Getting the most out of Office 365 for business

Getting the most out of Office 365 for business.

TSG believes Microsoft Office 365 to be one of the most ground-breaking IT solutions to hit the industry and has seen both TSG customers and our own business flourish because of it.

Do you want to know more about this exciting and innovative solution, its functionalities and how your business can reap the benefits of Office 365?

Supercharging your Office 365 investment 

TSG customer Broadland Housing Association recently adopted Microsoft Office 365 and was keen to get the most out of its investment. Broadland Housing Association also aimed to produce a more engaging digital workspace for its team which was easy to create and maintain.

Alongside this, Broadland Housing Association wanted to provide an easy way of training staff on the various tools that are part of Office 365.

TSG experts advised on two solutions which were taken on board by Broadland:

1. LiveTiles SharePoint – an all-in-one solution for content, collaboration and integrations, giving teams a winning user experience with no code or fuss.

2. 365 Cloud Academy – a self-service video-based training tool for Office 365 with management via a dashboard.

Want to know more? Why not read our Broadland Housing Association case study.

Office 365 takes on digital transformation

TSG’s recent Microsoft Office 365 project with Broadland Housing Association is just one example of how the Microsoft Office 365 product stack can be used within a business.

With over 20 applications covering data capture, business management tools, communication and much more, Microsoft Office 365 provides you with the solutions needed to build a robust foundation for an effortless and agile business transformation journey.

Find out how TSG can help you with your business transform journey here: Office 365 Journey

The elements of Office 365 that you can use within your business.

Office 365 is an advanced adapted online version of the original Microsoft Office software suite and is built up from the specialised applications listed below, use individually or collectively to create an IT environment not to be reckoned with that can improve collaboration, deliver ROI, provide flexibility, keep business-critical data secure and much more.

• The original and infamous Microsoft Office Suite – Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneNote, Outlook, Word, Skype for Business, Access
• Delve – document discovery
• Sway – creative presentation, newsletter and reporting platform
• Video – video library – YouTube for business
• Power BI – business intelligence (what used to be reporting!)
• Planner – project management
• Yammer – social networking for colleagues to share ideas
• OneDrive – business cloud storage for sharing documents securely
• Exchange Online – calendar, email and tasks
• Sharepoint Online – collaborative web portal

Be in the know with Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is an online communication platform with the ability to stay connected with colleagues via chat, calls and online meetings in small groups, larger teams or in private conversations.

Microsoft Teams is the go-to application if you want to keep everyone in the business in the know. Its scheduling capabilities make it easy to join an online HD-video Skype meeting, dial in audio, or VoIP conference call.

There is even an option to make international telephone calls, with features including delegation, voicemail, emergency calling (999) and transfer. Not only does this application provide you with an innovative method of communication be it written or verbal, it also comes with an in-app file, app and recording content sharing option, making it easy to pass useful information to your colleagues.

TSG Marketing Executive Kerry Liddell states “The Microsoft Teams application has fast become my go-to application for communication since starting my role with TSG. It is easy to navigate and makes communicating with the rest of the TSG Marketing team fast and effective. I particularly like the file sharing option in which I use on a regular basis to share videos and presentations”.

Delve

Microsoft Delve is an online cloud-based intelligent search and discovery tool that can be used to discover user relevant information across integrated Microsoft applications. Microsoft Delve pulls the necessary content from SharePoint, Yammer, OneDrive and Microsoft Exchange.

Microsoft Delve offers a high-spec search functionality providing users with information based on past activities and relationships. Microsoft Delve also has the intelligence to never present content to a user which they do not have permission to see. 

Not only is Delve a traditional search and discovery tool, it is also a highly useful collaboration tool providing users with the ability to find colleagues via user profiles.

Working in a similar way to Microsoft Sway Microsoft Delve allows users to embed video, documents and images and has the capability to share PowerPoint presentations.

Marketing Executive Katy Bernstein states “During the Beast from the East I was stranded at home with zero access to a laptop, making it an almost impossible task to work, that was until I downloaded all of the necessary Microsoft applications needed onto my mobile phone. I also downloaded Microsoft Delve which helped me to pull documents together and I even had the chance to set up my individual Delve profile”.

Read all about Katy’s remote working and how you too can get in the know on the go here: Working from iPhone: A day in the life of a stranded Marketer
Why not curate your own profile on the go using Delve for Android or iPhone too?

Skype for Business

Last but by no means least, Skype for Business is a valuable application which can be deployed either as a hybrid service, on the cloud or on-premise depending on your business wants and needs. Available to be run on Windows, Android phones and IOS devices Skype for business is the go-to communication solution that can be licenced as part of Office 365 or as a stand-alone product.

Now for the fun facts, what are the Skype for business features and how can they be used to benefit your business?

Skype for Business features include the following:

• Meetings, messages, conferencing sessions and sign-in log archiving
• Whiteboarding, screen, app and file sharing within communication meeting
• Presenter controls optimised for meeting format, audience size and content sources
• Automated and custom presence based on out of office status or Outlook calendar
• Mobile notifications
• Open standards, including H264 video
• Skype call queue which directs incoming calls to support agents.
• Auto attendant system able to answer and route Skype calls

Marketing Executive Vicki Sloan states “I’ve used Skype before, but I hadn’t realised what I was missing out on until I started working at TSG.I use Skype for Business more often than I use my telephone now. I love that I can see straight away if a colleague is free, busy or unavailable to get on Skype. The instant messaging is ideal if I have a quick question for someone and the call function is brilliant. When on calls, I can share my screen, invite other people to join the call and use video, making the call a virtual meeting. This is great for collaboration and catching up with non-office-based colleagues”.

Microsoft is in the process of migrating full Skype for business functionality into Teams – read more on our blog.

Moving forward with Microsoft Office 365

TSG can help you on your journey to full utilisation of Office 365 and ultimately on your business digital transformation journey.

From Office 365 support to Microsoft Office 365 renewals, training and licensing, the team at TSG can support you with your Office 365 requirements.