Home · Online Publications · Journal of Accountancy · Online Issues · August 1998 · Software to Get You Organized

I t's not easy to get organized. The old-fashioned Rolodex and paper calendar, while useful, can't always keep up with the pace of business today. After all, there are names, addresses and telephone numbers to keep in order, appointments with colleagues and clients to synchronize and reminders to call people and track ongoing assignments and projects. The most efficient way to accomplish all these tasks is with a personal information manager (PIM)—software that can do all of the above and then some.

But before you can experience the power of a PIM, you've got to select the one that's right for you. There are about a score on the market—each with its strengths and weaknesses; not all contain the same functions and each works a little differently. Some probably won't have enough muscle (number and power of functions) to meet your needs; others may have many complex functions, making them difficult to use. This article is designed to help you find the right product for you and your organization.

Each of the three basic types of PIMs is targeted to a different audience. The most elementary PIM—the basic calendar and address book—also may have a few bells and whistles: appointment scheduling, to-do list, planner and appointment alarm. Such PIMs are relatively inexpensive—ranging from about $15 to $40—and easy to use.

The second type of PIM—perhaps more suitable for many accountants—contains all of the above plus a task manager. The task manager possesses the features of the basic calendars and also keeps track of assignments and appointments. For example, task managers can schedule people and resources to specific projects, manage tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis, store important memos, alert you to scheduling conflicts, offer fax functions and provide keyword search capabilities of all the data stored in the application. Such products range in price from $40 to $250 and are relatively easy to use. Some task managers can even coordinate your calendars with others in your organization.

The most sophisticated PIMs contain contact managers. Such functions are for professionals who depend on frequent client, supplier or customer contacts and need immediate information about those contacts. Some products, for instance, monitor incoming telephone calls and automatically bring up a contact's profile when the phone number matches that contact's phone number. In addition, they can manage marketing functions, track a customer's sales, arrange group meetings and schedule group appointments. Their client-contact focus makes them most suitable for accountants engaged in marketing and consulting activities.

Many of these packages are designed for large organizations whose information systems are linked through networks, including the Internet. Contact manager PIMs can be expensive, ranging from about $250 to $5,000. While extremely powerful, they can be a bit difficult to learn and use.

Exhibit 1, at right, provides a list of common PIM features available on the market today. In reviewing the table, however, keep in mind there is no precise definition of a PIM or its many functions. In this article, we attempt to draw boundaries around the three types of PIMs; however, when you begin shopping for a product, those distinctions may blur somewhat. The bottom line is: To be sure you're getting what you need, try out the product; most vendors—especially for the more expensive products—offer evaluation copies.

However, performance may be a consideration, particularly if you operate on a network. Increased performance levels may require that you move into a higher price range, change the type of PIM you are considering or both.

Once you've identified the type of PIM you want, one valuable source of product information can be found on the Internet. Just do a search for the key word "PIM." An additional benefit of shopping the Internet is that many software manufacturers offer demonstration packages you can download for a trial period. A good Web site for software evaluations and downloads can be found at www.softseek.com/Business_and
_Productivity/PIMS_Calendars
_and_Schedulers@.

Finally, while you should not ignore recommendations from colleagues, keep in mind that a PIM is a very personal product. What is effective for one person may not be useful for someone else.

A representative sampling of PIM software is shown in exhibit 2, pages 54-55. The suggested retail price of each package is listed; however, street prices are likely to be less.

Keep in mind, too, that converting from manual modes of planning your work day to a computer-based system can be challenging. Most of us would rather continue to struggle with familiar ways of doing things than take the time to learn new tools and techniques. This seems to be especially true when it comes to managing personal information. However, PIMs can really save time and increase productivity, once you've gotten over the learning curve.

To help make this a relatively smooth transition, consider using a PIM that is most compatible with the office suite you currently use. For example, Outlook 97 comes with Microsoft Office 97, Organizer 97 is included with Lotus SmartSuite 97 and CorelCENTRAL 8 is integrated into Corel WordPerfect Suite 8. If at some point you outgrow those PIMs, most of the more powerful products can import the data from your less-powerful PIM. Also, if faced with the choice of over- or underbuying, you might consider overbuying a bit. As you learn the features that suit your current needs and start seeing how a PIM can actually help you work smarter, the additional features you get when overbuying might come in handy. In this way you can grow into your system rather than buying a second PIM after you master the subtleties of your first one.

©1999 AICPA