When you're trying to find the right appointment planning software for your needs, it can be overwhelming since there are so many different kinds of programs available. Free software can be great for those with light planning needs while others may want to invest in more robust software to meet their planning requirements.
One of the reasons that you need to determine what you are looking for before you go looking, when it comes to appointment software, is that everyone plans a little bit differently. For example, I plan from the long-term working backwards. I set my goals, and then ensure that the steps I take and appointments I make align with my goals. However, some people work forwards, setting appointments and then looking at what they spend time doing before setting goals. Here are some questions for you to answer before you determine what software will work for you:
- Do you use a specific methodology when planning (i.e. GTD, Covey, or Julia Morgenstern)?
- Do you assign times to tasks or do you prefer to assign times to types of tasks and keep a running to-do list?
- Do you need a program that you can access from anywhere, or are you okay with a program that only works on the computer it has been installed on?
- Would you like to access your schedule on your mobile phone or PDA?
- Do you like to keep contact information with your appointments?
- How much do you want to invest in an electronic appointment system?
- Do you want to be able to print your schedule?
While these points may seem to only apply for calendars, they're also important to keep in mind when thinking about appointment software. This is because the software that will work best for you to use when planning appointments and meetings needs to be in line with the methods you use when you're planning your schedule in a calendar program. If you like to simply set times that you will be available and share those times to potential attendees and have the process be hands-off, the program you choose will look different than that of someone who likes to create specific times for specific types of meetings and have a more hands-on, collaborative role in appointment setting.
You may even find that you come up with other requirements you would like your appointment planning software to have. For instance, I use the GTD methodology and I like to have all of my information in one place. For this reason, I tend to look for PIM software that allows me to track appointments, emails, contacts, and tasks in one place. While I use Microsoft Outlook's meeting scheduling features, there are a lot of really good options out there for the home office worker to investigate.
