Combining the forces of Microsoft Office 365 SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business can give your company a powerful communication and information exchange system. You can easily share and store files, comply with security requirements, and give your enterprise the tools it needs for enhanced business processes. Migrating to Office 365 with SharePoint and OneDrive can yield several important benefits, including the following top five.

Teams is Microsoft’s answer to group chat, based off the preexisting 365 environment, and is designed to replace Skype for Business. With an Office 365 Business Premium, Business Essentials, OR Enterprise (E1, E3, or E5) subscription, your organization can enable Groups and Teams.

If you feel like you are dragging a reluctant team along into Office 365 you are not alone. Or maybe they aren’t reluctant, just indifferent. Even if your users aren’t saying it, here’s what they are thinking: 

“I’ve been using Excel for years and I’m just fine using it to get my work done…why should I care about Microsoft 365?”

“Can’t I just keep using Outlook the same way I’ve always used Outlook?”

First, it’s helpful to clarify for users the difference between stand-alone Microsoft Office vs. Microsoft Office 365.

Over the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to work with many companies that have moved to Office 365. The most common challenge they all face is user adoption related to Office 365 tools and features. Moving to Office 365 isn’t difficult. You can do it yourself or work with a partner like an MSP (Managed Service Provider) and leverage support from Microsoft as part of the FastTrack Program. Some end up using a mix. The hurdle is getting your staff to work differently and leverage the new tools available to them.

Office 365 provides a range of applications that will change how you work, communicate and collaborate. Many law firms will initially make the move to the Office 365 platform because it is the most recent version of Microsoft Office. At some point, users begin to realize there is a lot more to Office 365 then the standard applications they are use to using. Many new features in Office 365 can be and should be leveraged to increase productivity and efficiency.

While, this post does focus on using these features in a law firm setting, these new tools can be used by any business, organization, school or non-profit, to increase workflow optimization. The following are just a few of the important Office 365 applications and features that will benefit any size firm:

Microsoft Office 365 is a powerful, complex software solution. Achieving both personal and business success with Office 365 will take training – a lot of training, most likely. IT professionals may struggle with convincing stakeholders of the value that additional Office 365 training can provide for the business. If you want to successfully convince your employer Office 365 training is necessary and beneficial, follow these tips.

Businesses that have migrated to Office 365 are beginning to see and use an exciting new feature – Insights for MyAnalytics. MyAnalytics allows users to track the time employees spend on certain applications to enhance productivity and efficiency. Insights for MyAnalytics is a separate add-on that provides actionable insights for employees, which can help boost office productivity. Here’s what you need to know about this new update – and how it can help you grow your business.

Many businesses encounter challenges during Microsoft Office 365 adoption and migration, largely due to the complexity and power of the program. Office 365 is not just new software, it's a new way to work. Common obstacles include trouble converting via legacy solutions, low bandwidth, lack of support, poorly constructed pilots, and lack of a clear migration path. Here are some of the most common challenges to Office 365 migration and how to avoid them.

IT professionals and end-users often see technology from different perspectives. You’re likely to be more concerned with all the mechanics and logistics. Conversely, your clients and end-users are scratching their heads. This is a key consideration to include in your Office 365 migration planning. Including user adoption and training activities aids in bridging that chasm, and should be present throughout the migration process.

As Office 365 gains traction in the business community, it becomes even more necessary to shape a business methodology specifically for this program. The business plan should address potential challenges in adoption and training. Follow these tips to successfully craft your Office 365 business strategy.

I’d estimate that we use Microsoft Teams to handle around 90% of our internal communications and reserve email primarily for our formal communications with our clients and vendors. Recently I received an email with a couple of attachments from a vendor that I wanted to save to a Microsoft Team in order to share with my coworkers. Except the Team wasn't there...

Microsoft Teams on Office 365 is a collaborative workspace that facilitates a modern way of working. It is especially helpful for remote teams, although it offers great benefits to in-house employees as well. Microsoft Teams can help boost team productivity, increase collaboration across departments, and help your company complete tasks in a quick, efficient manner. When you connect third-party solutions to Microsoft Teams, you can drastically increase business efficiency, surpassing prior levels. Here are a few of the top advantages of Microsoft Office 365 Teams:

I often talk and write about the importance of user communication when businesses deploy Office 365, it’s an element that so many organizations forget to consider during their deployment. The communication cycle with users should start before the deployment and continue during and after deployment as well. 

I’ve provided suggested topics below for each stage of deployment. You can also consider multiple communication methods. We suggest adding some good, old-fashioned posters to the mix. Many users (who might ignore email) will often stop in the hallways to read this engaging eye-candy.

Microsoft Teams: The Future of Workplace Collaboration

I’m proud to say that I was an early adopter of Microsoft Teams. Now it seems every day I am engaging with people using the tool, both internal staff and external clients. Even as a guest on Teams I have been able to collaborate around projects that clients have created in their tenant. My clients are experiencing firsthand how Microsoft Teams can replace email and become the primary hub for where we work together. Teams has also become an effective tool at jump-starting client awareness into how workflows can be optimized so they are more efficient in all aspects of business. Microsoft Teams offers all businesses an incredible opportunity to increase teamwork through a collaborative, modern, streamlined application.

I recently had the opportunity to watch a broadcast from the Enterprise Connect Conference that took place in Orlando, Florida. Wow, I was excited about Microsoft Teams before, but now with some of the features showcased, I’m really pumped. The new Microsoft Teams capabilities will continue to drive teamwork and build on the vision of an intelligent workplace for ALL employees.

I thought a recap of highlights would be helpful, and if you’re interested in watching the recording, we’ve embedded a video at the bottom of this post. There’s nothing like seeing these highlights in action for yourself.