For those that are familiar with lean manufacturing concepts and the 7+ forms of waste, excessive motion is one of them. Excessive motion can be wasteful in a manufacturing environment as it can add time to a process, waste energy and fatigue workers. Excessive motion can take the form of moving your hands from the keyboard to the mouse and back again.

With the amount of time that we all spend on our computers, it makes sense to minimize the amount of movement between the keyboard and pointing device. That is where keyboard shortcuts can help. There are many available keyboard shortcuts depending on the operating system, software program and keyboard style. Some keyboard shortcuts are universal, like Control-S to save a document, while others are unique to a particular software program.

Microsoft Corporation first introduced the Windows logo key in 1994 and it is found on most IBM compatible keyboards. There are many useful keyboard shortcuts that utilize this key.Windows logo key. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

• In the Microsoft Windows operating system simply press the Windows logo key to open the start menu.

• When you leave your computer it is important to lock your computer for security purposes. This can be achieved with the Win+L shortcut.

• If you want to open Windows File Explorer (or My Computer) Win+E will do the trick. There is no need to use your mouse to press the start button and find the Computer option.

• You may find yourself with many applications and windows open on your computer, and need to access your desktop quickly. Win+D or Win+M will minimize the open windows and display your desktop.

• Hopefully, you have organized your folders and files well, but just in case Win+F will open a dialog box to search for a file or folder.

• If you work with dual monitors (a very smart investment for knowledge workers) you can utilize the Win+Shift+Right-Arrow or Win+Shift+Left-Arrow to move the active application window from one screen to the other.

• If you work with one monitor Win+Right-Arrow or Win+Left-Arrow will resize your active application to take up half of the screen and move it one side or the other.

Besides the shortcuts mentioned above, there are several other Windows logo key shortcuts that can be easily found on the internet.

Applying these shortcuts and sharing them with other colleagues across your organization will ultimately increase your organization's productivity as even small amounts of time saved will accumulate over the long run. Stay tuned for the next article where we will highlight application-specific keyboard shortcuts.