eHampshire Forums

Teleworking : Tools to help to telework

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:35:55 +0000

Author: Teleworker
Subject: Tools to help to telework
Posted: 20 Oct 2008 at 09:35

Roger

Interesting - looks good - I have replied to you via email

Teleworker

Teleworking : Tools to help to telework

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:52:20 +0000

Author: roger
Subject: Tools to help to telework
Posted: 14 Oct 2008 at 14:52

Okay here goes.

I will add some links on this note when I have finished, if I forget post another message and I will add them.

ActivityForum is a web based tool to manage a membership list. Imagine for one moment a group with anything between 50 and 5,000 members. At the 50 level running the member list is not a problem once you get over 100 it becomes a problem and over 500 it is a problem without any form of Technology.

At certain points you can just about manage with Excel or other spreadsheet, then you might move to a database such as Access.

What you really want to do is maintain the names, addresses, e-mail, and fees of your membership. Collect the fee on the due date and chase the ones that have not paid. You also would like to be able to give your other committee members a list of current members and those that are late in paying.

As the Membership Secretary this is what you do.

However, others want to have access to the membership list to send out the magazine (so you send them a list of names or even print out some labels), others want to phone members up ( again a list is produced).

Ideally all the other members of the Club Committee would have access to the same database and they could do these jobs themselves.

For Events you might like to have an events list, this needs to be created and published, a lot of clubs will have social events, days out, sports fixtrues, training and meetings. These then need to be collated and published. If they are all put together in the same database you can see the events list.

If you have a large group or someone is ill or their pc breaks you have to make other arrangements, with a web based solution if the Membership Secretary is away someone else can stand in (with suitable passwords etc) the world does not stop, if their is a sudden peak of renewals the load can be shared.

If its dark and miserable you can e-mail all the summaries to everyone and have a conference call.

Have a look at

www.bnhivc.org.uk

www.activityforum.co.uk

www.londonhub.co.uk

Send a e-mail to roger@activityforum.co.uk and I will send you some Case Studies etc.

Regards

Roger

PS Benefits

1. Accessible 24/7

2. Backed up all the time all day every day

3. Secure location

4. Heavily featured

5. costs budget at �2 per member per year (could be less for bigger clubs)

6. costs geared to headcount,

7. easy start up we will load the data from a spreadsheet.

8. not dependent on one person or on their special knowledge

9. Get your weekends back from enevelope stuffing

Edited by roger - 14 Oct 2008 at 14:59

Teleworking : Tools to help to telework

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:32:21 +0000

Author: Teleworker
Subject: Tools to help to telework
Posted: 14 Oct 2008 at 14:32

Roger,

The department here also manages the evolv 3rd sector database.

If you can outline in non tecchie terms what the tool is (aim, benefit, cost etc) I can have an initial discussion with my colleague and get back to you.

Teleworker

Teleworking : Tools to help to telework

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:36:15 +0000

Author: roger
Subject: Tools to help to telework
Posted: 13 Oct 2008 at 16:36

Just thought to try out this forum.

By way of introduction, I work for a web development company in Basingstoke. They have a product specifically designed for the web based running of clubs and societies.

It would seem to me this is ideal for eHampshire, Hampshire seems to have about 5,000 listed clubs and societies in the county and the IOW. With this may if we could encourage the use of IT for the management of the membership lists we would save numerous journeys to committee meetings in the dark, cold and wet. Saving energy (money and petrol).

We would be keen to promote this development if only we could find the right person to talk to...

Questions : FREE SOFTWARE

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:32:29 +0000

Author: don.cooke
Subject: FREE SOFTWARE
Posted: 08 Jul 2008 at 13:32

For internal team collaboration we use several 'Free' tools.

KnowledgeTree - basic document management
eGroupware - several good tools .. we use it for shared calendaring
bugzilla - for defect tracking and resolution (software development)
SVN - source code control - again for software development

As a certified microsoft reseller, we have an excellent value 'internal use' license for MS software including Office - we we have stuck with this and not played in detail with either OpenOffice or GoogleApps

Edited by don.cooke - 08 Jul 2008 at 13:33

Teleworking : Business Premises

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:51:31 +0000

Author: don.cooke
Subject: Business Premises
Posted: 08 Jul 2008 at 12:51

Hi there,

I hope that your company has continued to flourish and that the helpful advice here helped reduce your challenges.

You could also look towards getting 'limited access' office meeting premises - giving you a quota of an office based venue for team and client meetings while retaining the low casts and flexibility that smart working offers.

CAL have used this technique for several years now - and it works very well for us in conjunction with the collaboration techniques and technologies outlined by Tony.

For more info .. get in touch and I will talk to you about this in more detail.

Regards
Don

Don Cooke
Director
CAL - Improve productivity through distributed teams.

Teleworking : RemoteWorking No 10 Petition - please sign

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:59:55 +0000

Author: isteel
Subject: RemoteWorking No 10 Petition - please sign
Posted: 27 Jun 2008 at 08:59

Hello,

As a remote worker for the last 4 years, I am petitioning the government to provide tax incentives to business to encourage them to allow more of their staff to work remotely.

The petition url is: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/remoteworking/

Please sign it if you agree, the wording is also below:

Thanks,

Ian

Every day thousands of office workers commute to work. These journeys consume vast amounts of fuel (petrol & diesel) and time, and contribute significantly to pollution.

A lot of the work carried out by these commuters, particularly in IT and Call Centres for example, could be done from home just as effectively. However, business needs a culture change to see the benefits of remote workers, and to learn the necessary management skills required to ensure effective work is carried out 'out of site' of the office.

I am petitioning the government to provide tax incentives to business to encourage them to increase their number of remote workers; and to provide financial help with retraining management to manage their remote workers.

In these days of soaring fuel costs, and continuing damage to the environment, I see this as being a potential major opportunity to help reduce fuel consumption, reducing expense, and helping the environment.

Teleworking : Coping with isolation

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:45:33 +0000

Author: Teleworker
Subject: Coping with isolation
Posted: 31 Mar 2008 at 16:45

Peter,

Thanks for posting your views. A very good, practical way but of course just one of a number of ways of minimising 'isolation' or 'cabin fever'.

Using the phone versus email, ensuring regular meetings with your manager, combining team meetings with a social aspect and use of web or video conferencing spring to mind.

Other factors that help include ensuring work objectives or targets are clear, having a doable daily task list that avoids regular long periods of intense working and taking regular breaks. Such as mobile telephony or PDAs mean you don't have to be solely in your home to remain in office or client contact either. So the usually highly sociable act of such as even walking the dog is permissable - don't feel guilty is the rule given that the evidence clearly shows home workers to be more productive than their office based equivalents!

Teleworking : Coping with isolation

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:56:41 +0000

Author: Pete.Bennett
Subject: Coping with isolation
Posted: 22 Feb 2008 at 10:56

As someone who works at home a lot, I find one of the mainproblems can be a feeling of isolation.

It sounds silly I know but simply agreeing with all your colleagues thateveryone will use an instant messenger and log on when they are at theircomputer can really help. You can have a casual chat every now and again and itsomehow makes you feel more 'plugged in'.

We have standardised on Yahoomessenger but there are lots of free ones out there.

Yahoo is good as it gives some 'presence' information. For instance you can seeif someone is away from their computer and they can set their status to 'busy'if they don't want to be disturbed.

Anyway, just a thought � it works well for us.

Teleworking : Business Premises

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:33:40 +0000

Author: Teleworker
Subject: Business Premises
Posted: 15 Jan 2008 at 14:33

Hi Jolair,

It's a shame some days have elapsed after your question before any form of reply wended its way to you.

First of all, could you avoid the expense of new premises by wider adoption of teleworking/greater use of web-based collaborative tools and applications?

If not you may get a useful insight in terms of rental property rates and availability via the local Unitary/district Councils (by the sound of it New Forest District Council or Southampton City Council). I suggest you ask to speak to someone in the Economic Development team. Phone numbers respectively are:

NFDC Phone = 023 8028 5000
NFDC URL = http://www.nfdc.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=726

SCC Phone = 023 8083 2256

SCC URL = http://www.invest-in-southampton.co.uk/

Please let the forum know how you got on.

Tony C -eHampshire Partnership