Don’t Love Me Because I’m Technological

In many of its incarnations, technology is complicated, confusing and often more trouble than it’s worth. But one of its original purposes was to make life easier by saving time at work, and there are simple ways in which it accomplishes this goal.

“In general, technology saves time. There’s no doubt about it,” said Paul Edwards, a home-office expert who attributes the growth of home-based businesses to the availability of powerful, low-cost technology.

But just because a product contains a computer chip or requires electricity doesn’t make it worthwhile.

“You need to judge each piece of equipment and each function you choose on its own merit so that you don’t get dragged down by technology,” said Edwards, who has let a battery-operated letter opener sit unused in a drawer because it’s no faster than the low-tech version.

Although he wouldn’t recommend the letter opener, Edwards said there are many technology timesavers that are useful on the job. Here are some of his suggestions:

* Fax: Send and receive documents by fax instead of mail. The sooner an order is placed or a contract or letter is received, the faster you can move forward with your work. With a fax modem, you can send a document directly from your computer without having to format it for printing, address an envelope or find a stamp. A fax modem also turns an incoming fax into a computer document automatically.

* Scanner: Use a business card scanner to turn a collection of business cards into a database of names, addresses and phone numbers. Card scanners use a technique called optical character recognition to read the text and turn it into an organized computer file.

Scan your signature into your computer and electronically paste it into official documents. The signature will look authentic with a good inkjet printer, and it will save you and your wrist the drudgery of signing stacks of documents.

* Templates: Use templates for common documents such as letters, fax cover sheets, newsletters and invoices. Once you have a document laid out the way you like it in your computer, save a copy so you don’t have to reinvent the format each time you need it.

* Software: Use financial management software to keep track of business spending. With a program like Quicken or Money, it’s easy to tell whether you’re sticking to your budget. You can also save time by using the software to write checks.

Use integrated software that combines a word processor, a spreadsheet and graphics. If you are typing numbers into a spreadsheet, the software will automatically update any related documents, such as charts or graphs.

* Postal scale: Use a digital postal scale to calculate the rates to send letters and packages via U.S. mail, Federal Express or UPS. The scale will display the required postage on an electronic screen and will save you from waiting in line at the post office.

What is technology not so good for? Helping you decide what to do with all the time you’ve saved.

Karen Kaplan covers technology and careers. She can be reached via e-mail at karen.kaplan@latimes.com