Planning and organising

Planning and organising goes far beyond your Google calendar! How can dealers make the most of the popular tools within this sector?

Planning and organisation are integral parts of the working day, regardless of sector. Organisation in any office environment is broad and widespread, and it’s something we discuss a great deal in Dealer Support. 

Files, cabinets, managed document systems and cloud technology all help the working environment move more smoothly, efficiently and productively. Similarly, planning is about preparing for the future – either immediate or long-term – and is undertaken in various ways in both groups and through personal preference.

One area all types of businesses take advantage of when planning and organising their working lives is the use of visual communication, or viscom. Even a simple to-do list is considered viscom – it allows the brain to process what’s happening and what lies ahead, prompting us to compartmentalise the day’s tasks and better organise and plan our daily lives.

“It’s easy to understand why people reach out for visual communication products when they are communicating with a group or planning and organising their work,” commented Joaquim Damas, marketing director at Bi-silque. “In several case studies we’ve conducted we’ve found that planning and organisation is an important part of every successful business – whether a big corporation or a small business. By using visual communication products in this process, people receive visual stimulation to attract their attention to things they don’t want to forget. Viscom tools help people to better visualise their daily, weekly and monthly activities so that can make a realistic plan of what needs to be accomplished.”

The kinds of viscom used for planning and organising include:

Notice boards – Whether digital boards, or more traditional ones made of cork or paper – having a wall-mounted layout of a plan can help ensure that everyone who sees it is on the same page, and can act as a continuous reminder of their course.

Flip charts – Flip charts are particularly useful for group planning and organising in meetings.

Planners and bullet journals – While many people do now rely on digital or e-mail based calendars, attractive, stylish paper-based planners are on the rise in many sectors.

Diaries – A more stripped-back version of planners and bullet journals, many still find it incredibly useful to use a diary, large or small, to remind themselves of the day, week or month ahead without the need for 4G or wifi.

Organisation, inspiration, creativity

Bi-silque specialises in boards and often recommends them as a broad solution for any planning and organisation needs. “The most common advice we give to people who wish to be more organised, is for them to write their to-do list on a board for extra visual help,” Joaquim says. “This alone will result in a big difference in their efficiency and productivity, as they will constantly receive a visual stimulation of what has still to be done. If you want to take planning and organisation to the next level, then planning boards will do wonders for your work.”

It’s also important to remember how data is inputted into whichever viscom a customer chooses, as this can be an easy route to up-selling. Consider the type of tools different sectors are going to want or need when it comes to filling their boards or journals. “People can attribute colours to help them prioritise their tasks and projects,” Joaquim points out. “For instance, we have developed colourful magnetic accessories with which people can create their own planner, tailored to their needs and those of their teams.”

The choices people make when it comes to the pens, pencils, stickers and magnets they use are all down to either their personal style or company branding, and these will be the colours and tools that generate inspiration in them. “Inspiration is very important in planning and organising,” Joaquim says. “We recommend people choose visual communication tools that will inspire them, keep them concentrated and motivated to accomplish their goals.”

Most importantly, these viscom solutions, and their associated tools, will hopefully help to create a stronger planning strategy – a powerful sales angle for dealers to focus on. “Having a regular planning strategy will improve team focus and keep tasks and projects on time,” Joaquim concludes. ”Teams should create a routine to get around a planning board to create their tasks or project schedules, in order to organise and prioritise their work together.”