It's always hard to measure productivity increases. You have to have baselines.
- Points in Time
- Quantify-able Numbers
You pick a point in time. Measure some numbers. Make a change. Pick another point in time. Measure the same numbers. Hopefully, they will be better (higher or lower depending on the number). BAM! Productivity increase.
But sometimes, there are times when it is just obvious.
In a nutshell: Today, it rained. I got to work 15 minutes later than normal. When I went down for my mid morning coffee, I met people just getting there. "3 hour nightmare" was what I heard from most of them.
I'd already been at work for 2 hours!
How'd I do it?
I left my house this morning, actually, a little later than normal. It was raining. YIPES!. My normal 50 minute commute was looking like 2 hours. I pulled up my Windows Live Map application and checked traffic. As I suspected, all black and red. Well, because of this mapping application, I have found several alternate routes both to and from work. I look at the traffic on 4 segments of my commute. I have 4 different decision points. Based on how heavy it is, I will alter my route.
You say, "Big Deal! I can check traffic before I leave and pick a route" Ah, read the last three sentences again. I make my decisions in route. We all know that traffic is a living breathing thing. What could be bad when we leave, by the time we get to that point, it could be fine.
Because I have this phone, AND I USE IT....WELL, I get to:
- Spend more time with my family.
- Miss fewer meetings.
- Get more work done.
- Have time to write a blog (once in a while).
I am currently using a xv6600 PocketPC on the Verizon network. (forum) . This phone is two years old, ancient, in Mobile time. In fact, you can't even find the phone on their website unless you do a very specific search for a deep link on their website. The point is, with this phone, and the wonderful functionality a real Mobility device provides.
