Part 2: Productivity Tools
In this section, we’ll have an overview of productivity in the workplace. The information and applications we’ll discuss can also be, and are, used outside the workplace. They were designed to make school, work, and communications easier, standardized, and accessible.
There are a lot of industries that do not use all or most of these programs, and many more applications that serve diverse work functions and employment needs. This textbook is focused on fairly basic support-related tools, rather than specialty and/or proprietary ones. For instance, there exist work tools for analysis, financial management firms, medical management, law and regulations, visual communications, application development, automotive diagnostics, inventory management, sales contacts, marketing management, and. . . and . . . Some of these may be mentioned to help set the stage for productivity applications.
The thing with the applications we’ll cover in more detail is how useful they can be in support (and even main) aspects of education and a number of industries.
- Databases are a backbone of data management for many purposes and industries: collecting, organizing, analyzing, synthesizing, and reporting out.
- Email is a predominant form of business communications that can be supplemented by text messaging, phone/audio calls, videoconferencing, and in-person connections. Emails allow for the transfer of information with files and images, and also allow for a digital paper trail.
- Presentations are done in meetings, conferences, shows, and marketing/advertising in many industries.
- Spreadsheets allow for collection, analysis, calculations, and visual graphs/charts of data used in a lot of workplaces.
- Word processing handles document creation, formatting, modification, and distribution. Businesses around the world generate documentation, reports, correspondence, and much more.
