Google offers an excellent variety of usable online Apps which are made available to you for increasing your online productivity. Some you will be familiar with, while others may be new to you. One of the most popular as well as one that you likely use is Gmail, but there are a handful of other Google Apps such as: Google Calender, Google Docs, Google Translator and Google Spreadsheets.
Available within these apps are a number of excellent features which simplifies as well as increases your work productivity. They include “shortcuts” such as being able to reschedule meetings or tasks while using Google Calendar to Priority Inbox. There is practically a Google tool that’s available to help you simplify almost every need, procedure or function.
Since there are most likely a few Google Apps which you already use on a daily basis, there may also be a few in Google’s App toolbox that you are not aware of, such as:
• Scripts for online automation
• Online translation tools
• Being able to create online custom surveys
Just to name a few.
Businesses of all sizes are constantly looking for condensed solutions which makes their work flow quicker as well as smoother, without having to increase their cost overhead. Most often for businesses, their offices as well as their suppliers, and especially their customers and employees can be spread across multiple locations geographically.
So efficient and concise communication as well as collaboration becomes a priority. For these businesses, Google Apps can be a feasible low cost solution which can be easier to implement as well as maintain than the other solutions on the market. The majority of the Google Apps features are made available without the higher price tag of say MS Exchange.
Listed Are A Few Of The Top Google Apps Which Are Available For You To Increase As Well As Improving Your Productivity
Using Google Apps Script For Better Automation Google Apps
When using the Google Apps Script, you will be able to easily automate a variety of different features in Google Apps. This includes reading as well as changing values when using Google Spreadsheets, or expense report approval, or sending and merging email and much much more.
Google provides you with a comprehensive list of tutorials for the beginner, intermediate or advanced user on anything you need to know, such as creating your first custom function, or “Help Desk” workflow automation, or designing a tournament bracket, just to mention a few.
Creating A Customized Online Google Survey
So you’re wanting to plan a staff meeting on the fly, offsite with your marketing department. But instead of contacting all of your staff members for feedback on the agenda by sending back and forth a series of emails, and then spending the time to organize as well as accumulating the responses, you can use a Google Docs feature called “Forms” instead.
Google Forms is an extremely easy way to be able to quickly create an online survey or a form which you can email to your coworkers. You’ll be able to keep track of all the replies using one central spreadsheet which updates itself automatically, in real-time, as the results come in. These forms or surveys can also be customized for your specific needs on however format you want, whether it’s for product or service feedback, concise collection of data or anything else that’s similar.
You’re able to create a survey or a form from your Google Docs list by clicking “Create New” and then selecting “Form.” Once the form template opens, you’ll then be able to add questions as well as these options that you’d like to include. Some of the options include: multiple choice questions, text responses, check box responses, etc.
Once you’re finished creating the form or survey, then you can click the “E-mail This Form” tab. You will then receive an email with the summary of what the survey or form included, along with a link which allows you to send the form to additional people if necessary. If you’re wanting to view the results, select that form from Google Docs and the responses should instantly load into a new window. You will also have the option of creating a form directly from a spreadsheet. The steps are listed in Google Spreadsheets.
Collaborate With Google Drawings
One way that you can collaborate on a project to meet a specific timeline with your coworkers, or if your designing a specific detailed diagram for a presentation, you can use Google Drawings. This is a stand alone editor which allows you to be able to create diagrams, charts, designs as well as detailed schematics.
If you’re wanting to access Google Drawings, log into your Google Account and then click “Documents.” Then click the “Create New” tab and choose “Drawing” from the menu to begin.
You will be able to edit your Google drawings, all in real time with anyone that you choose by selecting the “Share” tab and then inviting others. You will also be able to chat with those who may be editing your drawing with you, directly from the drawings editor. The drawings editor also supports alignment guides, a snap to grid feature, as well as being able to publish drawings as images.
Turning Your Images With Text Into A Google Doc
If you’ve printed out a document which needs editing, the Google Docs API offers (OCR) Optical Character Recognition, which allows you to convert high resolution images with text, into text, which is also editable.
To be able to perform OCR on an image such as a jpg, gif or png file, go to the Images page and then upload the document. Keep in mind that the files must be in high resolution, at least 10 pixel character height, as well as a maximum file size of 10MB. The larger that the file is, the longer that the OCR process will obviously take.
Translating Your Documents
If you happen to regularly correspond internationally, then the Google Docs “Translate” feature will be able to solve any communication issues. The online translator feature will allow you to instantly translate a select number of words or even an entire document or article into 40 different languages with just a click of a button.
To access Google’s Translate feature, open any of the Google Docs you want translated. Under the “Tools” tab, choose the “Translate Document,” option and then click the “OK” button. The longer that the document is, the longer it will take to translate. The new translated document will then be saved along with your original Google Doc.