Here in the Community department, time is uber-valuable. I’m constantly looking for ways we can speed up and simplify our processes so that we can respond better and quicker to community concerns.

There are a couple of desktop management tools that help me out big-time. Sharing is caring! Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Typinator. I don’t know what I did before Typinator. Actually — scratch that. I do know. Before I downloaded Typinator, I’d spend tons and tons of time clicking between windows to cut-and-paste phrases from a Google Doc spreadsheet into e-mails and correspondence. Whatta headache! With Typinator, all I need is a couple of keystrokes to insert my most frequently-used expressions wherever I need them.

2. HootSuite. With the HootSuite desktop app, I’m able to monitor and update all of Quirky’s social media feeds in one place. Plus, I can track keyword searches, schedule Tweets for later, and stay abreast of other team member activity. Shout-out to Jerry Tirado for intro-ing it when he visited the office last month!

3. Lighthouse Keeper. Whenever we receive a tech support issue, we immediately “ticket it” in Lighthouse, a genius issue tracking system. From there, members of our tech team are able to view all known issues and prioritize them as necessary. Once the issue is resolved, we get a little notification update — simple as that!

4. Mac Stickies. Ask anyone in the office — I go postal for Post-Its. Several months back, I tagged along to a press event celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary and came back with dozens of colorful products from their new line. And thanks to Mac, not only can I have Post-Its littering my desk, I can also have them strewn across my desktop. Thanks, Apple, for feeding the addiction.

5. Google Calendars/iCal. Then, of course, there’s keeping track of it all. I use multiple Google Calendars to keep track of the various facets of my schedule — work, play, wellness, and, of course, Quirky projects and launch dates. Then, I sync them with Mac’s iCal app for seamless alarm notifications. Ding ding! Time to get back to work.

Do you have any life-changing desktop apps? Share the wealth!