1-02-2015

As client serving professionals we all hate those “Oh No!” moments when we forget a critical piece of equipment or documentation we absolutely must have to complete our task or objective. Over the years I have personally gone through many of those moments where I found myself without the right piece of equipment or access I needed to help get my tasks accomplished from client sites. This was mainly due to higher security standards at our client sites which resulted in denial-of-access to our home office servers, cloud access, VPN and plenty more.

Detailed below are the “tools” in my workbag that have helped me with workarounds when those access issues occur at client sites.

Necessities:

1. Work Laptop: This might seem as a given, however I added it to the list as a lot of clients have you working from their computers which limit access to your corporate file shares back at the office.
2. Personal Hotspot or Cell Phone with Tethering capabilities: I have had many client sites where I did not have a reliable Wi-Fi connection that allowed me access to the Internet, therefore I have found tethering to be invaluable. This technology has saved me a number of times over the years. If you also don’t feel comfortable using a shared connection at a cafe for example, this solution helps create a personal network for just you at almost any public location. Don’t forget your charger!
3. USB Powered Portable LCD Screen: This is another critical piece of equipment that has saved me a lot of trouble over the past couple of years. If you work in the audit or consulting field, dual screen setups save a lot of time. However you find yourself limited when traveling and only having access to your laptop screen. Portable LCD screens can be rather inexpensive and fit nicely into most workbags.
4. USB Powered Smart Card Reader:  For working professionals with Government clients, this is a great help if you are working remotely and the client allows you to access their network with your CAC card.
5. Portable USB hub (at least four port): With laptops constantly shrinking and most equipment working off of USB, it is important to have at least a four port USB hub so you can connect everything at the same time. Disconnecting and reconnecting equipment can become tedious after a while especially when you need to disconnect your wireless mouse to plug in your smart card reader and vice-versa, over and over.
6. Cloud account or personal Cloud drive: This is a more recent technology that I have found to be extremely valuable. Especially for people working on multiple clients. As traveling professionals we sometimes find ourselves on our work laptops, client machine(s) or personal machines, however, need access to files on central storage depending on where we are. Having certain administrative files accessible no matter which machine we are on saves a great deal of time and stress. I do not recommend storing any client files however to the cloud at this time. Before adding client files to any central storage, discuss with your client.
7. USB Storage Stick: Having this as backup is helpful for emergency situations. It also helps transfer files when you do not have access to an Internet connection.
8. Video Adapter: It is helpful to have a video adapter to connect a DVI or VGA monitor to your Apple machine. I would also recommend a DVI or VDA to HDMI for newer Windows laptops. These adapters are rather small and can be kept hidden in your workbag for when the situation arises.

Convenience:

9. Wireless Mouse: Not a necessity by any means, however I find this to be an easy-to-carry piece of equipment that makes daily work life a little easier. Make sure to carry an additional rechargeable battery for emergencies.
10. Headphones: I also carry noise-canceling headphones in my bag while traveling, which includes my daily commute on public transportation to client sites. This personally helps me focus when listening to radio or reading.
11. Tablet and/or paper notebook: I alternate between a tablet and a notepad for taking notes during meetings or personal items I need to remember for later. This is just more of a convenience especially if you use Evernote or similar software to plan and execute tasks.
12. Additional pens and paper: I carry a few extra pens and small notebook just in case any of the technology above decides not to play nice that day. This has saved me time during work allowing me to deal with troubleshooting issues after work hours.

And there you have it. I carry these items with me at all times in my workbag (backpack). I can’t say it’s a lightweight bag to carry around (not backbreaking either), however it has basically become my mobile office, allowing me to be 100% productive in almost any situation including restrictive client sites, hotels, airports and cafes. If you have additional items please share in the comments section!