SmartDraw 2008 is now available for trial and purchase via Mindsystems!

SmartDraw is the world's most popular drawing and diagramming software.

You can create professional flow charts, org charts, project timelines, floor plans, technical drawings, network designs, forms, graphs, calendars and much more!

Economic experts are saying that as a result of the declining US economy, there is a 36% chance of a recession in major world economies. 

The slowdown is caused by a whole range of issues such as fuel prices, carbon trading and the ever spreading effects the sub-prime lending situation in the US.  Have a look at this SWOT chart of the situation. (Produced using SmartDraw).

The following assumptions were made in the SWOT Analysis:

• True money rates will remain above 8%
• The possibility of an internal Australia recession is 35%
• Our market (Asian/Indian sub continent) will grow by 15%/year

The consequences of the analysis are likely to be:

• Failure to deal with falling productivity and increasing costs are likely to significantly effect the bottom line
• Advantage should be taken of the increasing range of 'Smart' software tools to enhance productivity and gain a market advantage.

However the real question is ‘Is there a light at the end of the tunnel other than the approaching express train?’

Mindsystems believes this offers a golden opportunity for the smart individual and the smart organisation.

For example, with such things a stock market crashes the people who really benefit are those who sold early (i.e. took less profit) and then can buy when the markets is at rock bottom.

While Mindsystems cannot offer you a solution to the stack market we can help you to work smarter and more efficiently. For example:

Read 100 page document in 15 seconds! ThemeReader extracts the major themes (not just key words) form a document. In the last analysis there is no substitute for careful reading of an important document, however the system does allow you to effectively scan larger numbers of documents to identify the really important ones.

You need either KnowledgeLink Pro V5 or MindManager to use this system. Now is a wonderful time to try the very special bundle offer of ThemeReader and KnowledgeLink (our Research Suite) for an incredibly low price.

KnowledgeLink Pro V5

This is our answer to handling text heavy applications. For more information please see:
http://www.mindsystems.com.au/products/knowledgelink/index.php
... and don’t forget this product has a special promotion price and free upgrade right now!

The SWOT analysis diagram at the start of this article was done using one of the many automated smart templates in the SmartDraw systems. This software is an absolute must for businesses and individuals who wish to work smarter and present themselves in the best possible light.

Of course there is MindManager which has been a prime choice for a number of years when you consider presentation and efficiency. Now doubly effective with the introduction of Mindjet Connect which enables online collaboration. Please see:
http://www.mindsystems.com.au/products/mindmanager/connect.php

The conclusions are inescapable:

• Yes, there is a high probability of, at best, a slowdown in the market,
• If you work smarter and present yourself more effectively you will have a competitive advantage in the coming downturn,
• Mindsystems are the people to help you put together an optimum solution.

In an article on the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) web site (http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1141 ) it was announced that the PDF format was now recognised as an international ISO standard (ISO 32000-1).

What is remarkable is that Adobe Systems Inc. have, in effect, passed a considerable amount of control for future development to the ISO. It is interesting to speculate as to why that has happened. Possibly it is yet another step in Adobe's pioneering approach to software proliferation.

You will remember that they were one of the first companies to freely give away their software in the format of the 'Reader'. There result was that the software became universally accepted. This technique is now common. For example KnowledgeLink Pro will turn into a 'read only' version if a key has not been entered within 21 days.

But why is the PDF so popular? The format enables:

• preservation of document fidelity independent of device or platform
• merging of content from diverse sources
• collaborative editing of documents using multiple platforms
• digital signatures for authenticity
• security and permissions to preserve control over content
• accessibility of content to those with disabilities
• extraction and reuse of content for use with other file formats, and
• gathering data and integrating it with business systems using PDF forms.

Another possible reason for relinquishing control is no doubt related to the increasing numbers of application that product documents in PDF format or have an embedded PDF engine in the main application.

Last month we announced that we now resell a great piece of software called Bluebeam which is not only four times less expensive than the full Adobe product, but has many additional features that are extremely useful the modern bushiness.

For more information on Bluebeam PDF Revu please go to:

http://www.mindsystems.com.au/products/bluebeam/index.php

One of the strongest features of the KnowledgeLink series has been the template system which allows the user to not only use predefined templates, but also create their own easily and quickly.

Now Mindsystems have taken this idea a step further with the introduction of the ‘Assisted Template’.

An Assisted Template is a micro-course combined with a formal process to achieve an optimum result.

Mindsystems is developing this new range of templates right now!

Here are a couple of examples:

Every person makes dozens of decisions each day. Some are critical and some are quite trivial.

Unfortunately these decisions are not always made in an optimum manner.

This template guides you through a tried and tested sequence for improving the way you make decisions. The system is equally suitable for determining the best among a number of options or determining the risk in a situation.

A key to effectively managing a team is to understand the behavioral/communication style of each team member. This template shows you how to identify this style and gives you some hints on how to deal with each one. Of course this does not substitute for a full behavioral analysis (see http://www.mindsystems.com.au/services/training/belbin.php ) but it does give you a flying start in managing teams effectively.

This is the Mindsystems version of the famous SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. This is arguably one of the best situational analysis tools available.
Of course, if you are an expert in any of these areas the assisted templates are still of use in that the first time you open one it is suggested that you do two things:

1. Read through the notes and delete what you do not need
2. Add you own ‘tweaks’ and resave it as your new, personal version of that template.

This is just a small sample of the templates that will soon be available.