5 Ways to Increase Your Productivity and Improve Your Time Management

Have you ever been so bogged down with meetings or emails that you had no time to work on your design projects? Has the work day ever passed by so quickly that you didn’t notice it go by? The truth is, many people experience the same frustrations in their workplace and daily life. Time and productivity management can help optimize your schedule and your workday. Perhaps some of you have taken a time management classes in the past, but even the savviest and most efficient employees need a refresher. If you would like to design faster and better, consider the following time-savings tips to decrease your design time and time to market:

Separate your work into chunks – don’t swallow the elephant whole.

Block off time to work on specific sections of your design or drawing. Plan out how much time you would like to spend on each phase of your project, so that you have a better idea of how much time you have left to work on other projects or attend meetings.

Check your email and cell phone at specific times during the day.

When you’re designing or writing specs for your model, shut off your email until you reach a stopping point.The constant on-screen pop-ups and the ding of your cell phone can stifle productivity and take your attention away from important projects. Before you know it, you’re off track and need to re-focus on your previous task. To avoid distractions, close your email Inbox or shut off notifications during times which you have designated for model creation. Also, silence your cell phone when you are working on critical design tasks. Flag emails that you need to follow up on later.

Block off time during your day when you would like to be designing.

Set up an appointment in your schedule to block off time to design or create CAD models. Try to figure out which times during the day yield the best creative output and schedule your most brain intensive projects during these times. Schedule meetings around these times so that you make good use of the times you are most creative.

Take breaks during the work day.

In order to increase efficiency during your workday, be sure to schedule short breaks and step away from your desk during lunch. These breaks will help you re-energize and come back to the desk ready to work at full force. Exercise is another way to increase energy especially if you go to the gym or go for a jog before work or during lunch.

Take advantage of support services for your software and tools

Software support enables you to have necessary backup in case you run into a problem with your tools. Tech support teams and specialized software resources from your providers can help you find the quick and easy solutions to your problems. Many engineers who use 3D CAD software, such as SOLIDWORKS for example, also implement Subscription Services to avoid wasting significant amounts of time googling for support from uncertified software specialists. With SOLIDWORKS Subscription Services, engineers can turn hours into minutes with live 24/7 technical support through local resellers and unlimited access to the SOLIDWORKS Knowledge Base in MySolidWorks, the place to get the best answers to your SOLIDWORKS questions. For more tips and tricks on decreasing your design time with SOLIDWORKS tools, explore the 30 hours of complementary MySolidWorks eLearning available with Subscription Services.

Increasing your productivity can be easy, all you have to do is put the right actions and tools in place to position yourself for maximum efficiency. Explore the Robert Bosch case study to see how other SOLIDWORKS customers cut cost and decreased their design time.

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