We've identified the following four basic steps to become a superuser. Each step is designed to get you going in 15 minutes. That’s one hour to set up your own customized work platform – a pretty good investment, if you ask us.
We've linked to many additional articles to show you more about the features we mention. Simply click on the links in the text to access these articles.
1. Get structured
To create structure, you need an overview of your workflows. Grab a pen and paper and ask yourself these questions:
a) Which groups of people are you working with?
For example: the marketing team, HR, and a supplier.
b) What things are you managing in each group?
For example: marketing projects, job applicants and supplier feedback. To get inspiration, look through the titles of the spreadsheets you use with your team.
c) What do you need to know to manage each thing?
For example: a description, a deadline and a responsible person for the marketing projects. A résumé, contact information, and a status for the job applicants. A delivery date, the products ordered, and costs of delivery for each supplier.
By answering these three simple questions, you've now identified:
a) which workspaces you need to set-up, and who to invite into them
b) which apps to add to each workspace
c) the structure needed for each app
Now, let the app building begin.
Watch videos on building your own app and modifying existing apps from the App Market.
2. Get data in
Now that you have your structure, it's time to get your work into Podio.
Try importing your most used spreadsheet, and use this to create the structure of your app. Name the app after the spreadsheet and add fields to match the columns in the spreadsheet. This is the fastest way to create an app and populate it with content.
Use webforms to have others add content to your Podio app without having access to the workspace. Need inspiration? Enable your Job Applicant app as a web form and share the link on a job website or create a webform for your 'Contact Us' link on your own website.
Forward emails with supplier feedback to your Supplier Feedback app, allowing you to access all feedback (good or bad!) in one place.
The point is that there are many easy ways to get your data into your Podio apps. You then make it valuable by adding the right people and processes.
3. Start collaborating
Start showing your team a few tips on how to collaborate in Podio, and if you dare, try banning internal email for a week (yes, we’ve seen it done – and it works!)
Share tasks related to the marketing project with a colleague. Set up a reminder to make sure she won’t forget it. Click here to learn more about tasks on Podio. Mention someone to get their opinion on a new job applicant, or have them to share new market knowledge with your suppliers, so everyone is up to speed.
4. Get an overview
With workspaces, apps, content and people ready, it’s time to get an overview. You can follow all activity from your apps and workspaces from your Home stream, and you can even mute the most noisy apps or spaces if it gets too busy. Your notifications will notify you when something relevant to you takes place: conversations you’re mentioned in, tasks which are assigned to you, or any new activity in an app which you subscribe to. Learn more about notifications and email notifications.
Try setting up filters, e.g. 'my upcoming marketing projects' or 'interesting job applicants' to get easier access to what's important to you, even from your iPhone.
Make your own reports to see 'applicants per job opening' or 'products delivered this week, by category,' etc. Every filter and every report is based on your unique app structure, so if something is missing, simply modify your app.