Software to get you organized.

Personal information manager applications to the rescue.

It's not easy to get organized. The old-fashioned Rolodex and paper calendar, while useful, can't always keep up with the pace of business today. After all, there are names, addresses and telephone numbers to keep in order, appointments with colleagues and clients to synchronize and reminders to call people and track ongoing assignments and projects. The most efficient way to accomplish all these tasks is with a personal information manager (PIM)--software that can do all of the above and then some.

But before you can experience the power of a PIM, you've got to select the one that's right for you. There are about a score on the market--each with its strengths and weaknesses; not all contain the same functions and each works a little differently. Some probably won't have enough muscle (number and power of functions) to meet your needs; others may have many complex functions, making them difficult to use. This article is designed to help you find the right product for you and your organization.

WHAT'S A PIM?

PIMs are programs that, at their simplest, are essentially little black books and perpetual calendars all in one package. At their most complicated, they can organize and list tasks in priority order, schedule appointments, maintain client information, track and update sales and marketing information, dial phone numbers, compose form letters and faxes, send e-mail and faxes, recognize the identity of incoming telephone callers (prompting the computer to call up the people's files) and even ring a reminder alarm.

Each of the three basic types of PIMs is targeted to a different audience. The most elementary PIM--the basic calendar and address book--also may have a few bells and whistles: appointment scheduling, to-do list, planner and appointment alarm. Such PIMs are relatively inexpensive--ranging from about $15 to $40--and easy to use.

The second type of PIM--perhaps more suitable for many accountants--contains all of the above plus a task manager. The task manager possesses the features of the basic calendars and also keeps track of assignments and appointments. For example, task managers can schedule people and resources to specific projects, manage tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis, store important memos, alert you to scheduling conflicts, offer fax functions and provide keyword search capabilities of all the data stored in the application. Such products range in price from $40 to $250 and are relatively easy to use. Some task managers can even Coordinate your calendars with others in your organization.

The most sophisticated PIMs contain contact managers. Such functions are for professionals who depend on frequent client, supplier or customer contacts and need immediate information about those contacts. Some products, for instance, monitor incoming telephone calls and automatically bring up a contact's profile when the phone number matches that contact's phone number. In addition, they can manage marketing functions, track a customer's sales, arrange group meetings and schedule group appointments. Their client-contact focus makes them most suitable for accountants engaged in marketing and consulting activities.

Many of these packages are designed for large organizations whose information systems are linked through networks, including the Internet. Contact manager PIMs can be expensive, ranging from about $250 to $5,000. While extremely powerful, they can be a bit difficult to learn and use.

Exhibit 1, at right, provides a list of common PIM features available on the market today. In reviewing the table, however, keep in mind there is no precise definition of a PIM or its many functions. In this article, we attempt to draw boundaries around the three types of PIMs; however, when you begin shopping for a product, those distinctions may blur somewhat. The bottom line is: To be sure you're getting what you need, try out the product; most vendors--especially for the more expensive products---offer evaluation copies.

Exhibit 1: PIM Features

                                  Contact           Task
Features/Benefits                 Managers          Managers

Network-ready connection                  X
Automated repetitive tasks                X
Group calendaring                         X
Recurring group meeting                   X
E-mail function                           X
Sales forecasting                         X
Telemarketing                             X
Call holding                              X
Call forwarding                           X
Caller ID                                 X
Autodialing                               X
Automatic contact logging                 X
Double booking warning                    X              X
Drag-and-drop rescheduling                X              X
Mail merge                                X              X
Fax functions                             X              X
Incomplete task follow-up                 X              X
Task delegation                           X              X
Managing daily tasks                      X              X
Managing weekly tasks                     X              X
Managing monthly tasks                    X              X
Managing annual tasks                     X              X
Lifetime calendar                         X              X
Recall critical dates                     X              X
Keyword search                            X              X
Single entry for recurring events         X              X
Notepad feature                           X              X
Computerized address book                 X              X
Alarm clock                               X              X
Desktop planner                           X              X
Task lists/to-do section                  X              X
Electronic appointment books              X              X
Electronic calendars                      X              X
Approximate price ranges               $250 to         $40 to
                                        5,000           249

                                  Basic
Features/Benefits                 Calendars

Network-ready connection
Automated repetitive tasks
Group calendaring
Recurring group meeting
E-mail function
Sales forecasting
Telemarketing
Call holding
Call forwarding
Caller ID
Autodialing
Automatic contact logging
Double booking warning
Drag-and-drop rescheduling
Mail merge
Fax functions
Incomplete task follow-up
Task delegation
Managing daily tasks
Managing weekly tasks
Managing monthly tasks
Managing annual tasks
Lifetime calendar
Recall critical dates
Keyword search
Single entry for recurring events
Notepad feature
Computerized address book
Alarm clock                               X
Desktop planner                           X
Task lists/to-do section                  X
Electronic appointment books              X
Electronic calendars                      X
Approximate price ranges                $15 to
                                          39

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

The first step in deciding which product to buy is to analyze your needs and compare them with the information in exhibit 1. Next, determine whether you want your PIM to operate in a single- or multiple-user (on a network) environment. Then choose the appropriate price range for your budget. At this point, you will have narrowed down the choices to just a handful that will likely meet your needs.

However, performance may be a consideration, particularly if you operate on a network. Increased performance levels may require that you move into a higher price range, change the type of PIM you are considering or both.

Once you've identified the type of PIM you want, one valuable source of product information can be found on the Internet. Just do a search for the key word "PIM." An additional benefit of shopping the Internet is that many software manufacturers offer demonstration packages you can download for a trial period. A good Web site for software evaluations and downloads can be found at www.softseek.com/Business_and_Productivity/ PIMS_Calendars_and_Schedulers@.

Finally, while you should not ignore recommendations from colleagues, keep in mind that a PIM is a very personal product. What is effective for one person may not be useful for someone else.

A representative sampling of PIM software is shown in exhibit 2, pages 54-55. The suggested retail price of each package is listed; however, street prices are likely to be less.

[EXHIBIT 2 NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

Keep in mind, too, that converting from manual modes of planning your work day to a computer-based system can be challenging. Most of us would rather continue to struggle with familiar ways of doing things than take the time to learn new tools and techniques. This seems to be especially true when it comes to managing personal information. However, PIMs can really save time and increase productivity, once you've gotten over the learning curve.

To help make this a relatively smooth transition, consider using a PIM that is most compatible with the office suite you currently use. For example, Outlook 97 comes with Microsoft Office 97, Organizer 97 is included with Lotus SmartSuite 97 and CorelCENTRAL 8 is integrated into Corel WordPerfect Suite 8. If at some point you outgrow those PIMs, most of the more powerful products can import the data from your less-powerful PIM. Also, if faced with the choice of over- or underbuying, you might consider overbuying a bit. As you learn the features that suit your current needs and start seeing how a PIM can actually help you work smarter, the additional features you get when overbuying might come in handy. In this way you can grow into your system rather than buying a second PIM after you master the subtleties of your first one.

RELATED ARTICLE: The "Hard" Way to Get Organized

For peripatetic CPAs, PIMs are only of value some of the time--when they're connected with their computers. But when they are out of the office or even away from their desks at meetings, the calendar and contact information is out of reach.

Enter PDAs--personal digital assistants--those ultra-mini-computers that weigh a few ounces and fit in a shirt pocket or purse. While only a few PDAs are able to use the PIM software mentioned in this article, all have some calendar and contact software built in and can transfer (import and export) that information with most PIMs.

The most popular PDA is 3COM's PalmPilot Pro. While the $360 device has no keyboard, it does have a pen-based system that accepts handwritten notes. A touch of a button brings up an address book, to-do lists, appointment calendars and a notepad. One of the major features of the PalmPilot is the HotSync cradle that attaches to a desktop computer and either downloads or uploads information. Additional features include modem connectivity (a $129 option) and e-mail (through your desktop if you do not have the modem).

Hewlett-Packard offers the OmniGo 100, a $350 electronic organizer that has both a special pen and a tiny keyboard for entering data.

The $200 Bookman Sidekick Palmtop Organizer measures only 5.5 by 3.5 by 0.75 inches. Transferring information is easy. It comes with an appointment feature that allows the user to attach notes to appointments.

The $499 Cassiopeia PDA offers many features. While it weighs only 13 ounces and measures 1 by 6.9 by 3.6 inches when folded, it includes pocket-size versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Schedule+ and Internet Explorer. Updating appointments and to-do lists and transferring that information is simple--either via a cable, a modem or an infrared beam.

RELATED ARTICLE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

* THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO GET ORGANIZED is with a personal information manager (PIM)--a software product that keeps track of names, addresses, telephone numbers and appointments and monitors ongoing assignments and projects.

* BUT SELECTING THE RIGHT PIM can be a chore. There are about a score of PIMs on the market and each has strengths and weaknesses. Not all contain the same functions and each works a little differently.

* THERE ARE THREE BASIC TYPES OF PIMs, each targeted to a different audience. The most elementary PIM--the basic calendar and address book--also may have a few bells and whistles: appointment scheduling, to-do lists, planner and appointment alarm. It's relatively inexpensive-ranging from about $15 to $40--and easy to use.

* THE SECOND TYPE OF MM--perhaps more suitable for many accountants--contains a task manager. While the task manager application possesses the features of the basic calendar, it also keeps track of assignments and appointments. Such products range in price from $40 to $250 and are relatively easy to use.

* THE MOST SOPHISTICATED PIMs contain contact manager functions. They're for professionals who depend on frequent client, supplier or customer contacts and need information about those contacts immediately. Contact manager PIMs can be expensive, ranging from about $250 to $5,000.

BENSON WIER, CPA, PhD, is an assistant professor of accounting at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. His e-mail address is [e-mail]. JAMES E. HUNTON, CPA, PhD, is an associate professor of accounting at the University of South Florida, Tampa. His e-mail address is [e-mail].