Essential Office 365 Tips for Business Success

Many businesses use Microsoft 365 to manage their essential business activities, but are you using it to its full potential? Office 365 is a powerful suite of applications that can transform the way you work, helping you stay on task and communicate more effectively. 

As a Microsoft Solutions Provider, we’re sharing our favourite uses for Microsoft 365 with takeaways you can implement straight away.  

Streamline Communication with Microsoft Teams 

To boost your team’s productivity, Microsoft Teams is our go-to recommendation. Here’s how you can use it for better communication.  

Set up channels for different projects and teams 

Create dedicated channels for different teams and projects to keep conversations and files organised. Just click the “Add channel” option to get started. Organising things this way helps your team stay focused and find information quickly. 

Use @mentions to grab attention 

@mentions are an easy way to notify specific team members, channels, or the entire team about important messages. To use this feature, type @ followed by the person’s name, select it from the list, and send your message. The mentioned person will receive a notification, ensuring they don’t miss important information. 

For broader communication, use @team to notify all members of a team. This is particularly useful for making announcements or starting conversations that involve everyone. 

Schedule and record meetings 

Teams makes it easy to schedule and join meetings directly within the platform. You can start a team meeting for the whole channel or schedule one with specific team members. To schedule a meeting, open your Teams Calendar and select “New meeting”. You can even use the Scheduling Assistant to find a time that works for everyone. 

 Meetings can also be recorded and shared for future reference or training purposes. Recordings include searchable transcripts and closed captions to make them accessible for everybody. To start recording, go to “More options” > “Start recording” during the meeting. 

Better Productivity with OneDrive and SharePoint 

Enable file syncing across devices 

OneDrive allows you to sync files across your devices so you can remain productive from anywhere; you can store documents, photos, and other files online and access them from any device, any time. To get started, create a Microsoft Account and select the folders you want to sync. This way, you’ll have your important files at your fingertips, whether you’re using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. 

Use version history to track changes 

Made a mistake and need to revert to a previous version? Version history is your friend. When enabled, it creates a record of changes, including who made them and when. To view version history in SharePoint Online, select the file and click “Version History” in the Actions menu.  

Set up document libraries for easy organisation 

Document libraries in SharePoint help you organise files effectively. To create a library, go to your team site and select “New” > “Document Library”. When setting up your library, consider using folders, views, and columns to structure your information to make it easy for your team to find and work on files together. 

Enhance Email Management in Outlook 

Create rules to automate inbox organisation 

Make it easy to sort and respond to emails by setting up rules in Outlook. Rules automatically sort, flag, and respond to messages based on specific criteria. To create a rule, go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts, then click New Rule. Choose a template or start from scratch. You can move emails from certain senders to designated folders, flag messages for follow-up, or apply custom actions.  

Use focused inbox to prioritise important emails 

Focused Inbox separates your messages into two tabs: Focused and Other. This feature helps you concentrate on your most important emails while keeping less urgent ones accessible. The system learns from your interactions, improving its sorting over time. To move emails between tabs, use the “Move to Focused” or “Move to Other” options. 

Schedule emails to be sent later 

Outlook’s Schedule Send feature allows you schedule an email to send at a later time. While composing a message, click the dropdown next to Send and select Schedule Send. Choose a preset time or set a custom delivery time and let Outlook handle the rest. This feature helps reduce disruptions outside working hours and allows you to work on your schedule without disturbing others outside of work hours. 

Working With A Microsoft Solutions Provider 

Businesses who are effectively using the features of Office 365 see vast improvements in their productivity, collaboration and communication. By putting these tips into action, you can create a more collaborative and productive work environment too.  

Need help? As a Microsoft Solutions Provider, we can help you set up your Office 365 applications in the best way for your business. Get in touch to talk to our team.