Have you wondered why Microsoft Office and your other favorite applications
were never designed to minimize to the Windows System Tray? Wouldn't it be so
much more convenient to work with them in that fashion?
Actual Tools has created nifty little tool called Actual
Title Buttons that enables you to add this functionality to virtually
any application.

After installing this tool, it adds two new buttons to the
application's title bar automatically. You can configure these buttons for
each application by creating simple rules of usage. Within seconds you can add
a "minimize to tray button" or a "keep on top button."

The tool is very easy to configure, and the included Help file
should answer most of your questions.
Having the ability to add these buttons to the applications I
use most frequently seems to save me time switching apps. Perhaps you'll find
having this functionality helpful, too. More info is available here.