9 Office 365 Tips You Simply Can't Miss!
Time is always of the essence in business, the ability to accomplish more in less time is akin to harnessing time travel. Picture having a workforce unshackled from the chains of endless tasks, poised to embark on projects brimming with creativity and innovation. Yet, alas, reality often paints a different scene. Instead of basking in the glory of productivity, employees find themselves drowning in a sea of duties, leaving no room for anything beyond essential tasks and the basic grasp of tools like Microsoft Office 365...
Getting a solid grip on Office 365 and it’s endless possibilities will elevate your organisation to the forefront in your field of business. Office 365, is a powerhouse suite boasting the likes of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. This cloud-based marvel not only equips users with top-tier applications but also wraps them in a cocoon of device management, fortified security, and cloud-powered services.
Unlock success!
But hold onto your seats, because we’re just warming up! Your workforce may be familiar with these tools, but are they truly tapping into their full potential? Fear not, for we'll embark on a journey to unlock the secrets of Office 365 productivity, empowering your employees to become masters of Microsoft's arsenal within your workplace.
Are you ready to delve into the depths of efficiency? Brace yourselves as we unveil the top 9 Office 365 productivity tips, each one a beacon of light guiding your team towards unprecedented levels of proficiency and prowess. From harnessing the power of "Tell Me or Search" to summoning the magic of Version History, every tip is a golden nugget just waiting to be unearthed.
1. Tell Me or Search
The most time-consuming task is often finding the answer to a problem, or trying to find how to do a certain task within an application. That’s where the “Tell me or the Search” facility in Office 365 comes into it’s own.
Located at the very top of any Office 365 application, this powerful tool is unlike any help screen you've previously come across. This nifty tool allows you to enter words or phrases to quickly find what you're looking for, from text to commands that are instantly performed, to help, and a lot more besides.
Just use the shortcut “ALT+Q” and before you even type anything, this snazzy little tool recalls recently used commands and suggests other actions you may want to take based on what you appear to be doing. And for OneMSP’s business customers, you’ll also even see people you frequently collaborate with and files you've recently worked on! How cool is that?
2. Focussed Inbox
How does your workday start?
Anything like this: You open your Outlook email inbox, feel overwhelmed – and want to run and hide?
Welcome to the Focused Inbox feature which replaces Clutter. It’s the best way to fine-tune your inbox to keep actionable items front and centre, streamlining your email handling.
Outlook separates your emails into two folders: Focused and Other. The emails you deem most important are filed into your Focused box. Mails sent to the Other box are still accessible, but take a back seat to Focused emails. Move emails from one box to the other by right-clicking on a message and selecting either “Move to Focused” or “Move to Other.”
To utilise this handy tool, select View>Show Focussed Inbox, to return to seeing “All” messages, select Show Focussed Inbox again. But make sure you’re in your Inbox folder – because otherwise you’ll draw a blank!
3. The Genius OneNote
OneNote, is Microsoft's ultimate weapon for storing crucial info and unleashing your creativity. OneNote's dynamic notebooks, allows you to effortlessly jot down notes, store links, snap images, and wield a stylus like a pro for seamless writing experiences. Explore limitless pages and sections, custom-built for your every need and all within a single hub.
OneNote allows businesses to collaborate seamlessly with co-authoring among peers, to boost business productivity to new heights.
4. Search on Steroids!
If you ever need to quickly verify a word or phrase, check a fact, or search for context? Stay focused on your work by using the smart Search facility. Search allows you to instantly find the info you need.
Using it couldn’t have been made any easier by Microsoft, simply select the text or phrase, right click and select search!
This handy smart feature pulls related information from as many places as you can think of, including : files, media, websites, and help files. But if you know which area you need to focus on you can even filter the location to search within using the trusty drop down menu.
5. Recall Unsent Messages
How many times have you accidentally hit “Send” on an Outlook email only to realise there’s a mistake, or you’ve sent it to the wrong person, or you needed to add a document?
Well rest assured with Outlook you can retract it, provided it's unread. Note: Message recall requires Microsoft 365 or Exchange accounts in the same organisation. You can't recall emails sent via Outlook web or read messages.
To recall sent emails:
Open your Sent Items folder and select the message.
Double-click to open it.
Go to the Message tab, select Move > Recall This Message, then choose to delete unread copies. Alternatively, replace it with a corrected message.
6. Use SharePoint!
Transform the way your company operates! Say goodbye to the mundane printing process and embrace SharePoint! With its dynamic capabilities, SharePoint will revolutionise how your team collaborates.
If you have company documents, like employee handbooks, password policies or MDM policies, skip the printing processes and make them instantly readable on SharePoint.
Empower your employees to access vital information instantly, anytime, anywhere, while granting management the power to enact changes on the fly. It's not just a platform—it's a game-changer for seamless collaboration and unparalleled efficiency!
7. Utilise Keyboard Shortcuts!
Discover the hidden treasures of Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts beyond Word! With a plethora of shortcuts available across Windows, Microsoft simplifies your daily tasks.
While mastering every shortcut may seem daunting, start by reviewing Microsoft's shortcuts and noting down a handful to implement immediately. As you become adept at these, gradually incorporate more shortcuts to supercharge the execution of your most frequent commands.
Brace yourself for newfound efficiency and productivity!
8. Share you work!
“Sharing is caring” and “Two minds are better than one” are both sayings we’re all used to, but in the world of business, it can literally make the world of difference. Unlock the power of collaboration by sharing files directly from their source with your co-workers! Here's how:
1. From an open document, go to File > Share and select your preferred option to share.
2. In File Explorer windows, right click on the unopened file and select Share – then simply type the name, group or email address, add a note if you wish and hit Send! You can even specify who can edit the document!
Pro Tip: Save your files to OneDrive for immediate sharing among all team members. Files stored in OneDrive are automatically backed up and accessible from any device, anywhere.
9. Don’t recreate, restore!
Have you ever poured hours into a spreadsheet, presentation, or document, only to mistakenly close the document without saving, erase its contents, or saved over the original which you wanted to keep?
Fear not, for Microsoft Office 365 offers a lifeline. You can retrieve your last saved copy, along with up to 25 previous versions, sparing you valuable time and energy.
Simply access SharePoint or OneDrive, navigate to the file, open it and in the Search field at the top, type “version history”. A window opens to the right of your screen detailing all previous iterations. With this feature, restoring lost content has never been easier!
Endless Opportunities Await...
We're just getting going! Beyond these top tech tips lies a world of endless possibilities, where OneMSP stands as your trusted guide, ready to elevate your IT support to unprecedented heights. With extensive IT experience, OneMSP is more than just a service provider; it's a beacon of excellence in a world driven by innovation.
So what are you waiting for? Join us as we pave the way for your business to thrive with Microsoft Office 365. Book a discovery call with OneMSP today, and let your journey begin.
