If you have Microsoft 365, you’re likely using Outlook and perhaps a few additional applications, but are you fully utilizing all the tools available?
Numerous tools are available based on your license. If you login to Office.com using your account credentials you will see what’s available by clicking "All Apps". This image is used with permission from Microsoft.
Besides the Office apps, Outlook, OneDrive, and perhaps SharePoint, how well do you know the other apps included in your license?
Applications
Collaboration Tools
There are numerous tools that facilitate collaboration. Those that are quick to implement include:
- SharePoint - Organize documents (moving away from a network share drive) and information around a structure that makes sense for your organization – business units, departments, clients, etc. Multiple SharePoint sites can be setup to ensure that documents and information is easy to find.
- OneDrive - Create storage for each of your employees on the network. OneDrive facilitates storage of individual work files in cloud file storage. It makes it easy to access files from any device and share with others as needed.
- Teams - Collaborate with public and private teams. It includes instant messaging, file sharing, video and audio calls, and supports additional add-ins to help with whiteboarding, task boards, and many other activities.
- Planner - Develop task boards that can be configured for projects, creating assignments, due dates, and notifications to standardize processes and keep projects on track.
Other tools include:
- Yammer - An internal social networking site to help build and maintain community within your organization.
- Stream - Video hosting with the ability to capture desktop video. It makes it easy to find all your internal videos in a central location.
- Sway - Create and share interactive reports, personal stories, presentations, and more. The layout is engaging and the results are sure to impress.
Access to Data
- Forms - Produce surveys, quizzes, and any other information gathering needs.
- Power BI - Build dynamic reports and dashboards to gain insights into financial, operational, or other performance data.
- Power Apps - Develop apps that give your staff access to information and workflows on their mobile devices.
Automation
Power Automate is adding more opportunities to move mundane repetitive tasks to automation. Such tasks include, but are not limited to, copying data from one system to another, pulling common information from emails to file and archive, extracting data from one system and generating reports. Using automation tool frees up staff time to focus on more important customer needs.
Security
Security features include multi-factor authentication, threat protection (protection from phishing and other cyber security threats), mobile device management (the ability to protect company data on mobile devices), and single-sign on (the ability to use your Microsoft 365 credentials to log in to other applications providing a more user-friendly experience).
There is a clear definition of roles and permissions to ensure access is limited to only those who are authorized.
Having a Microsoft 365 license opens up tools that may have huge benefits for your organization and capabilities you may not realize you have. However, using and deploying these tools can be daunting, which makes prioritization necessary. Thus, understanding the needs of the business, employees, and customers is critical. Deployment requires planning and experience to build the structure, processes, and guidelines for ongoing management.
As experienced solution architects, information architects, and project managers, we can help you identify and prioritize the tools that will have the biggest impact on your organization.
*MarksNelson is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.
