Looking to save time while getting more done at work? Who isn’t, right? As your to-do list gets longer and longer, you’re likely looking for ways to streamline your workflows. Hopping from one tab on your desktop to another while opening numerous software apps is not the best solution. Instead, it may be time to integrate some of your most-used applications into your digital calendar.
Integrating software applications into your digital calendar of choice may seem more complicated than it really is. These software applications are meant to make your job easier, so they want you to utilize all of their capabilities. You can integrate your desired platforms in a few minutes with just a few clicks. Not to mention, the benefits will outweigh any of the initial steps it takes to sync the two platforms and complete the integration.
Some of the benefits of calendar integrations include enhanced productivity, improved organization, and increased collaboration. You’ll also find that you can manage your time better as you won’t need to input information into both your calendar and the separate application. Below are six calendar integrations that will benefit your workday and save you tons of time along the way.
1. Zoom Calendar Integration
Whether you work remotely, go to the office daily, or are somewhere between, you likely haven’t escaped Zoom meetings. Video conferencing has arguably made working easier. The rise in these platforms since the pandemic has enabled better internal and external collaboration. Zoom also has a variety of built-in capabilities that can make your meetings more engaging and productive. These capabilities include creating public and private chat groups polling to Q&A features.
But how many times have you set up a call and realized you forgot to add a Zoom conferencing link? It’s a misstep that can easily happen as you multitask and hop from one task to another. Thanks to integrations with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Calendar.com, you no longer have to worry about adding a link ever again. This integration makes scheduling and joining meetings easier. It also lets you turn any email message into a Zoom meeting, automatically inviting everyone to the email thread.
2. Slack Calendar Integration
Speaking of collaboration, Slack is another tool that big and small companies alike use for instant messaging. While email is more formal in nature, Slack has a more personable, friendly vibe. You can send a quick note to a colleague and get an answer back in a few seconds instead of writing up an email and waiting for them to respond. With more than 200,000 companies using Slack globally, it has, in many ways, transformed how people work.
Integrating Slack into your work calendar lets you stay updated more seamlessly. Event and meeting reminders will be pushed to you directly in the app. You can also view what is on your agenda for the day from the home screen, meaning you don’t have to open your Google Calendar separately. And when you’re in a meeting or have scheduled vacation time marked in your calendar, your Slack status will update automatically.
3. Salesforce Calendar Integration
Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that serves as a central place to keep, manage, and track customer information. Depending on your company’s industry, this data could be client information or pending deals. Relevant documents and contracts can be uploaded to the platform, which provides access to anyone internally. Salesforce is used widely, particularly amongst big corporations and Fortune 500 companies, and is intended to improve customer relations.
Integrating Salesforce with your calendar will provide a better experience on the platform. When you make a new client contact, their information will be automatically uploaded to your Google Calendar or Calendar.com. If you’re a manager, integration also provides better coordination and collaboration between team members. You have better visibility of your sales team, allowing you to make more informed decisions.
4. Asana Calendar Integration
Keeping your team and your entire company focused and organized is challenging, particularly for teams working remotely. Task management platforms like Asana make managing projects, tasks, and other to-do items across teams easier. Asana allows for real-time collaboration, meaning your team can spend more time working and less talking about the work!
Since so many tasks correlate to specific deadlines, integrating Asana with your calendar of choice ensures that you easily meet deadlines. Asana can be integrated with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or any other URL-based calendar. After integrating, your Asana project will be synched to your calendar. This means you can quickly glance at your work calendar to see when your deadlines are and click out to the individual assignment on Asana.
4. Dropbox Calendar Integration
Backing up your files to a cloud is more critical today. Data loss and theft are more prominent as hackers are finding more advanced ways to steal personal information. Uploading important work documents to a file hosting service like Dropbox allows for better peace of mind. Think of it as your one secure destination for all your files to live.
With integrating Dropbox to your calendar, you can connect and share all of your secured documents to your contact list. This is beneficial when you’re working on a team project and need to share large files quickly. Or, if you have a client-facing presentation that is too big to send via email, you can share it directly with your contact. Dropbox can be integrated with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar.
5. Stripe Calendar Integration
If your company makes most of your sales online, you may already be familiar with the newest online payment providers. Stripe is one of the many platforms that automate most of the day-to-day financial interactions for companies. Stripe accepts customer payments and sends payouts to contract or freelance workers. It’s an easy-to-use platform for both customers and companies, making it a go-to for many businesses today.
This past summer, Stripe announced a new partnership with Google that allows customers to pay directly for their service on the Google Calendar booking page. This means customers can add their credit or debit card information at the same time they create an appointment. This is great for businesses with pre-pay clients, such as therapists or online healthcare providers.
5. Todoist Calendar Integration
A paper sticky note listing everything you have to achieve for that particular day is only beneficial if you don’t lose it! Web-based productivity and time management apps like Todoist, you can be assured that your beloved sticky note is always with you. Todist helps you manage tasks for both your personal life and work life. Each task can be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks, allowing you to start accomplishing more significant projects more efficiently.
Integrating Todist into your calendar means that you can assign tasks with specific due dates. A change you make on your calendar will appear on Todist and vice versa. Also, the labels that you create to help keep your projects organized will populate your calendar. Todist can be integrated into any calendar with a feed subscription, including Calendar, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar.
Conclusion
Owning your calendar means arranging it to fit your needs. You may not have all of these apps or find them helpful for your particular role. That said, if you do use any of these apps regularly, see if integrating them into your calendar will simplify your life. Adjust to make them work for you and save time in the process.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Oleksandr P; Pexels
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