Microsoft 365 is one of the most popular cloud-based productivity suites. It currently has over 250 million monthly active users. The platform saw massive spikes in adoption and usage since March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic. This uptick proved MS 365’s resourcefulness as a collaboration solution for remote and hybrid workplaces.
Despite it being a powerful collaborations and communications tool, most organizations do not fully utilize Microsoft 365. Here are some tips for getting the most from your Microsoft 365 package:
If it’s too expensive, you’re not using it right
Microsoft 365 subscriptions start from $5/user/month for the Business Basic package to $20/user/month for the Business Premium package. Each tiered subscription contains a particular set of services. You can choose any package within your price range and workplace requirements.
If you feel that you’re paying too much for your subscription, it’s probably because you’re underutilizing it and not realizing its full potential.
Understand exactly what you’re paying for and how well it suits your business to appreciate Microsoft 365’s value.
Use on mobile
Did you know that you could run Microsoft 365 apps on smartphones? Microsoft mobile apps let you take the workplace on the go. All you have to do is download the apps for either Android or iOS and sign in to your Microsoft account. Common mobile apps include:
- Word
- Excel
- OneNote
- Skype
- Outlook
- Teams
- Stream
- PowerPoint
- OneDrive
Automate your workflows
Automation is the hallmark of digitization. Microsoft Power Automate allows you to automate simple and complex tasks based on custom schedules and conditional triggers. Both admins and users can automate mundane workflows such as emailing, approvals, and reminders in just a few simple steps. More automation means faster workflows and reduced errors.
If you’re not automating your workflows, your staff is missing out on one of the biggest perks Microsoft 365 has to offer.
Gauge and boost productivity with MyAnalytics
The Microsoft MyAnalytics dashboard, formally Delve Analytics, helps employees and managers gain insights into how they spend their time while giving pointers to improve productivity, well-being, and work-life balance. MyAnalytics consolidates data from other Microsoft 365 services such as Outlook, Skype, OneDrive, and Teams to draw work patterns for every use case.
MyAnalytics uses AI and machine learning to analyze worker behavior. These analyses help employees and managers create productivity-focused work plans.
Expand Microsoft 365’s scope with third-party integrations
The Microsoft 365 platform supports many third-party services and apps, including Visio, Salesforce, Slack, DocuSign, Mailchimp, PayPal, and Evernote. Integrating third-party resources into the existing infrastructure greatly expands Microsoft 365’s capabilities. It also minimizes the number of standalone solutions that employees have to interact between. Plus, it’s safer and more convenient to maintain digital workflows under one roof.
Try the underrated apps
The most commonly used Microsoft 365 solutions are some of the more prominent apps such as the Office suite, Teams, and Outlook. However, some powerful apps and services rarely see any action. And since you already paid for everything, what not make the best use of every single app? Here’s a list of valuable applications you probably overlook:
- SharePoint: Lets you build intranet sites where users can share information, communicate, and collaborate.
- Exchange Server: An email server that runs on the Windows Server OS. It works with web-based mail clients to manage emails from multiple sources.
- OneDrive: This online data storage solution lets users store, secure, and share files.
- Yammer: An engagement platform where employees and managers can build communities and share knowledge, ideas, and resources.
- Power BI: A business intelligence solution for gathering unrelated datasets from multiple sources and turning them into coherent, interactive insights.
- Visio: Easily create basic diagrams, block diagrams, business matrices, Venn diagrams, cycle diagrams, pyramid diagrams, process diagrams, and basic flowcharts with four dozen templates and hundreds of shapes.
Underutilizing your Microsoft 365 subscription limits your digital potential on the platform. Team up with KME Systems to make the most of all the apps, features, and services included in your license plan. Contact us today to learn more about getting the pound-for-pound value for Microsoft 365.
microsoft-365-are-you-using-it-to-its-full-potential
