Workplace automation sounds potentially scary, suggesting, perhaps, that robots are finally ready to take the rest of our jobs. And while there’s plenty of research showing that automation will continue saving us money but costing us jobs, automation tools also help humans perform better and more efficient work.
At their best, workplace automation tools minimize frequent, menial work so that you can stay busy with the stuff that actually matters. In a lot of cases, workplace automation tools are the type of utilities that you didn’t know you wanted until you’ve spent some time with them.
Below you can check out our shortlist of four workplace automation tools that will make your work and home life infinitely easier.
- Workflow is one of the most popular productivity utilities around for good reason: it’s easy to use. The iOS-exclusive Workflow is attractive because it works side-by-side and within iOS. In other words, it’s fully integrated. Let’s say, for example, you’re a web developer that needs to frequently archive websites as PDF files on the go. For mobile users, this can be a tricky, finnicky process to complete. But with an app like Workflow, which utilizes processes called—wait for it—workflows, you can create an automated shortcut to complete that pesky task. Once you’ve added the workflow into your arsenal, the “Make PDF” action gives you the option to do just that from a simple “share” command. The whole point is that Workflow can turn a multiple-step process into a single click.
- Desktoday is a free Mac app that does the boring work of cleaning up a cluttered computer desktop. Using the app couldn’t be more simple: users navigate to the app (which sits smartly at the top of your screen), execute an action called “Clear Desktop,” and the app does the rest. So where does all that clutter go? Desktoday, which can be manipulated to avoid important permanent folders, bundles the folders and files taking up too much space into one place in your Documents folder.
- Zapier is similar to Workflow but isn’t restricted to iOS. In fact, Zapier wants to help you automate just about anything and everything you can think of without the complicated programming knowledge generally required of such ambitions. The utility allows you to string together actions between programs or utilities in an “if A then B” formulation. (For reference, each string of automated actions is called a Zap.) One example of a useful Zap allows you to save email attachments to Dropbox automatically. With a single Zap you can ensure that all (or just some) of the email attachments you receive are compiled into one safe and organized Dropbox folder.
- Drafts is a bit different and less ambitious than the three options above, but it’s the type of simple productivity booster that you’ll quickly come to take for granted. At its base, Drafts is just a simple notepad that will let you jot down quick bits of texts. You’re probably thinking, “There’s literally a built-in app called Notepads, why do I need Drafts?” What’s different and more robust about Drafts is that it also functions as a savvy app launcher in that it lets you send text to apps like iMessage, Twitter, Google Maps, or just about anything you can think of. In that way, Drafts not only lets you take quick and easy notes, it allows you to integrate the text with the rest of the phone.