An administrative assistant in the 21st century need not be tied to her desk in order to run an efficient office. A fast computer and a great phone system are still necessary equipment for an assistant. However, there are also a number mobile apps can help you be a hero even when you're out of the office or on the go.
As an administrative assistant, sometimes you have to respond and react to things promptly. The best mobile apps bring the critical tools from your office to your phone when you don't have access to your computer. Dropbox employs cloud-based storage to let you open documents from anywhere. Edit your meeting minutes, work on an end-of-quarter project and save the changes back up to the cloud. The document is ready for you when you return to your desk or home office.
Genius Scan uses your smartphone's camera to scan a paper document and save it as a PDF file. Capture items such as meeting notes, receipts and handwritten transcriptions. You can immediately send the files to your boss or other co-workers who may need them, saving you the time and effort to re-type all of the information while delivering it in real-time.
Evernote combines digital to-do lists, goal tracking and other short notes. It not only helps you keep yourself organized, it also allows you to collaborate with colleagues. Send articles, emails, links and photographs for future reference. You can attach notes to these as well items so you can easily find them later.
LogMeIn gives you remote access to your desktop computer on your smartphone. Like mobile apps that control your garage, air conditioning and lights at home, LogMeIn puts you in the driver's seat of your computer. Open files, edit documents and run reports from anywhere. Check with your company's IT department to see if this app can work in your office environment.
Wunderlist is all about to-do lists. This mobile app lets you create multiple lists, organize and comment on them, share lists with others and put them on an events calendar. It is a one-stop shop for your planning needs.
Mobile apps make you even more invaluable to your executive. Showing the initiative to do your job regardless of your location lets your boss know that you can be trusted to perform without being chained to your desk, which can lead to greater flexibility to balance your work and home lives. Using the apps also shows that you keep up with current technology trends, so that you're not just valuable today, but will continue to be so for years to come.
Smartphones make life more efficient for people on-the-go. Mobile apps turn a smartphone into a sophisticated office workspace thanks to cloud storage, wireless communication and the developers who create apps that make people more productive. Take advantage of these technical breakthroughs to become the kind of assistant your executives won't be willing to live without.
Photo courtesy of Highways Agency at Flickr.com
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