Time Tidbits: Automation at Work

 With summer around the corner and vaccines rolling out, people are planning vacations again. I think we can all agree that the worst part of going on vacation is returning to work when you get back. 

So, it’s no surprise that workers check email when they’re out of the office. By automating tasks with Zapier, you can focus on enjoying your time off. 

Here are five ways automation can help make returning to work easier: 

1. Filter emails and messages by importance. Instead of combing through each message in your inbox, set up an automatic workflow to add specific emails to a spreadsheet. When you return, you can comb through the spreadsheet and see the important stuff at a glance.

2. Get a summary of project progress. Instead of trying to piece together how a project progressed in your absence, use a Zap to gather project activity from Trello, Asana, or other platforms.

3. Get a list of company announcements. You never know when your company will drop big news. Even if it's just an announcement about annual open enrollment, you don't want to be out of the loop. You can use an automatic workflow to send company announcements—however they're sent—to a spreadsheet.

4. Automatically notify your team about priorities. Use a Zap to alert your team about what you're working on, so you don't have to answer a lot of questions. Automatically update your Slack status when you have time blocked off on your calendar.

5. Create an out-of-office repository. Before you leave for vacation, share a document with your team to fill in with relevant information that you need to be aware of once you return.