Where Office 365 is deployed, increased productivity is not far behind.
Microsoft’s productivity suite is a cloud-based version of enterprise-grade applications, including online versions of SharePoint, Lync, Exchange and more. Packages catering to small, medium and enterprise-size businesses contain different features and productivity solutions, but all deliver mobility, facilitate collaboration, and reduce IT headaches.
“Businesses large and small are looking to Cloud services not just to lower costs, but to enable new ways of supporting a distributed, mobile workforce to be productive and more effective,” Microsoft Australia Office 365 lead, Isabel Boniface said.
Office 365 increases productivity because it creates a flexible, mobile workforce, capable of working together and driving innovation. Also, the pay-per-user model and simplified IT management releases resources usually tied up in overheads, allowing the redirection of funds into growing the business.
Read on to learn more about how Office 365 boosts productivity.
1. Access from any location, off any device
Today’s world is a mobile one. Office 365 enables work from myriad devices, in various locations and under diverse circumstances, including during travel or illness.
Programs are hosted through the cloud, so they’re accessible from any laptop, tablet or phone with WiFi capability or phone network availability. Organisational data is accessed and updated in real time, reducing the need for manual data entry and providing swift, accurate information flows both internally and externally.
For example, V8 Supercars staff members no longer have to return to the office to download data. Instead, they’re able to access everything required for the planning and delivery of adrenaline-pumping events, media and entertainment to fans, while onsite.
“We have massive V8 mobile offices parked onsite so that the team working at any given event can communicate throughout the day wherever they’re located using their mobile devices and Surfaces,” said Damien White, General Manager of Motorsports at V8 Supercars.
Related: v8 Supercars Office 365 Case Study
Remote access to company data means fewer time-wasting actions and increased capability to get things done. Office 365 is a great option for businesses with employees who are constantly on the move.
2. Facilitates seamless collaboration
Pioneering new ways to encourage collaboration is unnecessary. Tried and tested communication and collaboration tools, SharePoint and Lync increase an organisation’s connectedness, and streamline the oft-disorganised process of collaboration.
SharePoint provides a secure online location where staff, partners and even customers can share files and documents, and manage projects efficiently. When combined with the capabilities of Lync, including instant messaging, video conferencing, desktop sharing and more, an organisation is able to communicate swiftly and collaborate seamlessly at a moment’s notice.
Before Healthcare Australia deployed Office 365, there was minimal information sharing, and the organisation operated in a siloed fashion. After implementing SharePoint and Lync, employees began collaborating via discussion groups, surveys and document management tools, instead of waiting for monthly meetings. In addition, Lync’s video conferencing reconnected Healthcare Australia to its parent office in the UK, and reduced travel expenses by 20 per cent in eight months.
"We have gone from a consumption-based intranet to a contribution-based intranet. People are now contributing their own documents, they are meta-tagging them and assisting the search engines" said Chief Information Officer of Healthcare Australia, Mark Botros.
Related: Healthcare Australia Office 365 Case Study
Microsoft’s tools make it easier to access, edit and share information. They make it possible to supersede geographical barriers and leverage the unique skills of different departments and individuals for highly productive outcomes.
3. Simplified IT management
Deploying Office 365 means handing maintenance, updates and security over to Microsoft, and paying them less for the privilege. The productivity increase stems from the resources, which can now be funnelled into growing the organisation’s future.
Services are managed by the business from the admin centre, while Microsoft conducts maintenance, updates and develops security quietly behind the scenes, scanning proactively for malicious threats and irregular events. Support is live 24 hours a day, with a 99% uptime guarantee.
As there’s no need to purchase infrastructure, hire technical personnel or outsource support, IT costs are significantly reduced. For example, Queensland’s IT Minister Ian Walker has said transitioning to Exchange Online will likely save $13.7 million in IT expenses for the State Government.
Thus, resources previously spent maintaining servers and staying on top of upgrades, can be redirected into business expansion. Microsoft’s Office 365 has the potential to simultaneously reduce workload for the IT department, and decrease the financial load on an organisation.
Complacency has no place in today’s increasingly competitive economy. Productivity suites like Office 365 were developed to level the playing field for all businesses, providing the tools to fashion a mobile workforce, capable of collaborating efficiently without inflated IT costs.
Compare Office 365 plans here.
Do you need help migrating to Office 365?
R & G Technologies is an IT Support and IT Consulting firm. We help organisations make better use of new technologies - like Office 365 - to boost productivity. Call us on 1300 562 886 or request a callback.