7 Factors That Make Microsoft 365 Easier to Use

7 Factors That Make Microsoft 365 Easier to Use

Microsoft 365 is the business platform of choice for many companies. It comes in handy as a valuable tool for everyday business operations. Microsoft 365 helps eliminate the hassle that comes with the traditional versions of Microsoft Office. With the platform, your business can save itself from paying a hefty price for:

• Server space
• Delayed response to your customers
• Inefficiency in document management
• Lack of collaboration
• Loss of records
• Loss of reputation

Your team members will be comfortable using Microsoft 365 and enjoy its excellent features that make work easier. For the maximum benefit of the software, you must understand all its features and how they can serve your business. Remember that Microsoft launches a new version of Microsoft Office annually, and each comes with new features.  Here are some features you should not miss out.

1. Real-Time Co-Authoring 

With Microsoft 365, you can effectively collaborate online in real-time. The platform allows you to see all the updates, edits, or revisions your team members make to shared documents. When you share a file to SharePoint or OneDrive cloud storage, you can let the team access it and comment on it or make edits. The integrated sidebar comes in handy to help you share documents directly from Word. Ensure you edit the accessibility settings to allow only the right people to access the document.

Moreover, the platform has a value-added version control for co-authoring. It helps you keep track of the changes made by each specific contributor, along with the exact time they made the update. This feature allows you to go back to the previous version of the document when the need arises.

2. The Smart-Lookup Feature

The feature allows you to quickly find facts through search engines. In other words, you can look at the context of a text that you select and evaluate the surrounding circumstances. The feature is available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. While you can use the browser to check up the results, the feature comes as a helpful adjustment that saves you time.

3. Microsoft Planner with Workflows 

Microsoft Planner is a significant project management feature that provides you with a simple way of managing your workflows. You can create project plans and assign individual tasks within the flow to the people responsible for them. The feature functions as a cascading flow, allowing a team member to indicate when they have completed the allocated tasks. The tool then automatically assigns the next person who needs to work on the task.

When you set due dates and create to-do lists and calendars, you make the tasks time-bound. Besides, the feature comes with dashboard designs to help you observe the efficiencies and time frames of the assigned tasks.

4. Document Management Feature 

Your company has piles upon piles of documents to handle every single day. Manually updating these documents can be such an uphill task, which Microsoft 365 comes in to take care of.  You can seamlessly maintain all your materials in their most recent version, using the Professional version of the software.

It allows you to add the latest date and time to your documents. While using the document on a different date, you can then indicate the current time and date on it, something that only takes you a few seconds to do. When you forget to update the time and date on a document, Word offers a feature that automatically makes the update for you.

Microsoft 365 also helps you with your most recent documents. Looking for a specific document through a load of multiple files can be tricky. If you want to send a document through email but don’t remember where you saved it, Microsoft 365 has a feature that saves you all the trouble. It lets you see all the documents you have worked on in the recent past. You don’t have to spend a lot of time searching through folders for the required document.

5. The “Tell Me” Feature

When you need to find something that you need to use on Microsoft 365, it can take you a lot of time to search for it manually. Save the time it takes to find it by using the “tell me” feature. All there is to do is type a word or phrase related to what you want to look for or the tasks you want to accomplish. The box will show you a list of suggestions where you can select the function you want. For any other help, you can also use the customary helper viewer.

6. Ease in Creating Graphs from Tables 

Sometimes you need to create a document with a graphical representation of the information captured. If you’re not very well-versed in creating graphs, the task can be overwhelming and frustrating. Microsoft 365 eliminates all this trouble for you.

It comes with a feature that allows you to convert data captured in tables into graphs. The process involves three simple steps:

1. Insert tab which is on the ribbon
2. Click on the “Object” tool available within the group labeled “Text” and open the “Dialog Box.”
3. Select the “Microsoft Graph Chart” when you open the “Object Types.” When you click on it, you will get the graphs you want. There is also an option that helps you to format the document.

7. Translation Options 

Do you have clients who would like to have their documents sent to them in a different language? Microsoft 365 allows you to do just that. It has a translation feature that translates documents into various languages. Whether you want to translate a word or the entire document, regardless of its length, you can successfully achieve that.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft 365 is the platform that every business needs to boost productivity and enhance employee and client engagement. As a business tool, it provides you with everything you need to plan for the future, present new ideas, and manage your business assets.

If your business is still on the learning curve on the features and benefits of Microsoft 365, you’re on your way to gaining a competitive advantage. At OneSource Technology, we are strong advocators for the Microsoft 365 platform. We help businesses in Wichita and Kansas City move to Microsoft Cloud services and make the most out of it. Reach out to us today, and let us work with you as your trusted Microsoft partner.