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Networked Scheduling
Ever played meeting tag? It's a popular game: one person wants to set up a meeting with several others. The task is to see how many phone calls,
walks up and down the hall, memos, and rescheduling it takes to find and confirm a day, time, and place that works for everyone.
Unfortunately, the loser in this game is the business that wastes valuable employee time and resources on such a simple task.
Businesses that are networked have discovered a better approach: networked scheduling. Sharing calendars on a network makes booking and confirming
meetings a one-step process that virtually eliminates wasted time.
Even a very small business can take advantage of this time-saving solution. A network of personal computers based on the
Microsoft® Small
Business Server and
Microsoft Office™ enables individuals to not only manage their own calendars, but to share their schedules and view the schedules of
colleagues. They can also assign a schedule to the conference room or a resource such as a slide projector so that they can be reserved when needed
for meetings.
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Messaging and Collaboration
Microsoft Outlook™ messaging and collaboration client (part of the Microsoft Office™ suite, and included with Microsoft® Small Business Server for
networking use) provides an easy way to schedule and manage appointments. When connected to a network, an individual can use Microsoft Outlook™ to select the
list of attendees and find out the date and time that everybody is available. Once the time is chosen, meeting requests are automatically generated
and sent by e-mail to all attendees. After viewing the invitation, each invitee can accept, decline, or respond tentatively to the meeting request. When
accepted, a meeting time is automatically blocked out in the invitees calendar.
Network scheduling also allows assistants to view calendars and book appointments for others who are out of the office or visiting with customers.
Because these electronic schedules are centrally stored on the server and synchronized on the desktop computer, users can be assured that their
information is backed up during the regular automated server backup. And, unlike paper calendars, the company calendar of everybody's schedule on
the central server is never inaccessible or lost.
Finally, networked scheduling can help make meetings more productive. Drag and drop a Word document into the mail that you'd like people to read
before the meeting, include an agenda, attach a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing the numbers you want to discuss during the meeting. Whatever
the information, you can easily send it to attendees to ensure that they stay focused during the meeting.
Information Systems Associates (ISABIZ®) stands ready to assist you regarding making the "right" decisions regarding Electronic Group
Scheduling. Give us a call at 865-824-3308
or
Click Here to complete our Questionaire
to request an on-site or phone visit.
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