Biggest Microsoft 365 Productivity Tools & Tricks You’re Probably Not Using

It’s not uncommon for companies to be paying for SaaS tools that they’re not using or not using fully. Microsoft 365 is a good example of this.

Many Sturgeon Bay businesses just stick with “what we know” when it comes to platforms like Microsoft 365. They’ll use Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and maybe OneDrive and Teams, but all those other apps available will be a mystery to them, so they leave them alone.

Likewise, workflows can also get stuck in a rut, and when Microsoft 365 gets a major feature update, that new feature will just get passed by because users aren’t sure what to make of it.

Are you getting full use out of Microsoft 365? If not, then you may find that these tips and tools below can save you time and money by helping you expand use of your subscription.

Save Time & Money With These Microsoft 365 Tips & Tools

Organize Everything with OneNote

Organizing emails, images, meeting notes, weblinks, and more can be difficult. Many users end up with links saved in their browser, written notes on sticky pads, and tons of stored emails they have to sift through to find what they need.

You can simplify and organize all your project or team related notes using OneNote, which comes with Microsoft 365. The application holds all types of data, including links, videos, text notes, and even audio recordings that you can take from within the app.

You can organize your information in notebooks and each notebook can have multiple pages. You can also share these notebooks with others, so all are collaborating online. Emails can be easily forwarded to a specific notebook as well to help declutter your inbox.

Get Instant Job Description Ideas in Word

Word has a little-known tool inside called Resume Assistant. This was designed to help those creating or updating resumes, but it can also be used by HR teams or business owners to create job descriptions or when doing job listings online.

You can access Resume Assistant in Word on the Review tab. It’s on the far right. The feature connects you to LinkedIn right inside Word. From there, you can enter a Job Title and Industry, if desired. The panel will instantly load profiles that match your inputs, giving you ideas for related duties to add into your own business job descriptions.

Make Better Surveys with Forms

Microsoft Forms is a tool that many Microsoft 365 users don’t even realize they have. It gives you a way to create forms, surveys, and quizzes in minutes using pre-build templates. It has a very easy-to-use interface and can save you tons of time creating surveys and collating survey replies.

You can send out your survey link online, users can fill out the form from anywhere and on any device. Answers come in automatically for you into the Forms interface, and you can click to export them to Excel to chart your insights.

Reduce Research Time Using Excel’s Data Types

Excel has been undergoing some exciting feature upgrades using advanced business intelligence and one of these is data types.

Data types allow you to save time by connecting the data you want to existing databases of information and filling in the results for you.

The two standard data types in Excel are for Stocks and Geography. You can also create your own data types, which is an exciting new recent update.

Here is an example of how data types work:

Say you are doing research for expansion and are studying different Wisconsin cities.

• Type in the city names in an Excel column
• Highlight the city names and click the Data tab
• Click the Geography data type
• You’ll now have a small icon at the top of the first highlighted field
• Click the dropdown and choose a demographic
• The information will automatically fill in for you in the next open column to the right

Teams for a Company Wiki

The use of Microsoft Teams for video conferencing understandably skyrocketed during the pandemic. But many businesses don’t realize that Teams is a full featured team collaboration and information sharing application, beyond just a video meeting app.

A helpful feature that allows you to build a knowledgebase for team onboarding and company procedures is the Wiki app inside Teams. With Teams open, click the three dots at the bottom and then click Wiki.

You’ll see a Wiki option added to the Teams interface and you can begin building out pages and Wiki sections that can be shared either inside a specific team or companywide.

Supercharge Your Workflows for 2021!

Quantum PC Services can help your Sturgeon Bay area business supercharge your workflows by exploring all the untapped features you may have in Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or another application.

Contact us today to learn more! Call 920-256-1214 or reach us online.