“I like its simplicity and visual aspects…”
As a lean leader I am always looking for ways to improve processes, including my own. When Atrendia approached me with their “lean” e-mail management I was of course challenged to test if their tool would actually bring me any benefit at all. I was pleasantly surprised: not only did it blend in naturally in my (already structured) way of working, but it actually improved my efficiency in dealing with e-mail. The thing I like most about it, is that it shows me the information I need just in time and with the next action to take (no time to waste!). I like its simplicity and visual aspects. It also improves the efficiency in finding mails in my archive. My colleagues envy me for being the test person for our company … However, a part of the benefits comes from the new (disciplined) way of working and not from the tool itself. It does require discipline to make the best of this tool, like immediately deciding on what to do with an e-mail, so there is always a chance of slipping back to old habits. Some other potential improvements are in the areas of the toggling between views (new&due vs. all e-mail) and not being able to see at a glance in which view you are. Atrendia really dealt well with my feedback in trying to incorporate some of it into new versions of the tool. My conclusion: I do recommend this tool to improve your e-mail management efficiency. For an even better result, I suggest to combine the introduction of the tool with a (more strict) e-mail policy.
