Microsoft 365 is an incredible productivity suite. You probably use Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Teams and a handful of other apps – but we bet there are loads you aren’t using. Not only does that mean you aren’t getting your money’s worth, but it probably means you’re paying for those same capabilities through third parties.
Hidden Gem no.1 – Microsoft Bookings
As a business using Microsoft 365, you already have access to a powerful scheduling tool that does the same as Calendly – Microsoft bookings.
Seamless Integration with Microsoft 365
Microsoft Bookings is designed to integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft tools you’re already using, such as Outlook, Teams, and Office – obviously! With Bookings, your scheduling process becomes a natural extension of your existing workflow, making it easier to manage appointments, reminders, and calendars.
Powerful Features for Free
Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it’s not as good! Bookings packs a punch with a comprehensive set of features. From customisable booking pages and automated reminders to staff scheduling and integration with Microsoft’s calendar and email solutions, Bookings has everything you need to streamline your scheduling process efficiently.
Hidden Gem no.2 – Microsoft Stream
Did you know you also have access to a powerful video-sharing platform that rivals the likes of Vimeo? Meet Microsoft Stream.
Powerful Features at Your Fingertips
Don’t let its unassuming name fool you – Microsoft Stream boasts a comprehensive set of features that rival its paid counterparts. From secure video hosting and intelligent search capabilities to automatic transcription and closed captioning, Stream empowers you to create, share, and manage videos with ease.
- Secure video hosting and sharing
- Intelligent search capabilities and automatic transcription
- Ability to embed videos in SharePoint sites and Teams channels
- Recording and sharing Microsoft Teams meetings
- Closed captioning and subtitle support
Hidden Gem no.3 – Microsoft Planner & Microsoft Lists
Subscription costs quickly add up for businesses who use Monday.com, Asana or Trello to manage their team’s task lists. That’s why Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Lists are the perfect replacement to help manage a team’s tasks and an individual’s to-do-list.
Collaborate and stay updated
Lists can be shared and collaborated on in real-time with multiple team members. Users can add rules to automate notifications when list values change, and with the ability to view boards in web browsers, mobile apps (iOS and Android), as well as directly within Microsoft Teams, users can stay updated and manage task lists and projects from anywhere!
Get Started Quicker
Lists provides multiple ways to view data like grids, calendars, and galleries. It also includes pre-built templates for common scenarios like issue tracking, asset management, and content scheduling. And Planner provides a simple and intuitive kanban board interface for organising tasks, assigning owners, setting due dates, and tracking progress.
Hidden Gem no.4 – Microsoft Forms
Why do you use SurveyMonkey? For its easy-to-use drag-and-drop form building functionality? For its branching and conditional logic capabilities? Or for its ability to share surveys via QR codes, embedded in websites, or on self-hosted links? Microsoft Forms does all of that as well.
Faster Analysis
Because Forms integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps like Excel (obviously!), you can easily export and analyse your survey data post-completion. And of course, this is super quick because the platforms are directly connected with no need for a transfer tool like Zapier.
Better Intelligence
Survey results are automatically collated and charted for easy visualisation, and even better, Forms gives you a bunch of extra insights like sentiment, modal data points, medians!
Hidden Gem no. 5 – Microsoft Loop
Direct Integration means More Efficiency
Loop offers better support for working with traditional Office files like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents – which can be added as links and stylised thumbnails within Loop pages. So rather than having a Notion board, uploading files to a shared space and then pasting in these links, you can have your Office files directly embedded into the board with explanatory interactive thumbnails and links.
Microsoft 365 is more than just a collection of familiar productivity apps. As we’ve explored, it’s a treasure trove of powerful tools that can replace many third-party services your business may be paying for separately. From scheduling and video sharing to task management, surveying, and collaborative workspaces, Microsoft 365 offers a comprehensive suite of solutions that seamlessly integrate with each other.
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