters for new documents (templates instead)
5. boilerplate text (AutoText or AutoCorrect instead)

Like the “Recent Files” under the File menu, the Work Menu has a limit of nine documents. When you attempt to add a tenth document, it will bump the document currently at the bottom of the Work Menu. Also, if Word is not saving changes to your list of recent files, it won’t save changes to your Work menu documents list, either. 

The menu shown has a few changes from the default. These are the two additional commands for removing menu shortcuts (from any menu) and for customizing the keyboard and the addition of an icon for the Add to Work Menu command.

Note that like the “Recent Files” under the File menu, the Work Menu has a limit of nine documents. When you attempt to add a tenth document, it will bump the document currently at the bottom of the Work Menu.

To add the Work menu to your menus / toolbars (Word 97 – Word 2004) *

Tools=>Customize

Commands (tab)

Categories: Built-In Menus (left pane)

Commands: Work (right pane)

Drag this menu where you want it. The most common choice is to put it next to Help. You can add it to your File (or any other) menu if that suits you better. Click on Close to close the Customize dialog box.

Note that this “customization” is being stored in Normal.dot (see “Save in:” box in Customize dialog box). You may want to store it in a “global template” instead. Whenever you customize Word’s user interface (which is what you are doing here) you should know which template will be storing those customizations.

* The Work menu has been around since at least Word 3 and the steps to add a Work menu are similar in earlier versions. In at least one version I think it was even part of the default interface.

To add a document to your Work menu

While that (named) document is open and is the active window, Work=>Add to Work Menu. You can’t add a new document to your Work menu until you have saved it.

To delete a document from your Work Menu (but see warning)

Press Ctrl + Alt + – and your mouse pointer will turn into a thick horizontal bar (a big minus sign). Use it to select the document you want to delete and release the mouse. Your document will be gone from the Work menu.

(It will still be on your disk, though.)

You can add this command (Ctrl + Alt + -) to your Work menu

Tools=>Customize

Commands (tab)

Categories: All Commands (left pane)

ToolsCustomizeRemoveMenuShortCut (right pane)

Drag that last mouthfull over to your Work menu. Even if you’ve already put documents on your Work menu, you won’t see them listed. Release the mouse when you have the Command where you want it. 

If you want to shorten the command to something like: “Remove Shortcut from Any Menu”, you can right-click on it and rename it. By typing an ampersand (&) before the “R” you will make that a keyboard shortcut. 

Remember that even if you delete a document from your disk, its name will still appear on your Work Menu. The Work menu is like a collection of shortcuts. However selecting it on the Work menu will just result in a message that the document can’t be found. This can be annoying and is the reason I added a command to handle it to my Work menu. (Normally I would use Tools => Customize… and simply drag an unwanted command from my menu, but this doesn’t work with documents in the Work menu because they don’t show up when the Customize dialog is displayed.)

WARNING

The Remove Menu Shortcut command will remove any command from any menu.

It will do this whether you use the keyboard shortcut or use it from a menu. If you mistakenly remove something from one of your menus you can restore it using the Customize command but it may be more difficult than you would expect.

**Be warned!**

See What Happened to my Insert Symbol Menu Command? for more on how this command can zap you if you are not paying attention.

Further customizing your Work Menu

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

How can hyperlinks benefit me? Dozens of ways!

Don’t only be a user of hyperlinks, be a creator.  You’ll save lots of time and energy in the process.

Here are some ways any office can put hyperlinks to great use. 

1. Using Word, create a table with absolutely everything your company needs at ‘fingertip’ access
2. Embed hyperlinks to internal documents, templates, calendars, policies, etc
3. Embed hyperlinks to frequently used (or better those you can never remember when needed!) web sites
4. Embed links within the document and click to some section (for instance a payroll training procedure)
5. Save that document as an .html web file on a shared or accessible folder

Here’s the CompuFiciency payback. 

1. Place a menu button link on each user’s browser to that html document
2. Now one click gives everyone access to the most important, frequently used, hard-to-remember information!
3. Here’s my BTM Inc Fact sheet button in FireFox.  It has everything I need to run my corporation one click away!

Keep track of the document (great use of ‘Work Menu’ as in image below), update it regularly, and everyone stays up-to-date and informed

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Create speedy highlights and summaries using 'Spike'

If you ever wished you could just cut and paste selected sentences or distill a document into the main points then spike is what you’re needing. 

In plain English… Using Word, you cut snippets of information from here and there and then paste those snippets in one location.

What’s so powerful about that, you ask?   This capability isn’t limited to Word documents.  By stepping slightly outside the box with some applied CompuTelligence we come up with these scenarios:

• You’ve done a bunch of web research, but everything is HTML and way too much extraneous information.
• First, paste it into Word and use the Spike CTRL+F3 to get only what you need
• Then, use the Spike paste CTRL+SHIFT+F3 to place it where you need it for editing

Same with a bunch of emails you want to summarize, or some spreadsheets, etc.  Get the excess verbiage into Word, cut and Spike what you want to keep, and edit only that which remains.

Not an everyday tool but great to have in your arsenal when you need it!

——————-

Here’s how Microsoft defines Spike:  use the Spike to move text and graphics from nonadjacent locations

To use the Spike, you remove two or more items from nonadjacent locations, append each item to the Spike’s contents, and then insert the items as a group in a new location or document. The items remain in the Spike, so you can insert them repeatedly. If you want to add a different set of items to the Spike, you must first empty the Spike’s contents.

1. To move an item to the Spike, select the text or graphic you want, and then press CTRL+F3.

   You can repeat this step for each additional item you want to move to the Spike.

2. Click in the document where you want to insert the Spike’s contents.
3. Do one of the following:
   • To insert the Spike’s contents and empty the Spike, press CTRL+SHIFT+F3.

   • To insert the Spike’s contents without emptying the Spike, point to AutoText on the Insert menu, and then click AutoText. In the Enter AutoText entries here box, click Spike, and then click Insert.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Rapidly switch between applications - 'Alt-tab'

If you ever find yourself referring back and forth between two different programs (say a web browser and word processor, or email and accounting package) then you’re going to love ‘Alt-tab’ which alternates you between most recent programs.

Casual users may press Alt-? Tab to alternate between the two most recent tasks, but used to its full potential, repeatedly pressing Alt-Tab can switch to any running program.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Embrace the internet for constant savings opportunities

I can’t overstate how time-saving and money-saving savvy internet use can be. 

This month alone I have placed online orders for car parts, computer electronics, cell phone batteries, and even ceramic tile. 

Not just any tile, but a specific tile manufacturer, style, color, and in 4 different sizes – to match patterns in the rest of the house.

“So what?”, you may be thinking? 

Well, just FINDING the original tile took me all over the county 4 years ago.  Then it had to be special ordered.  So we waited… Then we had to return to pick it up.  We even returned a THIRD time to remedy the company’s error. 

Not this time.  I sat at my PC, Googled a search by product manufacturer and series, weeded through many suppliers, chose the best site and lowest prices… and now, 35 minutes later, the tile is on the way–all without leaving home and spending $4.69 per gallon diesel fuel.

Learn to think this way and you’ll save time, aggravation, fuel, and more!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

'Styles' - separating content from appearance

Allen Wyatt is the grand-daddy of MS Word gurus.  He has been publishing ‘WordTips’ for years, and it comes for free via email.  Admittedly, this is a ‘power user’ newsletter (IMHO), but there is s-o-o-o much to be learned from reading his stuff.

I couldn’t resist sharing this quote in his latest email:

Those who really know Word realize that unlike most other word processing programs, Word does an excellent job of separating content from appearance. This statement may sound strange; indeed, many Word users never grasp this fundamental difference in the way that Word works.

Those who do grasp this concept are well on their way to mastering the real power behind Word. Those fortunate few who successfully master the secrets of powerful formatting are able to create documents that stand out from the rest and, best of all, are easy to maintain and quick to change.

What is the secret behind Word’s formatting powerhouse?  In a word:  styles. If you master styles, you’ve tapped into what makes Word the leader in powerful word processing.

Unfortunately, many people don’t tap into Word’s true potential because they are clueless when it comes to styles and templates. If you do most of your formatting using the buttons on the Formatting toolbar (bold, italics, center, etc.), then chances are good that you are missing out, as well.

Read the rest of this post for full credit to Allen Wyatt and links to all of his Word sites.  Do yourself a favor and subscribe to these wonderful, valuable, free newsletters (Excel, too).

**********************************************************************
                 PUBLISHER and COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
**********************************************************************
WordTips is published weekly by Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., PO Box 794, Orem, UT 84059. Copyright 2008 by Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., All Rights Reserved. All broadcast, publication, or retransmission is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher. Full information on distribution rights can be found in the WordTips FAQ at the WordTips Web page.

**********************************************************************
         IMPORTANT LINKS * IMPORTANT LINKS * IMPORTANT LINKS
**********************************************************************

WEB ADDRESSES
————-
WordTips Web site -     http://wordtips.VitalNews.com
Word 2007 Tips site -   http://word2007.tips.net
Vital News Store -      http://store.VitalNews.com
WordTips Premium -      http://store.VitalNews.com/premium.html
WordTips Archives -     http://store.VitalNews.com/wtarch.html
Advertising -           http://advertise.Tips.net
Help Wanted questions – http://wordtips.VitalNews.com/questions.html

E-MAIL ADDRESSES
—————
Help Wanted answers -   wtanswers@vitalnews.com
Editor and Publisher -  allen@sharonparq.com

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Word processing skills drill (MS Word)

I have created a student worksheet in MS Word to teach fundamental word processing skills.  The file is available here for you to download and practice your skills. 

The demonstration video walks you through every single step–especially beneficial for first-timers! [video pending]

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

AutoText on steroids? A potential gold mine

For the the right person, with the ‘right’ business typing needs, this suggestion is GOLDEN!

In itself, Word’s default ‘AutoText’ is really pretty anemic.  I might even argue relatively useless for most user… UNTIL you place it on steroids.

Let’s say you regularly create the same letterhead, meeting agenda, signature block, directions to the plant or office or etc.  How about instructions?

Perfect!  Here’s what you’re going to do…

• Open any document that contains this text (or create it now on a blank document),
• Select the desired text–formatting and all
• Select ‘Insert, AutoText, New’
• Enter a very good ‘trigger phrase’ (in the above, my trigger is ‘We appreciate’)

Now, anytime I begin to type ‘We appreciate’ Word will recognize and offer to finish it with this help box.  You simply press ENTER to enter the text.

Think about that for a minute:  You create an AutoText which enters in one click your whole return address, date, company name… final line, closing, signature block, phone number, email, web address…

If you can’t put this to good use, you’re not overworked enough!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Stop fighting 'AutoCorrect' in Word and put it to work for you

Have you ever been annoyed with MS Word’s automatic corrections?  You know, when it REALLY is the way you want the word or punctuation–but Word keeps ‘fixing’ it for you!

That’s ‘AutoCorrect’.  Very convenient when it works as desired, very annoying when it doesn’t.  It’s especially if you work in an environment where a specialty word (or acronym) is used correctly, but Word insists on overruling you.  Uggggh.

A few thoughts. 

First, take a peek at the long list of words in ‘Tools, AutoCorrect’… they’re typical typo errors, and some punctuation.

Next, look at the ‘exceptions’… here’s where you may want to do some adding of your own

Lastly, put AutoCorrect to work for you… by intentionally creating some ‘quick text’ inserts that take only a second to invoke

In the example above, I’ve told Word to replace my initials ‘btm’  with my full name ‘Brian T Mickley’.  Now, anytime I (or your staff) need to my name, simply type type initials and space to the next word, and BANG!!!  there is the full name. 

Not so big you say?  What about the employee who types ‘American Electric Power’ 50 times a day… and now ‘aep’ achieve the same results?  Or, maybe ‘eol’ (’end of letter’) adds the standard last line to a company letter like…

“We appreciate the opportunity to work with you.  Thank you for continuing to visit xyz company.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call us toll free at 1-800-123-4567.” 

The repetitive time savings are tremendous.  The uses are only limited by your imagination… keep a cheat sheet of your little “intentional errors” that you’ve told Word to save you time with! 

Remember… saving 10-15 seconds, 100 times a day rewards you with a lunch break (when did those disappear from the work day?)

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Don't lose precious work - Turn on 'auto-save'

Under ‘Tools, Options’ MS Word and Excel each have ‘auto-save’ every XX minute options.

TURN IT ON!  Wouldn’t you want a copy of your work in case anything happens?

Just like insurance-we hate to pay the bill until that unfortunate time when we really need it.  Then we’re glad we did!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Find 'lost' files by adding file information and changing 'Point of View'

You run a busy office.  Generate lots of reports.  Documents are everywhere. 

Can’t remember which version you need?  What you called it?  Date you saved it?

Fear not… a small change of habits and you can remedy this most chronic information worker problem.

Select ‘File, Properties’ (available in most all MS Office applications) and fill data fields before saving the file.

Next, change your ‘Point of View’ in Explorer to include a few more field columns, like ‘Subject’ and ‘Comments’

Here’s how:

1. Select My Computer or Windows-E (my favorite) to bring up an Explorer window
2. Right-click on any of the column names at the top (red arrow)
3. Check on and off the various fields you wish to view (adding ‘Comments’ and ‘Subject’ of course!)
4. Save the ‘Point of View’ so you won’t have to do these steps again
5. Click ‘View, Refresh’, or navigate out from this folder, and then return to the folder
6. Size the columns as desired, and you should now see much more valuable document information

Now, with all of that document information available, it is much easier to keep track of and locate files in an active office environment.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Place calculator in 'Quick-Launch' toolbar

1. Us computer users routinely need a calculator
2. A FREE calculator comes with the operating system (buried 5 layers deep!)
3. Take 68.3 seconds and make it one click away — NOW!

Here’s how:

1. Drill down your Start, Program menu to ‘Calculator’
2. Right-click on ‘Calculator’
3. Select ‘Send To’
4. Drill over/down to ‘Desktop (create shortcut)’
5. Close Start and Program menus
6. Go to Desktop. 
7. Drag the ‘Calculator’ shortcut icon to the ‘Quick Launch’ toolbar
8. Launch ‘Calculator’

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Ctrl-delete

Rapidly deleting entire words can’t get much easier than this.  Put your cursor in front of the word, hit Ctrl- with right thumb and delete with right ring finger. 

Trust me, you’ll never go back to using the d-e-l-e-t-e key or cheating and b-a-c-k-s-p-a-c-i-n-g whole words. 

Why would you?

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Right-click, pop-up menu... #1 top time-saver

Whether you call it ‘right-click’, ‘pop-up menu’, or ‘context-sensitive’ help… it’s among my TOP favorite tricks.

If you develop the right-click habit, 99% of the time your desired command is right there: copy, paste, format, bullets and numbering, etc.

Even better, commands that should be available in a given setting usually are available. That’s the ‘context sensitive’ part. In a table, you’ll find menu items (borders, add row, delete column, etc). In a chart, you’ll find chart menu items.

The message is this: no matter where you are^** in any MS Office application, simply place your cursor on the desired object, right-click, and you’ll find what command you’re seeking.

^**  Exceptions exist, of course.  But you’ll be money ahead by developing the right-click habit and occasionally not finding, rather than always searching command menus.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Get protection - your formulas and functions deserve it!

Businesses pay for all kinds of protection because it makes good sense to limit our risks.

What about your computer protection?  Sure.  Firewall (hopefully), regular backups (hopefully), solid and numerous passwords (hopefully).

What about your key calculations in your key spreadsheets?  Can you or anyone else ‘trample’ through the spreadsheet and possibly alter your critical calculations and data?

Why not protect all cells except those input cells which are needed for changing variables?  It’s really quite simple.

Let’s say, in the example below, that everything hinges on input cells B4, B5, and B6.  All the rest are calculated results, so don’t let them get inadvertently altered.  Protect all cells except these input cells.

Here’s how:

• Select cell(s) to unprotect, or turn off protection  (the default is protection on)
• Select ‘Format, Format Cells, Protection’
• Turn off (de-select) the ‘Locked’ checkbox (a good opportunity to also shade the cell, indicating ‘input cell’)

• Now, the vital step… protect the worksheet by selecting ‘Tools, Protection’
• On the ‘Protect Sheet’ dialog box, select or de-select permissible options as indicated
• Enter (or not) a password (required to ‘override’ the protection you’re setting up)… I normally don’t password protect unless the spreadsheet will leave my own business.  The ‘Protection’ feature is adequate to my needs.

Now, if someone tries to enter or change a non-protected cell, they will receive this error, and will be unable to make undesired changes

The take-away point is this:  You are unprotecting individual cells (or ranges) and then protecting the worksheet (which leaves the unprotected cells editable).

PS.  It’s a great use of your format painter discussed in a previous post.  Click on a formatted (shaded for input) , unprotected cell and click all other similar cells.  Voila, done!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

One user, two monitors, 300% more CompuFicient

Rating.  You’ll never go back to a single screen. The uses are endless. 

So-o-o simple, relatively inexpensive ($200 – $250+ for a 19-inch flat screen monitor), and immediate compuFiciency payback.

For instance, right now I’m looking at my MS Word outline on the left-hand screen while working in Live Writer for the blog entry in the right-hand screen.

I might have an excel spreadsheet up filling it  with data from my business accounting software, or a web search for an address of a company I see mentioned in a news article.

The possibilities are endless (on other monitor, I just Googled cost of flat screen monitors).

Here’s how:

1.  Install the drivers for the second monitor

2.  Hook up the monitor to the second video port on the back of your computer

3.  Right-click on your Desktop and select ‘Properties’ (Windows XP Pro in example)

4.  Drop down the ‘Display’ and configure as you desire.  Place one left and other on right.  You’ll have to play a bit with the sizes and comfort level regarding which is ‘primary’ and which is secondary (primary has the normal desktop icons, Start menu, quick start toolbar, etc).

5.  Now, you just drag applications from the ‘primary’ screen to the ‘other’ screen.  Both are there to view. 

 

In no time you’ll wonder how you ever made it with only a single monitor. 

Seriously, for a business user this is one of the best investments you could make in hardware or software–the payback is immediate and dramatic!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Conditional formatting - highlight if above or below your 'threshold'

Very simple:  ‘Conditional Formatting’ makes a cell bold red (or whatever you select) if a criteria is met.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to worry about reorder values, or minimum account balances, etc? 

What if you could automatically flag any number above or below a set threshold? 

You can, and it’s easy.  In Excel and Access it’s called conditional formatting  and is found on the formatting menu.

To use:

1.  Select the range of cells you wish to ‘conditionally format’ (Y5:Y24 in example below)

2. Select ‘Format, Conditional Formatting’ from the menu

3.  Drop down the box and enter your criteria (normally ‘greater than’ or ‘less than’), and

4.  Then click ‘Format’ and create the format you prefer to see (bold red in example) when the condition is met

5.  Now, anytime a value falls within the ranges you specified, the cell will ‘advertise’ itself via conditional formatting

 Rated.  Very useful when needed, but not needed all that often by most.

CompuSmart users:  note that up to three criteria may be used and you may compare one cell to another cell (rather than simple greater than, less than comparisons).  Now you can really get some complex help on a spreadsheet for no effort at all after initial setup.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Rule, or be ruled, by databases - Lose your fear of databases now

Modern companies are only as strong as their database.  Strong companies have big databases, powerful databases, endless data analysis, and data-driven reports that lead to greater business dominance.

Let’s face it.  Databases intimidate even average- to above-average computer users. 

Actually, they don’t so much fear databases (which they use non-stop), but rather they fear database applications.

Why is that?  Because the database interface is s-o-o-o confusing to the non-initiated.  It offers no help and doesn’t have any direct comparisons in the rest of their lives. 

When MS Word opens, it looks like a piece of paper -  we intuitively know what to ‘do’ with it.  When MS Excel opens, it looks like an accounting grid – most people can stumble their way into a bit of successful ’spread-sheeting’.

But open MS Access, and … “What the heck is that?”   Which is really unfortunate because nothing benefits a small- to medium-sized businesses more than mastering database technology.

How can I say that?  Simple.  Name the 20 most successful companies in the last 20 years.  If your list even comes close to mine, I can argue compellingly these companies rule in large part because they have either masterfully exploited database technology in their sector (WalMart, Fed Ex, Progressive Insurance, etc), or they are themselves databases (Google, FaceBook, YouTube). 

In short, today’s leading brands are crushing the competition because of data exploitation.  They know the value of data, how to get data, how to make data work for them, and so on.

I’ll be building some posts specifically for databases.  Even a little learning will go a long way.  Don’t pass by without trying… or, resign yourself to being ruled by those who have mastered data exploitation.

A computelligent user must learn to exploit database strengths and versatility.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Windows-E for Explorer Window (My Favorite Key Combination)

Bet you didn’t know that hitting the Windows-E (key in lower left of keyboard with Windows logo) combination would bring up the Explorer in a jiffy!

If you’re like me, always jumping all over the network, searching through folders and files, then this is the perfect tip to make you more COMPU-ficient today.

Simply hit Windows-E and this pops up pronto!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

My Absolute FAVORITE - RoboForm Web Password Manager

RoboForm Web Password Manager  RoboForm Web Site

Best $29.95 money can buy for busy Internet users.

If you do much business work on the Internet at all, the odds are you’ll love this program as much as I do. 

Imagine never needing to login to sites again, remember countless login names and passwords.  Imagine completing tedious forms requesting basic name, address info in one click… well, you get it. 

ALL is now done with a simple click due this brilliant and inexpensive little browser (Internet Explorer, FireFox, etc)

How it works

1. Install the browser addin
2. Give RoboForm some contact information (don’t worry, it’s all secure) and even credit cards if you order much online
3. Browse to any site requiring a login and password or contact information
4. When you are prompted for First Name, Last Name, Phone, etc.  RoboForm pops up and allows you to automatically fill it in with one click
5. When you navigate to a password protected site, as soon as you ‘Submit’ your login, RoboForm intercepts it and asks if you want to save it?  You click ‘Yes’ and from now on  RoboForm enables you to click directly to that site and does the filling in for you!  You can zip through five password protected sites (e.g.  bank account, web mail, personal Google or Yahoo account, company or school intranet login) in seconds.

Talk about compuFiciency! Tools like RoboForm will save you oodles of time immediately. 

Disclosure: I am not getting one dime for this recommendation.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

A huge time-saver... the quick launch bar

Down at the bottom of the screen, just to the right of your ‘Start’ button is a gold mine called the ‘Quick Launch’ toolbar.

Compuficient users put links (icons) to their most frequently used applications here.  Then, you never have to wade around menus, desktops, etc. to start your applications… just click the readily available links!

Here’s how

1. Right click on the gray area of the bottom toolbar
2. Make sure the ‘Lock the Taskbar’ option is not selected
3. Click up to the ‘Toolbars’ option on that same menu and
4. Turn on Quick Launch toolbar option
5. That’s all there is to turning it on (enabling it)

How to use it

1. Drag an application icon from your desktop to the ‘Quick Launch’ toolbar
2. Release the icon
3. Click the new icon to launch the application
4. You can also drag application icons from the menu bar after hitting ‘Start, All Programs…’

This one is a dandy!  Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back to the Easter egg hunt of old!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Put commonly visited web sites one click away

CompuFicient users put their most commonly used web links on their toolbar.  Sites are one click away–a real time-saver!

Here’s how: 

1. Go to the web sites you use frequently
2. As a preparatory step, you may need to right-click on an ‘empty gray’ portion of the Internet Explorer toolbar and make sure that (a) the ‘Lock Toolbars’ is unlocked, and (b) the ‘Links Toolbar’ is showing
3. In the URL window, grab the icon in front of the actual URL. Drag the icon down to the ‘Links’ toolbar
4. Release the icon on the toolbar
5. Right click on the newly created button and change the name (shorter is better, makes room for more) to something you like

This tip is guaranteed to save collective hours in the course of a year for anyone who uses the web for any portion of their business computing.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Money motivate$ Time i$ money. The power of $econd$

We all know money is time, right?  Want to add a free week to your work year?  Your admin specialist?  Let me show you how.

Say you learn 50 compuSmart ways to save 10 seconds a day.  500 seconds = 8.33 minutes

8.33 minutes X 250 work days per year = 2,083 minutes.

That’s 34.7 hours, 4.34 days, or nearly one week  -  $aved by the $econd.

Applied compuFiciency will net an office worker 50 opportunities to save 10 seconds–take my word on it!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

1- 2- 3 triple-click! MS Word time-savers

Everyone knows a single-click in MS Word will relocate the ‘insertion point’ (that’s where the next character typed will be).

Not so many know double-click and triple-click tricks.

Single-click – moves insertion point

Double-click – selects a word 

Triple-click – selects an entire paragraph

Double-click is probably the most frequently used.  It’s very compuficient if you want to delete a word, move it in the sentence, etc. 

Computelligent users know triple-click selects a whole paragraph.  Very handy for moving bullets in a list (remember, each list item is really a paragraph).  Simply triple-click to select, hold with left mouse and drag-drop to where you’d like to relocate the item.

Watch here for a very quick demo.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Learn how to save 10 seconds, you add a day to your business productivity year!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

MS Word macro - add document footer & create tool button

This short video demonstrates how to create a macro (MS Word) to automatically create a document footer and how to assign this macro to a toolbar so that it is forever only one mouse click away!.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

For LARGER IMAGE, click the black square to the right of the video length.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Quit searching out lost files... Use footers religiously!

Most business documents are not formal, meaning the ‘formal rules’ of written business correspondence do not apply.  So, make the documents work for you!

How many times have you forgotten what you called a document?  Where you saved it?  Who created it? 

All you want to do is make a small change and recreate it or resend it or republish it.

compuSmart solution:  put a footer with the folder and file path into the footer.  compuFicient solution:  create a macro to do this automatically by pushing a toolbar button.

Let’s use MS Word as our example:  Select View, Header and Footer

Toggle between the header (top of page) and footer (bottom of page) with this button

With your cursor in the footer section (hash lines define it), select Insert AutoText and add at least the ‘filename and path’.

I normally add ‘last printed’ date and ‘Page X of Y’ to my documents.  Now you have this information at the bottom of every page automatically. 

I usually format the first footer paragraph with an upper border line to separate visually the body from the footer, and put the footer text in small font.

This protocol gives all users a chance to relocate the file, copy, edit, send, or whatever.  Far better than going on an Easter egg hunt every time you need to locate a file!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

See more, know more

The explorer view ‘out of the box’ is sufficient for most–but there’s so-o-o much more you can see.

Right click on the gray header bar to expose this menu

Turn off the columns that may be of little value to you (size?) and turn on your document property fields (title and comments)

Computelligent users can now see a lot of valuable information about the files in their folder.  Imagine your assistant or partner faithfully entered document information.  Everyone in the office would know exactly what each file was for.  What a thought!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Add valuable "Document Info"

Business users generate many files. Compusmart business users not only put them in sensibly organized folders, they also add document information to help them locate the file and remind them of it’s purpose.  Never heard of document properties?  It’s very, very easy. 

From within the document (spreadsheet, presentation file, etc), simply select File, Properties

Then, add sufficient data to accurately identify the file, author, purpose, etc.

“Ok, so what?” you say.  Knowing what to do with them is even more valuable.  That’s where ‘Details’ folder view comes in…

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Change your point of view!

Searching for files using My Computer or  Windows Explorer and seeing only a bunch of icons with partial file names is both frustrating and unnecessary.  CompuSmart business users display as much meaningful information as possible–by switching their view.

At the top of your toolbar you’ll see this multi-colored icon…   

Drop it down and select ‘Details’ to see far more information about your files.

Now we see Name, Size, Type, Date Modified… and the list is SORTABLE on each field by clicking on the gray column heading. 

Find your most recent file by clicking on “Date Modified”…  

Or, If you know it was sometime ‘a year ago’ then scroll down to 2007. 

You see the point.  Do you see the benefit?  If you want to be compu-ficient you’ll do it!

Be sure to check out the entry showing how to add even more meaningful information to the view.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Windows OS Folder and File System Navigation Training

If you’d like to learn more about how to create folders, visit the training video at the link Windows OS Folder and File System Navigation .

Mastering this skill is vital to becoming compu-ficient.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Compu-telligent design - a compuSmart "Folder Tree"

MyDocuments and MyPhotos may be suitable for home use, but not for business!

Learn to create folders and make them make compu-sense in your business.  What’s that mean?  Spend time thinking about every single aspect of your business.  The file cabinet might be a good place to start.

Think of a lawyer.  He has clients.  What kind?  Corporate Clients, Business Clients, Personal Clients.

So, under Main Street Law Office LLC we find some folders like this

Then they’d want to create some business folders for their own purposes so they add MS Law Office LLC and put the Documents, Financial, Personnel, and Taxes folders under that.

Now, when it’s time to back-up files (What, you say?  A small business that backs up!!  I don’t have time for that!  How in the world can they?), all they need to do is back up the main folder ‘C:\Main Street Law Office LLC’ and everything else pertaining to the law firm is automatically backed up.

Notice the Inactive Clients folder.  What a simple way to ‘clean out’ without throwing out.  Storage is cheap–use it smartly.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

THE single best tip $$$ can buy! Right-click... awesome

Compu-telligent folks skip the technical name ‘context-sensitive help’.  They just remember that right-clicking gives them what they’re looking for 99.5% of the time!!  No kidding.

Watch this.  In a normal Word document you might find these command options by right-clicking

But right-click in a table and you’ll get a different menu of options (likeliest ones you’re needing)

And on a photo you get an entirely different set of menu options.

In most cases, a compu-telligent user will find what’s needed simply by right-clicking where it’s needed

Note:  this applies to all MS Office applications and most well-written Windows productivity programs.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Formatting as you go just slows you down! Try the format painter

If you’re like most people, you want the words to look perfect as soon as you type them.  So, you spend time bolding, underlining, centering, numbering, etc.

Don’t waste your time.  It’s far more compu-ficient to do it after all of the editing is done.  Once you’ve got the content nailed, then start at the top and select something that needs formatted (bold, colored font, underlined, etc) and format it.  Then, with it selected, double-click the format painter and ‘apply’ that format everywhere it is called for.  Do the same with other formats.

Note:  single click only gives you ONE chance to apply the format elsewhere.  Double-click stays on until you click it off (or hit Esc).  Remember that or you’ll get frustrated!

This is REALLY helpful for compound formats like a red, bold, underlined text.  One double-click loads your paintbrush for applying it all over the place!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Set maximum number of files in 'most recently used' lists

Can’t remember what you called that document you were working on?  Where you saved it? 

Nearly all MS Office applications maintain a list of most recently used files.  Don’t limit yourself to the few (generally four) that are made available by default.

In Word, select Tools, Options to expose the following dialog box. 

Select the maximum number and you’ll save a lot of time in the course of a year.  Excel and PowerPoint have similar options.

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article

Ctrl-key combinations are DYNOMITE!

Can’t remember the most time-saving aid in Windows you say?  Try this…

Just remember they’re on the bottom left row of keys and you’ll be 99.5% there. 

Ctrl-B – turn bold on/off or bold the selection

Ctrl-V – Paste from clipboard

Ctrl-C – Copy selection to clipboard

Ctrl-X – Cut selection

Ctrl-Z – Undo

Just learning these five key combination shortcuts is bound to save any active office worker oodles of time.  Try it.

I only have one worn out key and it’s my Ctrl- key!

» Return to Top | Permanent Link to this article