How many times have you reinvented the wheel?
You probably do it every day without thinking about it.
We often whip up a new Word document that is in fact 90% the same as the one we created yesterday for a different client or project. You might think it’s just a short document and that it’s easy enough to put it together each time but consider this: Multiply the amount of time spent on formatting, layout and design of said document each time it comes up by the number of times it’s likely to happen again in future. Now think about how many other spreadsheets, documents and presentations in your business that this applies to. Seem insignificant now?
Save time and get your company’s wheels turning faster.
Imagine how much time you could save if you had a set of templates for each Word document, Excel worksheet or PowerPoint presentation you and your team use regularly, reducing duplication of work across the team. By making these tasks more efficient, you’re reducing your and your employees’ workload and making life a little less tedious at the same time.
Are you sure that wheel is round? What’s that flat bit there?
Ever cringed when you noticed your address spelled wrong on a letterhead after you’ve presented it to a potential customer, or wondered why the spreadsheet didn’t look quite right as you sit down to report at a meeting? How about when you’re flicking through a presentation and the logo in the bottom right corner keeps moving up and down as you change slides? Distracting isn’t it?
Microsoft templates are a great way to decrease errors that come about through manual inputting of information. If the standard information and formulas are set in stone in a template, then there’s less opportunity for typos or incorrect formulas and data throughout the document or spreadsheet. They help to maintain a consistent look for your documents, spreadsheets and presentations so your audience can focus on the content you’re presenting.
Boy does that wheel look good!
Not only do templates save time (and therefore money) and reduce the likelihood of human error, they also maintain a consistent look for your brand. If most of your company’s outputs are templated and all your templates are standardised to adhere to brand guidelines, then there’s less likelihood of an inconsistent look and feel out in the market. This helps to build credibility and increases brand recognition among potential and existing customers, making you look more professional.
So, if you’re tired of setting up that same boring but essential round shape several times a day, why not try a templated approach to the wheel?
The simplytraining.co.nz team are experienced in creating efficient templates that boost your team’s productivity, reduce the likelihood of errors and create documentation that is consistent with your brand and way of working.
Wait a minute, what’s a template? I thought we were talking about wheels.
Have you just read this entire blog and are still wondering what a template is? Here goes:
A template is a pre-designed document with layout, font, headers and footers already created and saved in a format that allows the user to create a new document from the template that prevents users altering the original document. Templates can be created in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook. They can be either very simple, e.g. with headers, footers and styles set up and very little content, or they can prompt the user with dialogue boxes to populate specific parts of the document.