Microsoft 365 is the productivity cloud that brings together best-in-class Office apps with powerful cloud services, device management, and advanced security. It infuses new artificial intelligence (AI), rich content and templates, and cloud-powered experiences to empower you to become a better writer, presenter, designer, and worker amongst other things. Microsoft 365 is packed full of productivity tools that can make you a more efficient and productive.
While each app that comes with Microsoft 365 has it's own value and place, there are also certain tools within some of the applications which are worth exploring! We're going to go through a bit of both so you get a well-rounded idea of what you can find in the Microsoft 365 suite, and how your business or workers can use them beneficially.
Don’t have Microsoft 365 yet? Check out the different options here.
There are a number of apps in Microsoft 365 business plans that make capturing, tracking, and acting on data and requests easier with built-in apps and tools designed to simplify and manage processes.
Easily collect customer or employee feedback and insights with Microsoft Forms. You can quickly gather data with easy-to-create surveys, polls, and questionnaires that can be distributed online and accessed from any web browser. You'll be able to track responses in real-time or export results into several Microsoft and third-party tools to share and act on findings.
Streamline intake and management of your teams' tasks with Microsoft Planner. Planner makes it easy for you to create, assign, and track tasks and work items to completion. A visual layout makes it easy to know who's working on what and quickly understand the status of items to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Take productivity to new heights by automating business processes across your entire organisation. Microsoft Power Automate allows you to turn streamline repetitive tasks and paperless processes, enabling you to focus your attention where it's needed most.
With Power Automate, you can boost productivity when you build time-saving workflows into everything from individual tasks, to large-scale systems with seamless integration using hundreds of pre-built connectors. With a no-code guided experience, anyone can do it! Automate time-consuming manual tasks with built-in AI capabilities, and you'll have more time to focus on strategic, high-value opportunities.
Microsoft 365 comes with Skype and Microsoft Teams. There's a new feature in Skype called Meet Now which makes creating video meetings super easy - it can be done in as little as three clicks, and no sign-ups or downloads are required making it quick and easy for meeting attendees who aren't on the same platform.
Microsoft Teams has been updated making it easier for you to connect, stay organized, and collaborate with family, friends, and co-workers. You can create groups and include selected people. You can connect in a group chat or video call, and collaborate over shared to-do lists and assign tasks to specific people. Co-ordinating schedules, and sharing photos and videos is also easily done in Microsoft Teams.
While the last few apps are focused on working within teams and business, MyAnalytics gets a bit more personal. With Microsoft MyAnalytics, you can explore your work patterns and learn ways to work smarter - improving your focus, wellbeing, network, and collaboration. These are some MyAnayltics elements that can provide useful insights into how you work.
Microsoft Editor – an AI tool which helps users write better sentences (in more than 20 languages) – has seen a major expansion with Microsoft 365. It is now accessible across Word and Outlook.com, and as a standalone browser extension for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
While anyone can access the basic Editor capability, such as spelling and basic grammar, Microsoft 365 subscribers will have access to advanced grammar and style refinements to write with more clarity and conciseness. Advanced features include Rewrite Suggestions, Plagiarism Checking, Style and Language Critiques, and more.
PowerPoint’s Presenter Coach is a great took that can help you improve your public speaking. While you’re rehearsing, Presenter Coach uses AI to detect if you’re talking too fast, saying “ummm” too much, or reading off your slides.
Microsoft 365 subscribers get exclusive access to additional AI-powered features such as monotone pitch and speech refinement. With monotone pitch, Presenter Coach will listen to your tone of voice and give feedback in real-time to suggest adding some variation where needed. With speech refinement, Presenter Coach will give grammar suggestions including how to better phrase your speech.
These are just some of the awesome tools you'll have access to with a Microsoft 365 subscription. Head over here to learn what else is included!
