JISC

This report discusses the use of electronic diaries at the University of Surrey, along with reviewing the most popular systems currently on the market. Interviews were conducted with fifteen staff members involved with electronic diaries, a selection of users, administrators, and management. This gives an overview of how electronic diaries can be used within a university, and potential problems to be overcome in installation. The results from a questionnaire demonstrate the utility of diary systems even if only a selection of staff use the system. Reviews of four different systems on the market demonstrate that while there is no perfect system, Microsoft’s Outlook 98 is by far the best client for Windows machines. Outlook can also be accessed by Mac and UNIX users through a web browser.

Executive Summary

• Electronic diaries are used to keep and share diaries on computers at Surrey.  Interviews with users shows them to be highly useful and popular
• The main beneficiaries of diaries are heavy users of traditional paper diaries, such as managers, heads of departments, professors and their secretaries
• At the very least diaries can save a typical user twenty minutes per week.  Additional efficiency savings come from the ability to share diaries with secretaries, to see times when staff are busy, and to better manage time and activities
• "Peer pressure" will encourage people to use diaries, so long as managers support electronic diary use, the application is easily available and proper training and support is provided.  It is important to provide training so as to teach the correct "conventions of diary use"
• Electronic diaries need not be rolled out organisation wide to be useful since most meetings are arranged between individuals in the same department or group
• There is no perfect diary system.  Microsoft Outlook is the best system for windows based machines, with other users accessing their schedules through Outlook's "web access" features.

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