In recent years, many US businesses have adopted Microsoft 365, the newer, cloud-based edition of Microsoft Office. While most organisations appreciate that they can now use their Microsoft Office apps from any device, many of them haven’t fully utilised the other software and features that Microsoft 365 offers. As well as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, there are many other programmes in the bundle that could be making your office more efficient.
Today, we’re going to go over some of the other Microsoft 365 features that our clients have benefited from.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft 365’s built-in chat application is called Microsoft Teams. Teams functions similarly to other programmes like Skype or Slack. So, if you are familiar with those apps, you’ll be right at home. You can have voice, video, or text conversations with other users inside your company. You can communicate with them 1-on-1 or in a group.
Microsoft Teams’ integration with other 365 products make it a better option than Skype or Zoom for most businesses. Each group chat can have its own specific SharePoint folder, allowing you to easily share documents and links with other chat participants. Microsoft Teams allows users to open Word, Excel, and other Microsoft file types directly in the chat window without ever leaving the programme – useful if you are on a call.
Additionally, Teams is directly connected to Outlook, enabling you to open video calls you have scheduled as meetings in your Outlook calendar.
Microsoft Teams is becoming more and more vital to the communication and cooperation of enterprises’ workforces and businesses which are already using Zoom, Slack or Skype For Business can cut their costs by switching to Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Exchange Online
The cloud-hosted version of Microsoft’s email and messaging software is called Exchange Online. Exchange Online servers, in contrast to prior, on-premises versions of Exchange, Exchange Online servers are located in Microsoft data centres and can be accessed from nearly any authorised device with an internet connection. So, there’s no need to purchase or maintain server hardware.
Microsoft SharePoint
SharePoint is a cloud storage platform that integrates with Microsoft 365. It can be used for to store files in the cloud similar to how Dropbox and Google Drive work. However, SharePoint can also be utilised for a lot more things. Our staff, for instance, can use SharePoint to create a custom corporate intranet or wiki for your business.
SharePoint also helps facilitate easier team collaboration by enabling two or more users to modify a document live online, even if the users are in different locations. Any authorised device with a web browser, including mobile devices, may see and edit your SharePoint files.
Access to SharePoint can also be authorised for users outside of your company on a document-by-document basis if there’s something you need to share with a client or supplier.
Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive stores all your personal documents in the cloud. OneDrive automatically backs up any files saved to your machine’s desktop, Documents folder, or Pictures folder. Changes you make to your OneDrive files will be immediately synchronised between your computer and the cloud.
Your files can be viewed and edited from any authorised device with a web browser once they are stored in the cloud with OneDrive. This means that when you use OneDrive, you will always have access to your files, even while you are away from the office.
Microsoft One Note
A note-taking app that offers much more than Notepad. You notes can include pictures, sketches, and other elements like data tables. OneNote automatically saves the user’s notes to the cloud.
Utilizing One Note is a very flexible experience. Users can click anywhere on the canvas to add a new text box thanks to its practically infinite document window. In this sense it is more freeform than other note taking apps and is more like writing in a notebook by hand.
Microsoft To Do
Microsoft To Do is an extremely powerful to-do list app. Separate task lists can be created and shared with other individuals in your organisation. You can use this app on your own to keep track of tasks or collaborate on a task list with the other members of your team to work on a bigger project.
Within a list, you can set reminders, prioritise list items different, or organise your tasks according to their urgency.
Your to-do list is kept in the cloud and is easily accessible in other programmes because To Do is a component of Microsoft 365. For instance, the Tasks tab in Outlook will immediately display your task list.
Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms makes it simple to quickly construct a survey, poll, feedback form, or quiz. Results are synced as soon as your recipients complete the form. Along with having robust data analytics capabilities built-in, Forms also makes it simple to export the data your form collects into other programmes like Excel for additional analysis.
Microsoft Bookings
Small businesses that require a dependable solution for managing bookings frequently use Microsoft Bookings. Customers of small enterprises can use it to schedule appointments with the business. Microsoft Teams is also integrated.
Bookings features a web-based booking calendar and interfaces directly with Outlook to streamline your staff’s schedule and give your clients the freedom to book at a time that works best for them. Automated reminders help decrease the incidence of no-shows and follow up emails and SMS text notifications assist in gauging your customers’ satisfaction.
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI is a tool for data analytics and visualisation. It can help you to gain value from the huge amount of data that your business generates daily. Businesses that gather and analyse data about their operations are better able to safeguard and streamline their operations.
Power BI charts and models can be used by organisations in a variety of ways, such as to visually explain potential scenarios to staff members during training or demonstrate ideas for clients and investors. Forecasting how future changes will impact your organisation and its workflow is another benefit of using Power BI reports proactively.
Microsoft Power Automate
Power Automate is a piece of software for automating repetitive office processes. It was formerly known as ‘Microsoft Flow’. Tasks like saving email attachments can be automated with Power Automate in a matter of minutes and applied across your organisation. Power Automate is also designed to be as user friendly as possible, with the ability to construct automated flows out of pre-defined rules eliminates the requirement for any coding expertise.
Ready To Upgrade To Microsoft 365? Carden IT Services Is Here To Help
We have assisted several companies in moving their on-premises data to the cloud and realising their full potential with Microsoft 365. Speak to our team right now if you want to upgrade to Microsoft 365 or find out more about how you could be making the most of your existing 365 package.
