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You have some more freedom working from home. And this includes the freedom to automate tasks, which would otherwise get you into trouble with your office’s network administrators. Additionally, it is much easier than you think, and you don’t even need to be a programmer.
Write an Operating System Script
Your office’s network admins would throw a fit if you began leaving scripts on desktop PCs and drives at work. But at home, you can pretty much do what you like on your personal device. You can use specific software such as that for legal process automation. Or you can write simple scripts. For example, you can write batch (.bat) files in Windows for simple instructions. One of the main ways this comes in handy is by opening multiple OS programs at the same time.
Understand Your Workflow
To make better use of automation, you must understand your workflow. This is mainly because automated princesses follow a set of instructions in order of execution. For instance, using batch files can be very handy for simple tasks. And you can set timers if you know exactly how long something takes. You can also use automation within specific apps. For instance, you can cut down image editing times with custom actions for cropping and exporting in Photoshop.
Automate Tasks You Hate
There are some tasks that become mind-numbing throughout your day. A perfect example is responding to emails. Yet this is one of the simplest tasks you can automate, which is why many people do. Out-of-office auto-replies are a great example. However, you can also set up automatic welcome messages for new customers. Or you can use apps like MailChimp to create automatically segmented email newsletters based on specific customer data and criteria.
See Which Apps Can Work with Each Other
Most of us use apps to get things done these days. And some are very popular. Common examples include project management apps like Monday. But also collaboration apps such as Slack. And, of course, OS calendars. But you may not know that many of these can work together if you link them. For example, you can schedule a remote meeting in your preferred app, and it will automatically insert it into your calendar apps so you get a reminder at the time.
Use AI Tools to Quickly Check Your Work
You have probably heard of AI by now since it is currently everywhere. However, you probably also use AI tools and don’t even know it. For example, Grammarly uses AI to check your work. This can save you tons of time when you use the “Accept All” feature for correcting grammar in your text. But if you don’t like that, you can also use apps and extensions that will actively check your work as you go along, making suggestions in real-time as you create a document for work.
Summary
You save a lot of time when you automate tasks. And they are highly beneficial for working from home. You can write OS scripts, perform menial tasks, and use AI tools to help you work better.
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