Say goodbye to clunky paper forms and expensive online form services, and hello to streamlined data collection with Microsoft Forms. This intuitive app lets you create professional surveys, quizzes, and polls in minutes.

Gather feedback from customers or employees, conduct internal training assessments, or even just vote for the destination of your next company day or Christmas party – all within the familiar Microsoft 365 interface. 

Analyse results quickly through built-in charts and reporting tools, gaining valuable insights to inform your business decisions.

Power Automate – save time by automating repetitive tasks

Are your teams bogged down by repetitive tasks? Once known as Microsoft Flow, Power Automate is your secret weapon for automation. This powerful tool connects various Microsoft 365 apps and services, allowing you to automate workflows for a smoother and more efficient operation.

Imagine automatically creating a to-do list item in Planner when you receive an email from a VIP client or generating a report in Excel whenever a new sales lead is submitted in Dynamics 365.  

Power Automate empowers you to eliminate manual drudgery and free up your team to focus on higher-value activities.

PowerApps – Build customised apps for your needs

Do you have a specific business process that calls for a custom application? Consider PowerApps as a potential, cost-effective solution before considering expensive off-the-shelf solutions or custom-built apps.

This no-code app builder empowers even users with limited technical expertise to create custom applications tailored to your unique needs.

And you can now build your app using the power of AI. Choose the right controls for the app you’re building with suggested ideas, helping you to finish your app faster. 

From simple data collection tools to complex inventory management systems, PowerApps offers a user-friendly platform to streamline workflows and improve data accessibility across your business.

Stream – secure internal video sharing made easy

Stream provides a secure platform for businesses to share and manage internal videos. Streamline training and onboarding processes by creating video libraries accessible to your entire team. Facilitate remote collaboration by sharing video updates and presentations with colleagues across different locations.

Stream also boasts powerful security features, ensuring your sensitive content remains protected within your organisation.

Power BI – get actionable insights from your data

In today’s data-driven world, UK businesses are swimming in information. But what good is data if you can’t translate it into actionable insights? This is where Microsoft Power BI comes in, transforming raw data into clear, concise visuals that empower businesses to make informed decisions.

While the platform is commonly used by business analysts, it is also designed to be easily accessible for those without any specialised data knowledge. However, some UK businesses still don’t use Power BI to its full capability or don’t use it at all.

Power BI gives every Microsoft 365 customer the ability to unlock and utilise the power of data that’s easy to visualise, understand, and update with features like these:

• Effortless data visualisation
• Seamless connection with various data sources, including Excel spreadsheets, cloud databases, and CRM systems
• Real-time insights
• Self-service opportunities for users to generate their own reports and dashboards, reducing reliance on IT teams

So, if you’re not already fully using Power BI in your business, get in touch to see how this powerful Microsoft 365 tool can benefit your business with confident, streamlined, data-driven decision-making.

Teams (as a collaboration tool)

Microsoft Teams is more than just a tool for online meetings and messages. If you want to make full use of this powerful collaboration tool, consider how you can implement the following features (or contact us for guidance):

• Streamlined workflows: Teams can be your central hub for project management. Assign tasks, share documents, and track progress within channels, keeping everyone on the same page and projects moving forward efficiently
• Real-time file collaboration: Multiple team members can work on documents simultaneously within Teams, eliminating version control issues and ensuring everyone has access to the latest updates
• Built-in apps for added functionality: Teams integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 applications designed for collaboration, like Planner, Power BI, and SharePoint, allowing you to create custom dashboards, track project milestones, and gain valuable data insights – all from within the Teams interface
• Internal communication: Teams can be your platform for both formal and informal communication and knowledge sharing, fostering a more positive and collaborative work environment
• Seamless onboarding: Streamline your onboarding process for new hires using Teams to share training materials, facilitate communication with colleagues, and answer questions in real-time

Transform the way your UK business works. We can help you explore the possibilities of Microsoft Teams and experience the power of a truly collaborative work environment. Simply get in touch.

Sharepoint (the new and improved version)

For many UK businesses, SharePoint has long been a familiar name in document storage and collaboration. However, the latest iteration of SharePoint offers a significant leap forward, transforming it into a dynamic, user-friendly hub for intelligent content management and streamlined workflows, with features that include:

• Improved search functionality: Gone are the days of frustrating keyword searches. SharePoint’s intelligent search capabilities help your teams locate the information they need quickly and efficiently, even across different applications.
• Content security and compliance: SharePoint offers robust security features to ensure sensitive information remains protected. Your business can implement access controls and compliance measures to meet industry regulations.
• Personalised views: Your users can customise their SharePoint experience by creating personalised dashboards and views, ensuring they see the information most relevant to their daily tasks.
• Seamless integration: SharePoint integrates flawlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps like Teams and Power BI, creating a unified platform for accessing and working with data.
• Advanced analytics: Leverage Power BI integration to gain valuable insights from your SharePoint data. Easily identify trends, track performance metrics, and make data-driven decisions.

Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, SharePoint offers the flexibility to accommodate your data storage and collaboration requirements.

Conclusion

From creating custom applications to automating repetitive tasks, the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem has the potential to transform the way you work, unlocking a new level of productivity, collaboration, and efficiency.

Contact one of our technology consultants to learn more about our RAD 365 service, designed to help your business work and communicate more efficiently than ever before using Microsoft 365 tools while also reducing your subscription costs.

Our next article will feature all you need to know about the latest version of Microsoft Copilot and how it can help streamline your business operations. In the meantime, if you want how to get the most out of Copilot in your business, get in touch with one of our Microsoft experts.