Planning

There's only so much time in your workday, and without a bulletproof scheduling system, it can be tough to stay on task and on time. If you're a frequent visitor of our blog, it's likely you've stumbled across a few of our time management resources in the past. A few months ago, we shared a story about a Magnatag customer that was using our whiteboards to aid in the development of his time blocking strategy—we even created a separate blog post breaking down time-blocking strategies for beginners. After creating these posts, we realized there's a lot of interest in learning more about time-blocking strategies. With this in mind, we put together a new infographic that details additional time-blocking strategies, tips, and statistics that can help improve your time management efforts. Check it out and let us know what you think!

In the wake of the horrific aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, residents of Brandon, Mississippi, were left with a permanent mark on their consciousness, reminding the community of the devastation that resulted in over 1500 fatalities and 108 billion dollars in damages. Even for those that have been able to put Katrina’s devastation behind them, the fears still remain buried deep underneath, reemerging with each announcement of an inbound weather warning. It’s a reaction that has sparked somewhat of a movement for the city, with Mayor, Butch Lee, assembling a Community Emergency Response Team (or CERT) to help educate and prepare citizens in the event of an emergency response scenario.

What’s one thing you find most customers are looking for when they contact a member of our sales team?
I’d have to say that a lot of times people will take a look at either our catalogue or our online web presence and ask for help. We offer so many products that I think it can be overwhelming at times to find a system that works for you. That’s a large part of the role I play as a Visual Systems Specialist; my job is designed to assist companies when it comes to the intricacies involved with visualizing information. Having accessibility to someone with a collective understanding of our products and the problems they alleviate is a huge benefit to many of our customers.

Somewhere between 95% and 96% of all personal injury cases are settled pretrial. For the 4% to 5% that are unable to compromise outside of the courtroom, there’s Jim Nugent. Working as the lead trial lawyer for the Nugent & Bryant law firm based out of New Haven, Connecticut, Jim frequently finds himself juggling multiple cases throughout the course of the year.

“The last four months of any case are where everything you’ve been working towards begins to come into play. I like to call those last four months the “big crunch” because at times there can be a lot of deadlines in play and you’ve got to find a way to manage it”, says Nugent.

No matter what time you set your alarm in the morning, it still feels like there’s never enough time in the day. For those of us looking to maximize our time and become more proficient, there’s time blocking. It’s a scheduling technique that’s been making the rounds in some of Silicon Valley’s biggest startups over recent years, and many like-minded businesses are starting to take notice. So what is time blocking? Time blocking is essentially designating specific periods of time to a single project or task. The theory is that by isolating one specific project or task, distractions will be minimalized and workflow will benefit as a result. If you’re on the fence about whether or not time blocking is the correct option for your organization, take a look at a few benefits you can expect by taking on the itemized scheduling solution.

One of the biggest responsibilities Matthew White, Director of Programs at the Zygo Corporation, faces on a daily basis is the overseeing of extreme precision optical components from the early stages of development to the moment they are purchased by a customer.

Here at Magnatag, we frequently receive hundreds of emails looking for a better way to optimize scheduling systems.

To many veterans across the US, the VFW deserves to stand as something more than a place to hangout; it should be a place of warmth and community engagement.

The truth is: Hundreds of VFW’s across the globe are experiencing a dwindling membership shortage. Younger veterans are not as incentivized by the simple offerings of liquor and camaraderie as they once were.

The Easton, Redding, and Region 9 school district is a tri-district located in Easton, Connecticut made up of five schools: Redding Elementary, Samuel Staples Elementary, Hellen Keller Middle, John Read Middle, and Joel Barlow High School—all of which fall directly under the supervision of Walter Czudak.

Every year, 2.3 million weddings occur within the U.S. alone. That averages out to roughly 6,200 weddings a day according to statistics provided by soundvision.com. Sound Vision also estimates that couples receive gifts from an average of 200 guests, with each gift ranging anywhere from $70 to $100 in price. With all these numbers being thrown around, weddings can easily transition from an exciting and joyous event into a major headache if not planned accordingly.

When was the last time you checked and updated your maintenance schedules? It’s a task that’s often latent on your weekly checklist of items, and with your responsibilities only growing in quantity, they can easily be pushed to the side. Sometimes you may even push responsibilities into the hands of other team members, hoping they can make room in their workday. When working in facility management, it’s easy to get stretched too thin when overseeing an entire site—even with the help of an added facility staff.

Picture this: You’re in a room surrounded by a few coffee mugs and scattered post-it notes, flooded with folders of printed memos and important documents that cover the desktop in front of you, while sitting in a chair that is covered with outerwear fit for any scenario mother nature throws your way.

How do you know when your students are falling behind on grades and struggling with a specific subject?

The answer to this question is always met with a variety of responses ranging from the sarcastic, “Of course, I’m the best educator in the world! How could I not know which students of mine are falling behind?” to the less enthusiastic, “I try to.”

The truth of the matter is that no educator can always know how every one of his or her students is performing. Sure, you may have an idea of perhaps a handful of students that may be falling behind, but in order to prove that theory you are forced to dig through a plethora of binders just to validate your belief.

At Magnatag Visible Systems, we practice what we preach. So as we begin to plan for the New Year, many people around the office are turning to our GiantYear^® 365-day dry erase calendars to help coordinate various plans around the office.

Our marketing department houses a three-month variation of the board, which displays important dates for advertising publications, as well as other digital releases. The marketing team likes to treat this editorial calendar as a public domain of sorts; since contracts with publishers and online outlets are ever changing, there is a constant need for people to be in the loop with the what’s, where’s, and when’s of every advertising campaign. The whiteboard calendar is a hands-on tool for everyone in the office, providing an open opportunity for editing as needed.

November 4th is recognized as National Stress Awareness Day here in the US. In an effort to celebrate the occasion, we've created a blog post that provides some insight regarding how to obtain a healthier, stress-free lifestyle. We hope you enjoy it!

As the two year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings passes and the 119th Boston Marathon begins, emergency squads must take extra precautions, planning for months before marathons to make sure they run smoothly and everyone is safe. The Los Angeles Fire Department was eager to share their idea with other emergency preparedness teams in hopes of making their jobs easier.

The purpose of the modern day calendar is to keep us on track, remind us of important dates, and to countdown to special occasions. In business, using a calendar is of the utmost importance; regardless of whether you are a company president, CEO, or an hourly employee, the use of a business calendar can help you with keeping to a specific schedule, prevent you from missing important meetings, and assist with keeping up with other coworkers' schedules. Comprehensive calendars also encourage collaboration and improve coordination between team members.

Proper and efficient organization is vital in any line of work, but those in the business world especially know how important it can be. Throughout my career, I've worked in situations that were less than ideal when it comes to proper organization, so I certainly don't take it for granted when things have great format and structure.

I'm here to help assist you in bringing more structure and organization to your business, and especially to help you make meetings run more efficiently. The following are some different types of organizational charts that I would like to share with that, that you'll definitely find to be helpful.