Your Microsoft 365 (M365) suite is a powerful set of tools designed to help you with your day-to-day tasks. But you may not be fully aware of some of the advanced features and hidden gems within M365 that can make your work life just a little easier. The best part is, you already have all of these tools if you’re using M365 for Business. Let’s take a closer look at four M365 tools you may not know you have, and how they can improve your productivity.
1. Microsoft Planner
Microsoft Planner is a versatile task management tool that integrates seamlessly with other M365 applications like Teams and Outlook. It allows you to create plans, assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress in a visually appealing and intuitive interface. Whether you’re managing a small project or coordinating a large team, Planner helps you stay organized and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Key Features:
- Task Assignment: Easily assign tasks to team members and set priorities.
- Progress Tracking: Monitor the status of tasks and projects with visual charts.
- Integration: Sync tasks with Outlook and Teams for seamless collaboration.
- How It Helps: Planner simplifies project management by providing a clear overview of tasks and deadlines, reducing the risk of missed deadlines and improving team coordination.
2. Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms is a powerful tool for creating surveys, quizzes, and polls. It’s perfect for gathering feedback, conducting employee assessments, or collecting data for research. Forms integrates with Excel, allowing you to analyze responses and generate reports effortlessly.
Key Features:
- Customizable Templates: Create forms with various question types and themes.
- Real-Time Responses: View responses as they come in and analyze data instantly.
- Integration: Export data to Excel for detailed analysis.
- How It Helps: Forms streamlines the process of collecting and analyzing data, making it easier to gather insights and make informed decisions.
3. Microsoft Stream
Microsoft Stream is a video service that allows you to upload, share, and manage videos securely within your organization. It’s ideal for training sessions, company announcements, and team meetings. Stream integrates with other M365 tools, making it easy to share videos in Teams or embed them in SharePoint.
Key Features:
- Video Upload: Easily upload and organize videos.
- Secure Sharing: Share videos with specific groups or the entire organization.
- Integration: Embed videos in Teams, SharePoint, and other M365 apps.
- How It Helps: Stream enhances communication and training by providing a centralized platform for video content. It ensures that important information is accessible to all employees.
4. Microsoft Bookings
Microsoft Bookings is an appointment scheduling tool that simplifies the process of booking and managing appointments. It’s perfect for businesses that offer services, such as consultations, meetings, or training sessions. Bookings integrates with Outlook, allowing clients to schedule appointments directly from your website.
Key Features:
- Online Booking: Clients can book appointments online at their convenience.
- Calendar Integration: Sync appointments with Outlook calendars.
- Customizable: Tailor booking pages to match your brand and services.
- How It Helps: Bookings streamlines the appointment scheduling process, reducing the administrative burden and improving customer satisfaction.
Microsoft 365 offers a wealth of tools designed to enhance productivity, collaboration, and efficiency. By leveraging lesser-known features like Microsoft Planner, Forms, Stream, and Bookings, you can unlock new ways to streamline operations and improve your work life. Whether you’re managing projects, collecting data, sharing videos, or scheduling appointments, these tools can make a significant impact on your organization’s success.
At BSC Solutions Group, we know how much of a difference improvements in productivity can make for any organization. If you’d like to know more about new productivity tools, like M365 Copilot, contact us today.
