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Smarter Working - How IT can deliver best practice in work and time management

The UK, in common with other Anglo-Saxon countries, is considered a slave to work by other national cultures, which, quite rightly, feel sorry for us getting ourselves into this position. In France they like to say that while the French work to live, the British live to work. We have, it seems, got our priorities wrong.

However the tide is turning here, there is no point in working all hours, not seeing family and never taking holidays if we don't get to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Hence the increased pressure from our Government to encourage, even impose, flexible working initiatives and to explore the viability of a standard working week.

Businesses and employees are today being urged to sort out the work / life balance . Contrary to popular belief this needn't mean a reduction in productivity, far from it. Today individuals must be able to work smarter, not harder - achieving more, but in less time.

Productivity can only be achieved through the right combination of personal attitude, time management and the right tools, technology has a key role to play. Microsoft Office and associated technologies were designed to specifically cater for today's work place.

While today office applications like Microsoft Office 2003 are widely deployed, only by ensuring an individual is suitably trained in their features and use will they be able to get the most from them, thereby enabling the individual and the business to realise the true productivity gains that they offer.

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