Big data is changing our lives in many ways. Some of the ways data impacts us are much more subtle than others. One example is with digital calendars. A number of new data algorithms are being used to make digital calendars more effective.
Big data is so important for event planning and preparation. A growing number of companies are using big data to plan their events more effectively. But big data can help with creating better schedules in your everyday life as well.
The Role of Big Data in Digital Calendars
As a business person, you live so many lives in a day – you have a business to grow, family to take care of, employees to manage, meetings to attend to, reports to file and so on. Having multiple calendars for all this stuff won’t cut it. You need a better way to monitor your busy life, manage your appointments, and plan your days, weeks, and months. That’s where a digital calendar comes in.
Big data has made digital calendars more sophisticated than ever. Machine learning algorithms make it easier to plan your schedule, because they can help optimize your schedule. These big data algorithms make enable you to estimate the amount of time an event will take, based on experiences with similar events.
You can also use big data to store more events in your calendar. You can plan long in advance.
Obviously, with the advent of big data, mobile phones, and other smart devices, physical datebooks are no longer an essential tool for a business person. Today, you pick your phone and see your hectic day neatly organized in 20-minute intervals, with no distraction between your personal and work lives. A presentation to stakeholders, an eye specialist appointment, an interview, and a reminder to get your child’s favorite book are all on one page. That’s just how life is: work, errands, home, travel, fitness, appointments, family and so on, but it’s much easier when it’s all organized.
The question now becomes, are you getting the most out of your digital calendar?
Well, if you are like most people, it’s likely that you only use the calendar as a reminder of what you are to do next. However, there is so much more than you can get from a digital calendar than a reminder. As stated earlier, these calendars are designed to remove the stress out of the process so you can focus on your core competency. So, if you aren’t leveraging the features and possibilities to your advantage, then this article will serve as an eye opener for you.
Here is how to get the most of your digital calendar.
See other people’s schedule
Imagine being able to see when your prospect is free for a meeting; know what your colleagues are currently working on or when your favorite musician will start performing this coming weekend. Wouldn’t it make your life easier? You bet it would. Although you can check in with your prospects to find out when they’ll be free, or ask your team what they are doing, it is much more convenient, and less stressing if you could view all that in their calendar.
You can see other people’s calendar by viewing their Outlook, iCloud or Google Calendar (of course with their permission). These calendars work across all platforms and can even send reminders through SMS or email. A shared calendar app is another excellent way to view other people’s calendar. The best calendar apps negate the need of sending endless emails when scheduling an appointment or meeting – thanks to the smart scheduling link that shows others of your availability.
Take organization to another level
Online calendars allow you to create categories according to your preference. When you use data analytics to add a task or an event, you can place it in a group like Work, Fitness, Friends, Family, or House. You can then set a different color for each category for easy identification. So, when you aren’t sure about the date of meeting your friend, you’ll just search in the Friends category to view all your schedules.
Give yourself a real break
In 2015, Gartner wrote a great piece on the proliferation of big data and its role in facilitating organization. We are always on the move. There’s always work to complete, meetings to attend, presentations to make, and family to care for. It is easy to burn out. But this shouldn’t be the case. Merging big data with a digital calendar can help you out, and ensure you have a break from all these; it allows you to schedule some relaxing time between tasks. It is health and will even make you perform better. During the time out, you can take a nap or a walk. You can even choose to do nothing.
Use Big Data to Integrate it with Gmail
Most of these calendars come with Office 365, Google, or iCloud accounts. What this means for you is that big data made it possible to have a real-time chat with your colleague through email. You also configure it from your email and get a reminder later on through your email. It’s so convenient – you don’t have to click into the calendar to do everything. Due to new advances in big data, you also don’t have to waste time switching between two Google calendars, syncing two Outlook calendars or jumping from one device to another trying to find that missing meeting. A digital calendar is a great way to see all your meetings at a glance.
Big Data Makes Digital Calendars More Reliable
Big data is simplifying our lives in many ways. The evolution of digital calendars is one of the best examples. Fortunately, big data is making digital calendars more reliable for all of us.
