Busy people always kept schedules or planners, but the biggest problem with them was the fact that you had to carry them around. Sure, you can check your notebook or your whiteboard when you get up and only memorize your tasks for the day, but what if there are too many tasks to memorize? What if someone moves an appointment or an event and it completely messes up something else?

Well, this is no longer a valid fear in the digital age. Today, all your schedules are handled via an app that you can access by just reaching into your pocket. These apps are meant to help you stay organized and ensure you always stay on schedule.

With that in mind, here’s how you can leverage technology to run a more productive life with the help of digital scheduling. This is especially important when planning an event and making sure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

Pick the right digital scheduling tool

There are an immense amount of digital schedules out there; in fact, you shouldn’t have trouble finding the top 50 lists, with options that are all more than adequate. Still, how do you choose?

Don’t get stuck with analysis paralysis; take a look at the key factors we recommend prioritizing:

• User experiences: Go through user reviews and carefully read the comments. While these won’t tell you all there is to know, they’ll be quite indicative of what’s going on when it comes to the capabilities. Don’t underestimate how much time you’ll be spending on this tool — make sure that it has all of the features you want, but also that you don’t hate looking at it.
• Integration potential: Chances are that you already use a wide range of tools. It just makes more sense to pick something that you can integrate with all of them instead of having to change multiple tools to fit your scheduling tool.
• Scalability: What if you decide to add more tools to the list? What if your team expands, and you have to coordinate a group calendar? Always plan for the future.

Ultimately, you can go with something well-known in the industry, something similar to Calendly or Doodle. However, there are many other tools you should look into, as well. Remember that lesser-known platforms typically aren’t that great regarding the number of integrations available.

Centralize your schedule

Almost every platform that you use already has some sort of a schedule tool or a calendar. While this is great for the time being, it’s quite impractical. After all, you’ll have to check all of them and receive multiple notifications (sometimes even duplicate notifications), which is not only annoying but distracting.

This is especially the case if your entire team uses this shared calendar and you’re not sure how well the integration will sync with all the other platforms.

Your main objective is to centralize your schedule to have it all in one accessible location. This way, if there are edits to be made, they’ll be done accurately, and everyone will have the changes reflected on their schedule or can check one location.

Remember that this needs to be done right away, even before you start making a list and sending invites. If you’re making a massive corporate event and are looking for potential attendees via a deal-sourcing platform, you need to have the infrastructure of the event ready before you reach out.

Real-time updates are more important than you think

Arguably the biggest advantage of using software for event planning is the fact that any updates to the schedule are automatic, and they almost always override the previous system. What do we mean by that?

When it comes to the traditional schedule, it usually exists in a physical form and in order to make an edit, you have to draw over the existing schedule. Sometimes, people manually copy the schedule from the whiteboard or take a photo of it with their camera, limiting their ability to update it visually.

But what happens when something changes?

Well, if you’re using a platform, then all the stakeholders will instantly get a notification. When they go to check their platform, they’ll see that the change has already been made. This will make updates and communication easier for everyone and avoid any confusion.

Ensure mobile compatibility

We’ve already discussed just how important it is to have our schedules right at our fingertips (or in our pockets!) at all times — which means it’s going to need to be mobile-friendly.

Sure, if it’s browser-based, you can access it through your mobile browser; however, this isn’t always the ideal scenario. Instead, you need to look at the app and see what people have to say about it. If it’s a free app (which will often be the case), you can even test it out a bit before making a final decision.

Just tracking your schedule won’t give you all the data you need. Instead, test it by adjusting schedules. Try to see what happens when you make a venue alteration from your mobile device. Will the changes and the syncing across all other devices be instantaneous?

Incorporate time buffers

Anyone who has ever tried to organize an event knows just how difficult it can be. It seems like the entire industry abides by Murphy’s Law — everything that can go wrong will go wrong! Things get delayed and take longer than they should, and external service providers can often let you down.

Digital scheduling tools are just that — tools. They are there to help organize and plan things out, but should not be viewed as the ultimate decision-maker — after all, things happen! If you’re not careful with how you use them, you’ll face a huge problem with your schedule.

To be extra careful, you need to start incorporating time buffers in your schedule. What does this mean? It means that you need to give each task a bit more time. It also means that you need to avoid scheduling tasks and events back-to-back.

This way, you’re giving yourself more maneuvering space if things go wrong.

Sharable schedules

No event can be planned or executed by a single party. This is why it’s so important that you find a digital format that will allow simple sharing of schedules.

Leverage event-sharing tools like add to calendar buttons and links on your website or emails, social media promotion, and embeddable calendars that will entice potential attendees to RSVP to your upcoming event!

Now, you’re not just sharing with parties involved in the organization. What about the promotion of the event? This is one of the main reasons why social media integrations play a pivotal role in this system. This is easy to overlook, but when it comes to it, it could turn out to be a huge bottleneck.

Needless to say, this, too, is a factor that you need to consider when first choosing a scheduling platform.

Use automation to never miss a task or an appointment

While being tech-savvy may feel good, the truth is that unless you have an automated reminders and notifications system, it makes no difference if you’re using a tool or not. If you have to check your schedule to see what’s coming next, then this is really just as usual as a compact notebook or a physical calendar.

The best thing about automation is that you can set reminders so you don’t wait until the last minute possible. Instead, you can get a reminder a few days or hours in advance. Let’s be honest, this is when you really need them (not five minutes before the event). Why? Well, because at this point, there’s still time to do something about the task and change course if you’ve previously forgotten about it!

Analyze and adjust

Good scheduling software will offer you some insights regarding the efficiency of your schedule and potentially even make suggestions to help you make things better.

This is not just useful in advance but post-event, as well. Check the efficacy of your schedule and how efficient you were at keeping up with the scheduled tasks. This way, you’ll get insights that you can use the next time around.

The whole point of using scheduling software revolves around the fact that you expect that you’ll use it on a relatively regular basis.

One more thing, it’s not just your schedule that’s being evaluated and examined. You also need to check the tool that you’re using. If it has any shortcomings or problems, you should definitely make some changes. Remember that much is at stake, so don’t be reluctant to change a tool if this one is not fulfilling your needs.

Ask for external feedback

Other people are affected by your schedule, as well. So, why not ask them for their opinion before you proceed? Once the event is done, ask them for their honest feedback, especially when it comes to matters regarding scheduling.

Ask your partners and strategic vendors if they were comfortable with the deadlines you had set or if they needed more or less time.

This way, you can start an endless feedback loop. You complete an event, get the feedback you need, incorporate these changes next time, and then lather, rinse, and repeat. If the changes don’t deliver or happen to backfire, you can just dial things back a bit. It’s really as simple as that.

Stay updated

Like any other tool (regardless if it’s SaaS or not), the work on the tool is never really done. This is why you need to make sure that your scheduling software is always updated.

The majority of these updates will be automatic but, if not, you may have to instigate a manual update.

Keep in mind that this will directly impact the efficacy of your scheduling, which is something you should never take for granted.

Your schedule will directly impact the success of the event in question. Doing everything in time will give you enough room to focus on the details. It will also reduce any anxiety and tension regarding the management of the event, which is why it will boost your attendee’s overall experience. In an era where time is money, good scheduling software is essential.

About the Author

Sonya Newson is a seasoned marketing specialist passionate about driving business growth through strategic online campaigns. With expertise in organic search optimization and targeted marketing initiatives, she has successfully enhanced the digital footprint of numerous brands. A true advocate for meaningful content, Sonya is dedicated to delivering measurable results for her clients.