Office 365 Collaboration Tools: Are They Right for Your Organization?

Microsoft 365 Collaboration Tools: Are They Right for Your Organization?

With the power of the cloud, companies now have the tools at their disposal to do things that were once impossible. One prime example is that cloud-based tools have made working remotely much simpler, giving companies the ability to hire skilled experts from around the world without the need for costly infrastructure. This has caused hiring remote employees to grow increasingly popular in recent years, with over 22 million Americans working remotely. Now companies can find their perfect employee in another state (or country) and give them access to the resources they need without deploying VPNs and other secure tunneling technologies.

Much of this is possible due to the wide range of collaboration tools available in Microsoft 365. Microsoft’s robust collaboration tools allow employees to collaborate on projects and even partner with other businesses without needing to meet in person. Yet, if you don’t currently use Microsoft 365, how will you know if Microsoft 365’s collaboration tools are right for your organization? Keep reading to learn more about some of the best collaboration tools Microsoft 365 provides remote workers and how they could benefit your organization.

Become More Competitive With Microsoft 365 Collaboration Tools

You’re likely already aware that remote work has exploded in popularity over the past couple of years, but if you’ve yet to embrace a remote workforce, you may be wondering why this is the case. The fact is that hiring remote workers drastically increases your company’s potential employee pool. Instead of being limited to workers within a 50-mile radius, hiring remotely puts highly skilled, qualified candidates from around the world within reach, which can give you an edge over the competition. However, working across time zones isn’t easy and can create its own problems if you do not have the right tools at your disposal. Fortunately, Microsoft offers a variety of tools that make the process of collaborating remotely a breeze.

Even with the most basic Microsoft 365 subscriptions, Microsoft gives users access to an online suite of applications known as Office for the Web. Office for the Web gives users access to an online version of Microsoft’s traditional suite of Office products and functions in pretty much the same way. However, the online versions provided by Microsoft 365 give users access to more features than those provided by its basic desktop applications, including a wide range of collaboration features that help facilitate collaboration across teams no matter where your employees are located. Of course, Office for the Web is just one example of the many collaboration features that Microsoft offers. Keep reading as we explore some of the best Microsoft collaboration tools.

6 Microsoft 365 Collaboration Tools You Need to Enhance Productivity

Microsoft 365 is the most popular suite of business productivity tools for a reason, as it provides numerous features that make employees’ lives easier by enhancing productivity and facilitating collaboration. Of course, with Microsoft 365 offering a seemingly endless variety of collaboration tools, it would be impossible to go over all of them here. Below is a look at just a few of the many fantastic Microsoft collaboration tools your business should take advantage of.

Microsoft Teams

One of the best collaboration features Microsoft offers is Teams. Offered as an add-on to many Microsoft 365 plans, Microsoft Teams is a chat-based solution similar to the popular online collaboration tool Slack. With Teams, your employees can easily text, call, share documents, and video conference all from a single integrated app. Teams is then essential for any company looking for a fluid way to collaborate and communicate when on tight deadlines.

Microsoft Viva Engage

Maintaining a strong company culture and building workplace relationships are integral to the success of any enterprise. However, with more people working from home, over half of employees surveyed admitted that their workplace relationships have weakened. Fortunately, Microsoft has just the tool to help build social connections and foster community engagement; Viva Engage. Formerly known as Microsoft Yammer, Microsoft Viva Engage acts as a social media platform that helps connect everyone at your organization through employee communities and conversations, helping create meaningful workplace relationships. With Microsoft Viva Engage, employees can engage in social communities created around interests, job types, and other topics, helping build relationships across teams while fostering a culture of communication and collaboration. Viva Engage can also be used to make announcements at scale without crowding employee inboxes as well as to host virtual townhalls.

Microsoft OneDrive

For teams that need to frequently share content and collaborate on documents, an essential tool to have is Microsoft OneDrive. OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage service that effortlessly integrates with most Microsoft 365 tools and provides many valuable collaboration features including real-time co-authoring, offline access, and syncing across devices. For remote teams collaborating across devices, OneDrive is a must-have tool.

Microsoft Planner

Is collaborating on multiple projects making it difficult to keep track of tasks, meetings, and due dates? If so, the Microsoft Planner is a much-needed tool that can help you keep track of everything that needs to get done. With Microsoft Planner, you can organize projects and tasks to give you a clear view of your weekly workload, helping you stay on track and get more done.

Microsoft SharePoint

Another essential collaboration tool every business needs is Microsoft SharePoint. SharePoint is a cloud-based storage and collaboration tool that helps organizations share and manage content and files with secure file sharing, document collaboration, and advanced search features. SharePoint is an enterprise-grade content management and collaboration platform that allows you to securely collaborate sync, and share content, helping to enhance teamwork and bring teams and resources together.

Effortlessly Integrate Microsoft 365 Into Your Daily Productivity Routine With Agile IT

As you can see, Microsoft 365 offers a robust range of collaboration tools that can help enhance efficiency and productivity within your company regardless of where your staff is located. By migrating to Microsoft 365, you’ll be making a major investment in the future success of your company by ensuring you stay competitive in an increasingly digital business landscape. The only thing left to do is implement Microsoft 365 and start incorporating these tools into your organization.

However, migrating to Microsoft 365 is no simple feat, and you may be unsure where to start or how to ensure a smooth transition. This is why it is so important that you consider working with a qualified Microsoft partner to assist you with getting Microsoft 365 up and running to ensure this process is as simple as possible.

If you’re interested in seeing how Microsoft 365’s collaboration tools help your business thrive, contact Agile IT to learn more. Our team of experts can guide your Microsoft 365 migration effortlessly while ensuring the defense and security of your company’s sensitive data.