The role of the help desk is shifting from fixing what’s broken to teaching users how to avoid problems in the first place.

In a feature in yesterday’s Computerworld (titled “The New Help Desk: Agile, Educational, Efficient”), writer John Brandon highlighted three IT departments and what they are doing to bring the help desk from where it’s stuck – the 1960s – to the present. One of the organizations featured, the University of Georgia, has put an emphasis on using calls to the help desk to educate users. We like that idea.

Click to see a video on creating charts in Excel.

The old way of working is myopic. If you keep fixing an issue that, with a little instruction, can be avoided, where is the long-term value? And, if you cannot – or do not — track where problem spots are, how can you plan for the future?

At PC Helps, we fix stuff too; we’re a help desk, after all. But we also teach customers how to resolve issues on their own, and how to avoid having them crop up again in the future.

In that spirit, today’s post offers tips for creating Excel charts, a topic we receive many calls about. Happy charting.

Creating Charts

By PC Helps Staff

Data (n.) – raw, unorganized facts.
Information (n.) – organized and processed data that can be useful in some way.

When working with a large amount of data, it often can become an overwhelming task to extract information from the data. Excel provides a great tool to facilitate converting data to visual information through the use of charts.

Follow these steps to create a chart: Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Excel, Help Desk, How To, Time-Saving Tips 1960s, computerworld, data

First, the numbers: According to Flurry Research, on Christmas day 2011 alone, 6.8 million new iOS and Android devices went live, three and a half times the average for the month.

If you take into account research from IDC that says that more than half of mobile devices used in the workplace are employee-owned, not only do you have the potential for an awesomely productive workforce, you also have an enormous security nightmare for IT.

There’s hope, and it’s called Data Privacy Day, which is this Saturday, Jan. 28. (Yes, it’s an official holiday. On Jan. 26, 2009, the United States House of Representatives passed House Resolution HR 31 by a vote of 402-0, declaring Jan. 28 National Data Privacy Day.)

If you’ve thought about security but never knew where to start to implement safer practices, or if you are drafting a plan for your company in response to the glut of mobile devices, Data Privacy Day is geared to you.

In addition to raising awareness about data privacy and security, the organizers have collected a wealth of articles and white papers to get you started on your own plan — whether it’s for a corporation, a nonprofit, or just for you personally. Resources are available on the official website, www.staysafeonline.org/dpd. Among the topics covered are document destruction; privacy risks associated with digital copiers; privacy in the cloud; how to build a scalable BYOD program; and more. And that’s just in the business and corporation section.

Jenny Sweeney Consumerization of IT, Privacy & Security Android, BYOD, Flurry Research, IDC, iOS

Imagine managing a stable of workers who knowingly disregard IT policies, who think your company’s social media and mobile device usage polices are stale, and who believe they are not responsible for protecting company information and devices.

It sounds like a network TV sitcom plot, but it’s not. It’s Gen Y, and, according to a recent Cisco survey, it’s a reality.

The future of work, according to Cisco.

For its annual Connected World Technology Report, Cisco surveyed 1,441 college students aged 18-24, and 1,412 employees aged 21-29 in 14 countries. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the behavior and expectations of the next generation of workers, and how their demands for information access are changing the future of work. The study was conducted between May and June 2011.

Among the more notable findings:

• Internet as Basic Human Necessity: One of every three college students and employees surveyed globally (33%) believes the Internet is a fundamental resource for the human race – as important as air, water, food and shelter. About half (49% of college students and 47% of employees) believe it is “pretty close” to that level of importance. Combined, four of every five college students and young employees believe Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Consumerization of IT Cisco, FACEBOOK, Generation Y, InformationWeek, millennials, mobility, Twitter

This is the time of year when most publications offer up their Best Of and Top 10 lists for the previous year. While we adore lists and general guidance on what was important in the world, we prefer to look forward instead of backward.

Resolutions that promise increased productivity and all-around happiness. Happy New Year.

In that spirit, we’re publishing our list of what you should focus on in 2012. We’ve separated it into two sections: one for IT leaders and one for employees. It’s not just a smattering of unattainable goals; these are resolutions you can keep. Get crackin’.

For IT Leaders

1. Formulate a social media policy. Yammer‘s Maria Ogneva wrote a comprehensive guide for Mashable, and in it she offers practical tips and sensible advice: “The best way to ensure buy-in to your social media policy is not through threat of disciplinary action. Rather, it’s by providing education and resources, and building the right processes.” We like how she thinks. Read it here.
2. Change is good. Embrace the mobility megatrend. See TechTarget’s big picture article here, and its how-to for CIOs here.
3. Help your folks help themselves – offer software support and training (read an old PC Helps Blog post, “Designing Graceful, Not Godawful, Solutions” – its message is still applicable).

For Employees

1. Use Excel formulas more, manually vet less. (See our repository of Excel tips here.)
2. Change your password when prompted, without the added griping.
3. Hoard mail less, archive more. Your email program will run faster, and you’ll find old mail easier. (Find email tips here.)
4. Save constantly (on a PC, Ctrl+S; Mac, Command+S), and, while you are at it, learn more keyboard shortcuts. (Get Windows keyboard shortcuts here; Mac shortcuts here.)

Happy 2012!

Jenny Sweeney Year in Review archive, Excel, keyboard shortcuts, Mac shortcuts, Mashable, productivity, security, Social Media, TechTarget, Yammer

Earlier this year, when Microsoft released OneNote for iPhone, obsessive note-takers rejoiced. It meant being one step closer to total organization. Last week, they inched even closer with Microsoft’s release of OneNote for iPad.

OneNote for iPad: Goodbye 2x, hello tabbed interface & expanded language support.

The market is flooded with note-taking applications, but OneNote consistently ranks at the top (see Lifehacker’s recent list). That’s because the PC version is free with MS Office, which most corporate employees use anyway, and syncing is a cinch with a SkyDrive account, which is also free. Other plusses include automatic save (for those of us who forget to hit CTRL+S regularly), sharing capabilities, and the ability to view and take notes on mobile phones.

Keep in mind that with the free iPad version, you will only be able to create a total of 500 notes. If you want to create more, you will need to pay $14.99 (compared to $4.99 for the iPhone version). Features new to the iPad version include a tabbed interface and expanded language support.

Here’s how to use it:

• Open the OneNote for iPad app.
• Sign in with your Windows Live ID (Hotmail, MSN, Xbox Live, Zune pass, Windows Live Messenger, etc.).

To create a note:

• On the navigation bar at the top right of the screen, click the icon that looks like a document with a plus sign.
• A new note appears, into which you can add text, images, checkboxes and bulleted lists.

OneNote for iPad will automatically sync your notes to your Windows Live SkyDrive account, but you can also manually sync notes. Here is how:

• On the home screen of OneNote for iPad, tap Settings (in the upper left area of screen).
• Tap Sync Now.
 When the sync is completed, you will see a time stamp with last updated date and time.
• You can also email a note from your iPad. Just click the envelope icon in the upper right corner of an open note.

To view your synced notes on your PC:

• Open a web browser and go to http://skydrive.live.com.
• Sign in with your Windows Live account.
• Click on My Files on the left side.
• Click to open a folder, and double-click to open a OneNote file.
• With a Note open, click on the Home tab, and choose “Open in OneNote.”
• Any changes you make will automatically be synchronized.
• If you want to save a copy to your PC, go to File, select Save As, and choose a file type and location.

Note: Any notebooks you create on your mobile device will be automatically synced to your SkyDrive, but not files you create on your PC. To share a PC-created notebook, open it, go to File and choose Share, then select the notebook you want to share, where you want to share it, sign in and click Share Notebook to complete the process. It will sync automatically once this step is completed. Also, if you save your notebooks on a network drive rather than locally, you may encounter syncing problems.

Note to Apple OS users: Microsoft has not created OneNote for Mac.

Jenny Sweeney iPad, Office 2010 iOS, iPhone, Lifehacker, Microsoft, MS Office Blogs, OneNote, SkyDrive, Windows Live

Recently, we featured a series of rants and raves about upgrading to iOS 5. For the posts, Joe Puckett, our director of recruiting and training, offered his take on the new version — from using gestures and wireless sync to device standardization and setup challenges.

This week we offer another take on the tablet: The most common support questions from corporate iPad users.

Click to view a video of an iPad support call.

iPad usage in the enterprise continues to grow at a rapid pace, but quality support options for business users are limited. Companies deploying iPads have had to build support capabilities in-house, or direct their users to AppleCare standard support — the same support Apple consumers receive.

AppleCare support stops when a non-Apple-specific application, like Microsoft Outlook or PowerPoint, is introduced. When this situation occurs, to what resource or resources should the end-user be directed? And what types of questions can be anticipated?

Here are a few we have encountered from our customers:

Working with Microsoft Office Documents on the iPad

• Modifying a Microsoft Office document (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) on the iPad
• Converting Microsoft Office documents to PDF files and annotating them (using downloaded Apps)
• Editing or working with Excel files on iPad using downloaded apps such as Numbers or Documents to Go
• Correcting formatting problems when converting Word or PowerPoint documents into Apps like Pages or Keynote
• Fixing formulas, formatting, and broken links in Excel spreadsheets on the iPad
• Viewing track changes markup or comments in Word documents using Documents to Go or Microsoft Office Web App
• Working with PowerPoint documents on iPad using Keynote app, and switching between PowerPoint and Keynote from laptop to iPad and back.

iPad Interface/Hardware

• Mastering Cut, Copy, Paste, and Replace features to avoid backspacing or retyping text
• Toggling and making effective use of spell checking, auto-correction and other keyboard features
• Configuring iPad for mobile device management solutions like MobileIron, and Good Technology
• Quitting Apps that are frozen or behaving erratically; restarting malfunctioning iPad
• Adjusting settings to conserve battery life when charger not readily available
• Recovering paid app that was accidently deleted
• Sharing files to a PC with Wi-Fi or USB connections
• Troubleshooting Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, and VPN connection problems

Read a more comprehensive list here (PDF), and view a video of an iPad business call here.

Jenny Sweeney iPad, Worker Productivity AppleCare, iOS 5, Microsoft Office, tech support

Jenny Sweeney iOS 5 Rants & Raves, iPad, Rants & Raves Apple, iOS 5 Rants & Raves, iPad, IT leaders

The holidays are just about here. It’s the time of year when your productivity dips, your scale tips, and your to do list seems as if it will never be finished.

In the spirit of helping you get things done, we’re posting one of our favorite tips: How to create labels with mail merge. Whatever you use it for – holiday cards, end-of-year reports – it’s a time-saver and a headache-reducer. Plus, it’s the number one question our customers ask.

Mail merges make even the most nimble users shudder. That’s because they fail so often. 

Happy holidays.

Creating Labels with Mail Merge from a Data Source

Mail merges make even the most nimble users shudder. That’s because they fail so often. The most common type of merge involves taking data stored in Excel and bringing it into Word. 

If you are thinking of going beyond labels and writing full-on letters, this tip will still help you; the procedure for performing a mail merge to labels is similar to that of creating letters.

Word 2003:

1. Click the Tools menu, move your mouse cursor over Letters and Mailings, and select Mail Merge. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney How To, Time-Saving Tips Excel, mail merge, Word

It’s common knowledge that email impedes productivity. It’s like having someone pop by your desk and interrupt you every few minutes. Imagine trying to get work done if that were the case?

If your company is on board, you can hold off on opening that 13th Reply All till Monday.

To remind you (or show you for the first time if you are of a certain age) how productive life was without email, an ad-hoc holiday was created – No Email Day, which is today, Friday, November 11. It’s hardly a holiday; you still have to go to work, and chances are you still can use your email. But if your company is on board, you can hold off on opening that 13th Reply All till Monday.

If you run out of things to do today, read the No Email Day manifesto, or visit the No Email Day Facebook page. Even better, figure out a way to organize your Outlook or Lotus Notes mail with our tech tips.

Jenny Sweeney Worker Productivity FACEBOOK, No Email Day

I was working on another project, one that required I read up on Google Apps, and a few things surprised me. In my experience with software like OpenOffice and Google Docs, I have found that it lacks the full functionality of the standard Office suite. But things are changing. Depending on your needs, you can get similar results with Google Apps; you just have to approach it differently.

Here are three Google features I was most excited about:

With optical character recognition, or OCR, PDFs are given a second chance.

1. OCR Recognition: Turning Hamburgers back into Cows

A colleague once described converting a PDF back to its original format as like turning a hamburger back into a cow. But with OCR in Google Docs, that metaphor doesn’t quite fit anymore. With optical character recognition, or OCR, PDFs are given a second chance.

How to upload and perform OCR

A few things to keep in mind before you begin: OCR is not foolproof; you will likely need to do some editing afterwards. Also, OCR works best with high-resolution images, and not all formatting may be preserved.

OK, on we go: Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Google Apps cloud, Excel, macros, OCR, OpenOffice, PDF, pivot tables, scripts