My obsession with using the computer became clear to me when I sat down to write a few long overdue letters. I keep all my friend's addresses in a database on the network, where they're easily found. Great, except that I was in Ellicott City, and the computer network is in Columbia. It's only three miles down the road, but it might as well have been as far as the moon, I wasn't going to get my addresses tonight.

It was at that moment that I realized that I not only use my computer, I absolutely depend on it. "Well, that's as it should be," you say. After all, computers are my business. Well, yes and no. Just like you, I have a business to run, and I'm looking for the means to be most effective. That's why I use a computer, to keep an edge—not because my business is computer technology. In fact, I don't think it is. I'm in the productivity business. I help others to be more productive.

I view computers as a means of facilitating human action. I enjoy using my PC to make headway on labor-intensive projects. Writing this article, for example. I'm using WordPerfect for Windows as my word processor and in just this paragraph I've made over 10 corrections. If I were writing with a pencil and paper, I would need a vacuum cleaner to clear away the eraser rubbings!

We all keep busy schedules, and the PC helps me to keep in touch with my coworkers, through electronic mail. Dozens of phone messages, internal memos, and reminders are passed each day. When I'm in the Ellicott City office, I can read my email from Columbia, remotely. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I use the computer to help compensate for my weaknesses. I don't have the best memory so I keep a calendar in the computer and a printed copy in my appointment book. I also have a contact management database that logs my phone calls, promises, and things-to-do for customers. This ensures that I'm keeping my commitments.

Most of the computer users with whom I associate use their PCs as extensions of themselves. Rather than forcing themselves to use manual processes, they use PCs to help automate tasks. Mail merges, financial summaries, final document preparation, and list management are four activities that are rudimentary for today's computers but can be difficult and down right boring if done manually. And, who has time to do these by hand if the computer does them so well?

Effective computer users realize that the computer extends their own abilities. Don't be afraid to examine how you work. Can anything that you do be delegated to your computer?

Also, if you have a particularly busy schedule or a daily routine that is filled with planned activities, look to your computer to help you keep in touch with your business. Manage your business by letting your computer track your data.

I solved the problem of having data in Columbia when I needed it in Ellicott City by installing a pair of modems and remote control communication software. I reliably connect at 57,600 bits per second (bps) and keep an active login between the Columbia and Ellicott City networks.

Files remain on the Columbia network and are backed up automatically in the wee hours; however, they are accessible at any time, even if I'm on the road with a portable computer. Even from a distance, the remote control software makes it seem as though I were right at my Columbia desktop computer.

Now, I'm never away from the company data. I can call in, access the network, and begin work—no matter where I am. By implementing a little computer technology, I've become more productive.

David Stephen Murphy is President and CEO of Damar Group, Ltd. which presents computer training classes, publishes computer learning guides, and helps organizations do business on the Internet. The website is http://dgl.com, and Mr. Murphy may be reached at dave@dgl.com or 410.567.5366.

updated November 2, 1996
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