Underused Microsoft 365 Tools for Businesses

Microsoft 365 is a staple of modern workplaces, offering reliable tools like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. These applications have fundamentally transformed how businesses operate. But despite the widespread adoption of Microsoft 365, many users---particularly small business owners and IT professionals---aren't leveraging its full potential.

The suite contains a host of underutilized tools that can enhance productivity, improve workflow, and even reduce costs, but they're often overshadowed by their more famous siblings. Are you missing out on features that could transform your business operations?

This article explores Microsoft 365's hidden gems and how to use them effectively.

Tools That Deserve More Attention

1. Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner is a powerful task management tool that integrates seamlessly with Teams and Outlook. Think of it as a simplified project management software designed for collaboration.

What it offers:

• Visual task boards (similar to Trello's Kanban boards)
• Task assignments with deadlines and progress tracking
• Integration with Teams and SharePoint to share updates effortlessly

Who it helps:

For small business owners handling multiple projects or IT professionals managing tasks across teams, Planner keeps everyone on the same page. For example, you can use Planner to assign tasks during a team meeting in Microsoft Teams and track them all in one place.

Pro Tip: Boost productivity by using labels in Planner to categorize tasks by priority.

2. Microsoft Forms

Need to collect feedback, run surveys, or conduct employee training? Microsoft Forms makes it simple. This intuitive tool allows you to generate custom forms or quizzes with automatic reporting features.

What it offers:

• Easy-to-create surveys, quizzes, or polls
• Real-time analytics to view responses as they come in
• Integration with Excel for deeper data analysis

Who it helps:

Small business owners can use it to gather customer feedback or employee input. IT professionals can streamline processes like asking users to report issues or preferences through a quick form instead of lengthy email chains.

Pro Tip: Use branching logic in Forms to personalize surveys, making it interactive based on user responses.

3. Microsoft Power Automate

Automate repetitive tasks and optimize workflows with Microsoft Power Automate. This tool is all about saving time and letting you focus on critical work.

What it offers:

• Automations triggered by events, such as receiving an email or updating a database
• Integration with hundreds of apps, including Microsoft 365 and third-party apps like Salesforce and Mailchimp
• Predefined templates for easy setup

Who it helps:

IT professionals benefit hugely from Power Automate's ability to simplify complex processes. For instance, automating password reset requests or server performance logging tasks. Small business owners can use it to automate customer follow-ups or document management processes.

Real-world Example: Want to save email attachments automatically to OneDrive? Power Automate can do that without you lifting a finger.

4. Microsoft Delve

Data scattered across different apps? Delve helps you find it quickly. It acts as a smart file search engine within your organization.

What it offers:

• AI-driven file discovery from shared locations, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams
• Personalized dashboard that prioritizes content relevant to you
• Collaboration insights, showing who's working on shared documents

Who it helps:

For IT professionals, Delve supports smoother collaboration by ensuring you're never hunting down shared files. Small business owners can use Delve to track document updates made by their team, keeping workflows organized.

5. SharePoint

SharePoint offers more than internal file storage---it transforms organizational file and content management. It enables seamless collaboration and advanced document indexing, allowing you to centralize critical business data in one location.

What it offers:

• Shared workspaces for teams to collaborate on files in real time
• Advanced file permissions and security features
• Workflow automation to standardize repetitive processes like approval requests

Who it helps:

IT professionals can create assets to act as company intranets or knowledge-sharing hubs. Meanwhile, small business owners can set up shared workspaces for projects without investing in expensive third-party tools.

Pro Tip: Explore SharePoint's version history feature. If someone makes a mistake while editing, you can easily revert to a previous version of a file.

6. Microsoft MyAnalytics

Who wouldn't love actionable insights into their own work habits? MyAnalytics provides personal productivity data, giving insights on how you're spending your time.

What it offers:

• Analytics on time spent in meetings, emails, and focused work
• Notifications about work-life balance trends (e.g., "You worked outside traditional hours.")
• Suggested goals to enhance productivity and well-being

Who it helps:

Small business owners juggling multiple hats can pinpoint where their time goes and make adjustments to focus on critical areas. IT professionals can ensure their workdays align with project goals instead of unnecessary meetings.

Pro Tip: Combine MyAnalytics data with Power Automate to set automated reminders for focus times or breaks.

Benefits of Leveraging These Tools

Maximizing the potential of Microsoft 365 means unlocking a host of advantages for your business, including:

• Enhanced Productivity: Seamless integrations and task automation mean less time wasted on routine tasks and more focus on strategic priorities.
• Improved Collaboration: Tools like Planner, SharePoint, and Delve ensure that your team works more effectively together, whether remote or in-house.
• Cost Savings: Instead of subscribing to multiple standalone services, accessing everything in Microsoft 365 provides better value for money.

Remember, your Microsoft 365 subscription already includes these tools. Leveraging them requires minimal added investment but offers significant returns.

What's Next?

Adopting these lesser-known Microsoft 365 tools can help you reimagine workflows, boost operational efficiency, and improve business agility. But the key lies in taking the first step. Here's how to start making the most of these tools today:

1. Assess Your Current Usage: Identify which tools you're already using and look for opportunities to incorporate new ones like Power Automate or MyAnalytics.
2. Provide Training for Teams: Ensure your teams are equipped to use these tools effectively. Microsoft offers free tutorials, or you could consult professional IT services for training.
3. Experiment and Scale: Test one tool at a time based on your immediate business needs---whether it's improving communications, automating workflows, or centralizing content.

Microsoft 365 is more than just Word and Excel. It's an ecosystem packed with hidden tools that can transform your business operations. Don't leave value on the table -- contact us to help you start exploring these tools today!