Microsoft’s Office 365 gives organisations the technological infrastructure required to achieve greater performance and productivity, without driving IT costs through the roof.
The cloud productivity suite includes Office applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, access to collaboration tools like Lync and SharePoint, and more.
“If we’ve learned anything from our ancestors, it’s that we need the right tools to accomplish greatness. Office 365 helps organisations achieve more, because it gives people the power to connect and collaborate, regardless of location, at an affordable cost,” says Gordon Tan, Managing Director of R & G Technologies.
Potential benefits include an empowered remote workforce, seamless collaboration, and peace of mind, knowing your IT systems are protected by enterprise-level security protocols.
1. Better access
Many businesses struggle to support field workers when they’re on-site, wasting precious resources on manual processes. When you implement Office 365, staff can work remotely, saving you time and increasing productivity.
Office 365 gives your staff the capability to access corporate resources from anywhere with an Internet connection. Remote workers don’t need to return to the office to access or update new information. Instead, colleagues immediately receive and communicate updates in real time, making your mobile workforce more efficient.
The Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) implemented Office 365 to ensure remote workers could work anywhere, off any device, leading to the number of staff connecting remotely from 100 to 700 workers.
“I can start my email at home in the morning, continue on my mobile device on the train, and finish it up in the office. I can work on the same content independent of device and location,” says Klaus Schelp, IT Manager of SBS.
Office 365 helps your workforce achieve more. Remote access gives staff improved work-life balance since they’re able to work from home, promoting a more positive outlook, and ultimately generating a higher level of enthusiasm and commitment to their work.
2. Increased collaboration
Siloed organisations miss many potential opportunities for innovation and creativity. Office 365 delivers tools designed to break down the barriers between departments and offices, encouraging your staff to work holistically towards shared goals.
Collaboration is the latest fad in the business world, yet 96% of business executives cite a “lack of collaboration” for workplace failures. This is mostly due to the inefficient execution of processes involved, such as miscommunication, lengthy meetings, or not enough discussion.
SharePoint Online helps team members avoid miscommunications, because it centralises communications, including discussions, resources and documents, which staff can access anywhere, at any time. Version conflicts are avoided because colleagues are working together in real time, using the ‘check-in’ system to prevent duplication of effort.
Lync Online allows users to meet and discuss over the Internet. Features such as instant messaging, presence, and desktop sharing enable swift, meaningful and regular discussion, without wasting valuable resources during travel.
Rookie Recruits found live conversations and online meetings streamlined collaboration within their organisation.
“We are much more involved in regular and immediate conversations. A recruiter at home in Melbourne can share ideas with a coach at a conference in Queensland and then instantly use that to help a candidate,” says Andy Springer, founder of Rookie Recruits.
Office 365 has the capacity to transform the way your organisation operates, reducing the negative perception of collaboration, and cultivating a workforce, which works together.
3. Increased security
The cost of securing your company’s data can eat up a great deal of operational and financial resources. Office 365 takes away this burden, providing enterprise-level security, and shifting the focus from IT security to more productive avenues of the business.
When you embrace Office 365, you hand the security reigns over to Microsoft. Instead of hiring your own technical engineers, you get a whole team of specialists with a wealth of experience and expertise. You inherit Microsoft’s proactive approach to regulatory compliance, where the company continuously tracks standards and regulations, staying up-to-date with evolving industry standards.
This is especially beneficial for small to medium businesses who can’t afford advanced security. For example, advertising company iLuka, which deployed Office 365 after recognising its clients were seeking greater security than offered by their on-premise IT.
“We are an SMBbut our clients are global giants, so to match their expectations we had to find ground where everybody [was] comfortable," says Mr Chapman.
Microsoft has a longstanding reputation for maintaining best practises for enterprise-level security. A subscription to Office 365 relieves you of IT headaches, and allows you to focus on doing what you do best.
Can you afford to ignore the benefits of Office 365?
Executives are always on the lookout for a technological solution, which will drive their organisation to achieve more. Deploying Office 365 enables a mobile, agile workforce, seamless collaboration, and gives your organisation enterprise-level security. Empower your company with the right tools, and your workforce will accomplish more with less.