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While technology is supposed to make us more productive, it practice, it often reduces productivity.  Countless hours are spent on activities that are eat up your time without providing any real benefit.  How do we make the most out of technology in our work without falling prey to its drawbacks?

The Advantages of Technology

1. Automation of routine tasks - This is the primary benefit of technology. Instead of having to do mundane, routine tasks yourself over and over again for hours on end, a simple piece of software can do it for you, freeing yourself up to engage in more important work. Consider this blog which uses Wordpress. Instead of having to hardcode HTML pages on my own, I simply write the posts and the blogging software utilizes a combination of SQL, PHP, and CSS to create the webpage for me. It evens pings several websites to help me get more traffic - and I don't have a do a single thing or know how it works.
2. Fast access to information - Thanks to the computers and the internet, anytime you need a piece of information, whether it's the deadline for your current project or who won the 1988 World Series, it is only a few clicks a way. The ability to search quickly - whether on the internet or on your computer - saves you countless hours.
3. Mobility - With blackberries and the new smart phones, you can check your email wherever you go. With a laptop computer, the once tedious airplane trip can actually be productive. Mobile devices provide the opportunity to get work done and be productive wherever you go.
4. Speed of communication - Twenty years ago, the quickest way to get in touch with someone was with a landline phone. How ancient. Today, with cell phones, instant messaging, and social networking sites, you can reach people within a few seconds.
5. Ease of making changes - The value of digital information is that it can be changed quickly. Consider how much more convenient it is to have a word processor as opposed to a typewriter. Personally, I have benefited greatly from mind mapping software. When I used paper for mind maps, I would often run out of space and have to create a messy layout to fit everything in. Now, with the software alternative, the layout can be changed as I need.

The Drawbacks of Technology

1. Distractions - This is the big one. How many times have you been working on something important but you just feel the need to check your email at that very moment.? Or you decide to pay Digg a visit for a few minutes and spend a couple of hours reading through a bunch of articles. When used improperly, technology can hinder you more than it supports you.
2. Needless complexity - How many software programs out there are bloated with excess features that do not serve you at all? You can often fall into the trap of trying to fit a project to a piece of software instead of using fitting the software to your project. It's important to remember the technology is just a tool. Just because PowerPoint has a million transitions doesn't mean you have to use them all on one slide.
3. You become too available - On the downside of being able to communicate with others so easily is that because it's easy, you will get a lot more people trying to get in touch with you. Unless you have the ability to ignore the demands of others until a more suitable time, you won't be able to focus single-mindedly on the task at hand.
4. Falling into the gadget trap - A lot of the devices we buy today - smart phones, PDAs etc - serve very little practical purpose. We buy them because we think they're cool (because we're geeks). Instead of judging a new piece of technology on how "cool" it would be, it's time to step back and realize that they are supposed to be tools - judge them on how useful they would be to you.
5. Dependency on technology - Let's say you are about to start a presentation at a conference. 5 minutes before the presentation, the PowerPoint presentation you made for it, doesn't seem to be working. Can you still give a solid presentation? Were you dependent on your slides to present? Technology should serve to enhance your skills and save your time- not be a crutch you depend so you don't have to develop the skills in the first place.

How to Get the Most Out of Technology to Maximize Productivity

Clearly, there are many advantages to technology that come with their associated drawbacks.  How do you maximize the upside while minimizing the downside?

1. Awareness - Be honest with yourself. Are you wasting hours a day on social networking sites? Are you needlessly checking email every 5 minutes? Until you start paying attention to how your productivity is being reduced, you cannot improve it.
2. Look for areas where low-tech works better - There are many areas where the high-tech solution is not the best. For example, with my daily planning, I still find a simple notebook to be the best solution for me. The time management software programs that I've tried have all been too inflexible for my needs.
3. Focus on requirements as opposed to features - When examining a piece of technology - whether a piece of software or a device - look primarily at what your needs are. Many things are overloaded with features that you don't need. Your job it simply to make sure it helps you where you need it. Avoid bloated software and unnecessary features. Simple is often best.
4. Set strong communication boundaries - When you do not want to be disturbed, do not let yourself be disturbed. For example, you may want to send out an email to everyone that states that, from now on, you will be only be checking email twice a day - at 10 AM and 4 PM.
5. Waste time consciously - If spending time on social networks, or reading through forums is something you like to do, actually schedule time to do it. Plan it in advance. This way you won't take away time from productive tasks and you won't feel guilty about wasting time. You can have your cake and eat it to.

The value of technology lies in how you use it.  It can be used to enhance productivity if you leverage its benefits or it can be used to waste hours of time on needless activities.