6 Ways to Improve Productivity & Engagement with Microsoft 365

As we exit the pandemic, it seems as though flexible working might be here to stay. In the wake of 2020’s lockdown, businesses across the world were forced to adapt their working style to fit the work from home (WFH) model. With staff members no longer all together in the office, prioritising productivity and engagement had never been more important.

Across the digital workplace offerings available online, Microsoft 365 proves one of the most popular.

Previously known as Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 uses the cloud to bring together a collection of Microsoft Office Applications, with the addition of business class email, shared calendars, instant messaging, video conferencing and fire sharing. Microsoft 365 offers businesses an ideal all in one package that’s perfect for use in the age of remote and flexible working.

This blog from CAB IT Services outlines some of the ways in which Microsoft 365 can help improve productivity and engagement for you and your team.

Accessible Anytime, Anywhere

With Microsoft/Office 365, team members are able to access their work from any location at any time. Using the Microsoft 365 package, users are able stay productive by bringing the office with them – viewing their files, emails and other features on up to 5 devices (including PC/Mac and any IOS, android or windows device), wherever they are. With this more flexible technology, work needn’t be restricted to your office desk, giving workers more freedom to attend to family commitments, operate out of hours and work in environments that suit them better.

Whether you’re grabbing your morning coffee, at school drop off or on your living room sofa, you can stay online and be productive, just as you would at your office desk.

Collaboration Made Easy

Many features of Microsoft 365 make workforce collaboration easy. In particular, Microsoft SharePoint allows for simple sharing and seamless collaboration.

Numerous team members working on one project? No problem! Not only does SharePoint give workers access to all the files they need in one place, but it also gives them the ability to co-author files and view documents all at the same time, saving the hassle of emailing copies back and forth.

Further still, SharePoint can be accessed during video conferences via the share screen function – allowing teams to present their work with ease.

In addition, shared calendars allow team members to keep tabs on their colleagues’ availability, opening up opportunities for quick meetings and task updates without pre-scheduled events. Workers can also use shared lists to manage workload and keep updated on progress from their team.

More Storage Than You’ll Ever Need

Microsoft 365 offers storage upon storage upon storage. Lack of storage or full inboxes become a thing of the past as workers gain access to 50GB mailbox storage and 1TB of personal storage with Microsoft 365.

Also, when using OneDrive, all of your files are accessible 24/7. The secure, encrypted storage options available with Microsoft 365 avoid staff members having to use external drives to store company data. Keeping company data all in one place both reduces the risk of files being lost and limits the likelihood of data leaks.

Overall, fewer storage struggles give your team one less technical issue to worry about, granting them more time to focus on what they do best…getting the job done.

Keep Constantly Updated

With Microsoft 365, team members can rest assured that they are working on the most updated version of a project. Nothing sets back productivity quite like realising you’ve just edited a document that is days old and without your team’s most recent updates.

Microsoft 365 updates files as soon as they are available, allowing for maximum efficiency by limiting the time spent by your team waiting for a file to be ready.

Breaks Down Communication Barriers

In the wake of government calls to work from home, one of the biggest workplace concerns was the impact this would have on team collaboration and engagement. Luckily, Microsoft 365 features a variety of options that allows workers to keep in contact.

Users have access to instantaneous messaging via chat functions – ideal for quick queries and updates. Emails offer team members the opportunity to share more in-depth written ideas or communicate with contacts outside of the business. Further still, video and audio conference options allow teams to progress with meetings just as they would in an office setting.

This vast range of options enables users to stay in touch whatever their need. Many researchers even argue that team members raise more questions through online portals than in person – making for a higher quality final outcome.

Simplifies the Working Day

Since the WFH era began, the popularity and full use of Microsoft 365 has soared – with good reason too. The way in which Microsoft 365 facilitates home working has made dramatic impacts on the prototypical working day, easing the need for long commutes, organising childcare and paying for all of the outgoings associated with in-office working. For many workers, Microsoft 365 allows professionals to work in a way that suits them, which in turn leads to greater job satisfaction and improved performance.

Managed IT Solutions with CAB IT Services

At CAB IT Services, we work to offer our customers support and access to the best IT services. We’re an industry-leading IT support company providing a comprehensive range of managed IT services to organisations across the UK.

Our expert team are available to lend their knowledge in helping businesses maximise how they utilise Microsoft 365. For more information about how to get the most from the platform for your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

See more: Importance of a Business Continuity Plan for Businesses in the UK