The benefits of Microsoft 365 training for your business
Microsoft 365 overview
Microsoft 365, previously known as Microsoft Office 365, offers a suite of Cloud-based products that have changed how many businesses operate internally. Primarily, Microsoft 365 allows organisations to create a more collaborative environment, whether employees are working from home or remotely.
It is a subscription-based service that allows you to choose which ‘suites’ or programs are most beneficial for your team to be using.
Microsoft Office is used by 90% of companies worldwide.
Source: Coggno
Why does Microsoft 365 matter?
Communication is a key component of employee productivity for businesses today, as productivity forms the backbone of business success. Microsoft 365 offers organisations an effective method of communication and collaboration between employees to assist with productivity.
Why your business needs Microsoft 365 training
The sudden introduction of Microsoft 365 and its suite of programs can cause a significant dip in productivity across employees as they learn to navigate new systems and interfaces. In addition, employees may struggle to identify what functions each program within the Microsoft 365 suite is capable of, particularly in the short term. This means they may not use the programs to their full capability, and instead rely on outdated and more manual methods of performing those functions, which would impact productivity while also be a drain on internal resources.
That’s why Microsoft 365 training is so important for organisations to undertake, regardless of whether you moved to Microsoft 365 a week ago or a year ago – if you haven’t yet done any training, you should.
Australia has 81,933 companies using Microsoft 365 as of June 2021.
Source: Statista
The benefits of Microsoft 365 training
Reduce productivity dips during initial integration
As noted above, when adopting any new system/program/interface there will inevitably be a dip in productivity while users adjust to the new system and learn what it’s capable of doing. By completing training as soon as possible after implementation, you can reduce these dips as users will have an understanding of the different programs and how it relates to their work from the start.
Ensure outdated systems are no longer used
If an employee knows that an older way of doing something works, and aren’t sure that the new system can do it, then they will continue to use the old method. However, this can result in a number of issues, including:
- Inconsistent use of software across the company, particularly in relation to data storage, methodology and collaborative ability.
- Additional, unnecessary expenses – particularly if the old method requires a subscription for access.
- Reduced productivity – presumably your organisation has chosen the new system to make workflows more productive and/or less time-consuming.
- Improved internal security – older systems may not have the same encryption levels or require two-factor authentication, while Microsoft 365 does. This means that anyone using older systems to store or manage data could result in your data being compromised.
What you should look for in a Microsoft 365 training program
Once you’ve decided that Microsoft 365 training is beneficial for your business, it’s time to do some research and decide which training program is best for your business.
There are a number of different training programs available, some of which will go through everything, while others are more tailored to the functions and programs offered specifically through the Microsoft 365 suite. The latter is unlikely to focus on training programs related to Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc, and is more likely to focus primarily on those programs that are only available through the Cloud eg Microsoft Teams.
Here are a few of the programs we recommend any training program you undertake with your employees to include:
Teams
Microsoft Teams is a collaborative workspace that allows for video conferencing, group messaging, document sharing, and more. When used correctly, Teams can serve as a replacement to email for all internal activities, and external activities if the external party is also present on Teams. In addition, when within Teams users can collaboratively work in real-time on other programs contained within the 365 suite, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and more. This is what sets Teams apart as a true collaborative platform for organisations.
Over 500,000 organisations use Microsoft Teams as their default messaging platform.
Source: Business of Apps
OneDrive
OneDrive is the default online storage and syncing vault for Microsoft 365. Doing everything from file management to multi-device folder syncing and device setting backups, OneDrive is a valuable tool that has multiple functions. Training is essential to ensure your organisation is getting the most from this program.
SharePoint
There are a number of ‘SharePoint’ programs across the Microsoft suite, however the one used within Microsoft 365 allows the user to create sites for document and information sharing without having to deploy a SharePoint Server on-premises, which is costly to install and maintain.
Bookings
Bookings allows users to seamlessly schedule and manage bookings through a web-based calendar. It integrates with Outlook to ensure email requests for meeting times are synced to your calendar with ease, and optimises employee time management of appointments.
Forms
Microsoft Forms within the Microsoft 365 suite is a simple app that allows users to easily create polls, quizzes, feedback forms, and even plan structured day outlines. There are a number of ways this program can be invaluable for businesses, for example in the collection and analysis of customer feedback.
Planner
Office 365 Planner is similar to team organisation apps such as Asana or Monday.com – it is a centralised hub that allows users to create and delegate tasks, check updates on tasks through a dashboard, and also includes functions for file-sharing. It gives the team within the Planner account full visibility on items that other members of the team are working on.
Outlook
Outlook is considered an ‘anchor’ app within Microsoft 365’s productivity suite. Beginning as Microsoft’s email service, it has grown to also encompass Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. Optimisation of your email inbox can result in huge productivity increases for employees, so proper training within this program is recommended.
Word/Excel/Powerpoint
Any training for Microsoft 365 should touch on these core Microsoft programs, but they should not be the primary focus for this type of training. If your organisation would prefer your employees be highly proficient within these programs – particularly Excel – it’s recommended that you source a training program dedicated to just one program at a time. This will ensure users get the most information out of the program, and that it’s more structured to information/tasks your employees are likely to use it for.
The benefits of choosing Microsoft 365
Just a few of the many benefits of choosing Microsoft 365 include:
- Improve employee communication
Every program within Microsoft 365 allows for improved communication and collaboration between employees, from face to face contact via Microsoft Teams to collaboration while working on documents through Cloud-based Word. - Access real-time files anywhere, anytime
With the increase in remote working during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, organisations today require their files to be accessible via any device and location, while still maintaining data security. With two-factor authentication, Microsoft 365 can provide this. - Keep your Cloud storage secure
As noted above, protection of data and security for your organisation is paramount. Microsoft 365 offers two-factor authentication, threat detection and anti-malware software. - Ensure business continuity
With Microsoft 365 your data has short term protections to ensure business continuity. For more protection in the event of a data breach or catastrophic system failure, please refer to our Cloud Backup article.
However, in order for the full benefits of Microsoft 365 to be realised, your team needs to be fully trained and competent in the different programs available.
Microsoft Teams added 95 million users in 2020. It was one of the fastest growing apps of the pandemic.
Source: Business of Apps
Improve employee productivity with Microsoft 365 training
If your organisation has Microsoft 365 and you have not yet undertaken employee training on the above programs, Kloud IT highly recommends you do so as soon as possible. Employee training could improve your staff productivity, reduce expenditure on outdated systems still in use, and ensure your team are collaborating effectively and efficiently through the Microsoft 365 suite.
The Kloud IT training program was developed by our instructor, a Microsoft Certified Application Specialist and qualified learning and development specialist with over two decades of experience delivering end user Microsoft Office training. We can provide both a comprehensive training program or a custom, tailored training program that will only focus on the programs your team needs assistance with.
For more information on our training programs and how we can assist your organisation, contact us today.
