Maneuverability is Key to Improving Productivity

As you look at the piles of paper cluttering your desk, no doubt you would agree that all the talk about a "paperless office" is just that -- talk.

While many assumed that paper was on its way out as scheduling and planning was relegated to electronic devices and desktop computers, they were wrong. Research proves that people still prefer to put pen to paper when it comes to keeping their calendars, taking notes and organizing their lives. Computers certainly play an important role in daily business and personal planning. However, rather than replacing paper, computers are being used in conjunction with traditional business tools.  

New Trend in Planning
The result is a growing trend and the emergence of a new segment of business professionals -- the co-user. Defined as someone who uses paper AND software planning, the co-user is the largest and fastest growing group of consumers. In an effort to find out exactly which office products people were using and how they were organizing, the planning experts at MeadWestvaco, makers of AT-A-GLANCE brand planning products, conducted extensive research. What they found reinforces the important role paper planning products play in today's workplace.

Paper Presides Across All Ages
More than eight out of 10 (86 percent) of white collar workers are paper users. While 19 percent are strictly paper people, the largest group (67 percent) is that of the co-user -- those who use paper and computer planning products together. The co-usage trend spans a wide age-range, with those in Generation X and Y, and even Baby Boomers identifying themselves as co-users -- 82 percent are between 21 and 54 years old. While the vast majority of people have found that paper and software planning can complement one another, bringing the two worlds together does present unique organizational challenges.

Information Flow is Critical
The more you transfer data back and forth between computer and paper, the greater the chance that something slips through the cracks. Missed meetings or deadlines are often the result of a failure to keep paper and computer planning products updated and "on the same page," so to speak. The researchers at MeadWestvaco found that the need for special tools to help maneuver data from the virtual world to the real world was so strong it warranted the creation of a product line dedicated to the cause.  

AT-A-GLANCE Outlink is just that -- a full line of paper planning and note-taking products with unique features designed to streamline the flow of information between computer and paper.

Success in the workplace is all about maneuverability. Sometimes it's maneuvering tricky office politics, often it's juggling unrealistic schedules and deadlines. The good news is, when it's about maneuvering between your software and paper planning products, the right tools can help you get the job done and improve your productivity.

For more information on AT-A-GLANCE Outlink, visit www.myoutlink.com.

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