Pop the kettle on and pull up a chair. Welcome to the shiny new Optimised Office website, and to the very first post on its brand new blog.
If you've visited before, you might notice things look a little different. I've had a proper tidy-up, which feels only fair given that tidying up other people's systems is basically my whole job. So think of this as a soft relaunch: a new site, clearer services, and a fresh promise to actually write things down here rather than just in my head.
If we haven't met yet, hello! Here's a bit about me, what I do, and what you can expect from this little corner of the internet.
So, who am I?
I'm Helena Clinkscales, founder (and, if I'm honest, entire workforce) of Optimised Office. Think of me as your one-woman band for sorting out software chaos and workflow headaches. No faceless team, no jargon, just me, getting stuck in.
Before Optimised Office, I spent more than twenty years working in-house across a real mix of industries and roles: administration, executive support, membership project management and keeping operations running smoothly. Which means I've been the person wrestling the spreadsheet at 4pm on a Friday. I've been the one chasing approvals nobody remembers asking for. I know exactly what it feels like to be the one trying to make the systems work.
Along the way, I got more and more frustrated. It could take forever to get heard when a process clearly needed to change, and even when change did happen, it often went about things the wrong way. Training was a prime example: too often a box-ticking exercise, rather than something that actually helped people learn skills they could use to make the company run better. Eventually I decided to stop grumbling and start doing it differently.
For the last six years I've been working alongside SMEs as an independent consultant, and it turns out being the fresh pair of eyes is a bit of a superpower. When you've lived inside a process for years, it's hard to see where it's got tangled. When you walk in from the outside, the knots tend to wave at you.
Why all the circles?
If you've spotted the logo, you'll know I'm rather fond of a circle. Here's why.
Every business ends up going round in circles at some point. The same workarounds, the same half-used software, the same manual steps nobody has questioned in years. It's not anyone's fault, it's just what happens when a business grows faster than anyone has time to fix the systems underneath it.
Take a closer look at the logo and you'll see two circles joined together, a bit like an infinity loop. The first, in one plain colour, is the loop so many businesses find themselves stuck in. The second has a little more colour to it, and it wraps around and links up with the first. That second loop is where I come in.
Not by ripping everything out and starting again, but by joining up with what you already have, getting more out of it, and only bringing in something new when it genuinely earns its place. Two loops, working together, until the one your business was stuck in becomes one that actually works for you.
What I do.
Four things, which overlap more than you might think (and honestly, my favourite projects are the ones where they all join up):
- Cloud Software Consultant: honest, independent advice on choosing, rolling out and getting the most from your cloud software, CRM included.
- Business Systems Automation Consultant: untangling messy processes, cutting out the copy-and-paste jobs, and building automation with tools like Power Automate and VBA that quietly saves everyone's Tuesday afternoon.
- Microsoft 365 Consultant & Trainer: showing you what's hiding in the subscription you already pay for (spoiler: it's a lot more than Outlook and Word), and training your team to use it with confidence.
- AI Adoption Consultant & Trainer: helping you use AI tools like Copilot and Claude as practical, everyday helpers, without the hype, the big spend, or anyone losing sleep over robots taking their jobs.
A few things I feel strongly about.
- Independent means independent. I'm not tied to any platform or vendor, so I've no reason to sell you anything you don't need. If the answer is "you already own that tool, you just need to switch it on", that's exactly what I'll tell you.
- Training should be about the people in the room. No off-the-shelf slide decks. Sessions are built around your team and the work they actually do, delivered remotely so everyone learns from their own desk. Nobody has to sit through a module on something they'll never use.
- Systems should fit your people, not the other way round. Whether it's AI or a new process, it should be shaped around the team who'll actually use it, not a generic set-up that only looks good on paper. I also make sure the team are on board from the start, because a shiny new system nobody uses just means everyone quietly drifting back to the old way of doing things.
- Automate around the human. Let the tech handle the repetitive bits, but keep the judgement calls with the people who know your business best.
- Patience beats quick fixes. We'll take it one friendly conversation at a time until the knot starts to loosen.
- A good relationship doesn't end when the training does. I'd much rather stick around and see how things settle than wave goodbye on delivery day.
What's new around here.
As part of the relaunch, I've made working with me simpler, with three clear options:
- Bespoke Live Training: a focused skills boost on the tools your team already uses, built around them from scratch.
- System Audit & Fix Project: for that one system that's slowing everyone down and needs sorting properly.
- Systems Transformation Partner: for businesses who'd like me alongside them week by week as things change and grow.
You'll find all the details over on the Investment page.
What to expect from this blog.
I'll be popping up here with a mix of:
- Real-life case studies (anonymised where needed) showing what untangling a process actually looks like
- Plain-English takes on the AI topics everyone's talking about, like shadow AI and the adoption gap
- Practical Microsoft 365 tips you can try the very same afternoon
- The occasional musing on why we all still email spreadsheets to each other
A little more about me.
When the laptop's closed, you'll most likely find me with a cup of tea in hand. Peppermint for in the morning, then a proper English brew in the afternoon, served in my big Tigger mug with a good splash of milk. And yes, I leave the teabag in while I drink it. I'm regularly told off for this. I remain unrepentant. My latest hobby is cake decorating, which, now I think about it, is really just another excuse to make something look neat and organised. And if anyone ever works out how to automate cleaning the kitchen, please get in touch. I'd pay handsomely.
If you've worked with me before, you'll know I'm a chatty one, and you've probably heard my laugh before you've seen me. I'm also an unapologetic Microsoft geek. My favourite Excel feature is Flash Fill: show it a couple of examples and it works out the pattern for the rest. It feels a bit like magic, and it saves a surprising amount of time for almost no effort. What really makes me happy, though, is seeing how Teams, Copilot, Loop, SharePoint and Planner fit together. Useful on their own, properly slick once they're connected, and nothing beats that "I didn't know it could do that!" moment on someone's face.
I live and work in Saffron Walden, Essex, a town with a lovely community and, crucially, two chocolate shops. Most of my work is delivered remotely, so it really doesn't matter where you're based, but if you're local, I'm always up for meeting over a coffee (or a proper strong brew).
Fancy a chat?
If any of this sounds familiar (the half-used software, the manual jobs, the ever-growing "we really should sort that out" list), I'd love to hear from you. Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll talk through what's not working, what you need and where to start. No pressure, no jargon, just a friendly chat.
Here's to circles that finally go somewhere. Helena
