Unlocking Productivity: 5 Ways to Get More from Microsoft 365

Most businesses today rely on Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) for email, documents, and spreadsheets. But here’s the thing: many companies only use a fraction of what they’re actually paying for. Microsoft 365 is packed with features designed to improve collaboration, automate repetitive tasks, and strengthen security, yet most of these remain untouched.

If your business is only scratching the surface, you could be missing out on real productivity gains, cost savings, and better ways of working. Let me break down five powerful ways you can unlock more value from Microsoft 365 and transform it from just a set of apps into a true productivity platform.

1. Supercharge Collaboration with Microsoft Teams

Email is still important, but it isn’t always the fastest way to communicate. That’s where Microsoft Teams comes in. It brings chat, video calls, file sharing, and project collaboration into one hub, reducing the endless back-and-forth of email chains.

With Teams, you can:

• Create channels for departments or projects to keep communication focused.
• Hold video meetings with screen sharing and live notes.
• Co-edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files in real time without emailing attachments.
• Integrate apps like Planner or Trello directly into Teams for task management.

For hybrid and remote teams, Teams ensures everyone stays connected, informed, and working from the same page.

2. Streamline Workflows with Power Automate

How many hours are wasted on repetitive tasks — chasing approvals, updating spreadsheets, or moving files? With Power Automate (included in most Microsoft 365 plans), you can build simple workflows that handle those repetitive jobs for you.

Examples include:

• Automatically saving email attachments to OneDrive or SharePoint.
• Sending notifications when a document is updated.
• Creating approval workflows for expenses, leave requests, or purchase orders.
• Syncing data between different apps.

The best part? You don’t need to be a developer. Power Automate’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to set up automation, saving your team hours every week.

3. Turn Data into Decisions with Power BI

Every business generates data, sales figures, customer records, project updates; but it’s often scattered across spreadsheets and systems. With Power BI, part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, you can bring all that information together into clear, interactive dashboards.

Instead of spending hours building manual reports, Power BI lets you:

• Visualise sales or project performance in real time.
• Spot trends and patterns that aren’t obvious in raw spreadsheets.
• Share interactive dashboards with your team for better decision-making.
• Connect data from multiple sources, including Excel, CRM systems, and cloud apps.

For managers and business owners, Power BI turns data into actionable insights, helping you make smarter decisions, faster.

4. Boost Productivity with OneDrive and SharePoint

How many versions of “FinalReport_v5_REALFINAL.docx” are floating around your network? Microsoft 365 solves this problem with OneDrive and SharePoint, which centralise file storage and collaboration.

Benefits include:

• Files are stored securely in the cloud, accessible from anywhere.
• Version history means you can roll back if a mistake is made.
• Permissions can be set so the right people have access to the right documents.
• Teams can work on the same file simultaneously, no more emailing copies.

With SharePoint, you can even build internal sites for departments or projects, making information easy to find and share.

5. Get Ahead with Microsoft Copilot

The newest addition to Microsoft 365 is Copilot, an AI-powered assistant integrated into apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. Copilot can help you:

• Draft and summarise emails.
• Generate reports or presentations from raw data.
• Analyse spreadsheets and highlight trends.
• Provide quick meeting summaries in Teams.

For busy professionals, Copilot saves time on repetitive admin and lets you focus on higher-value work. While AI won’t replace people, it can act as a powerful partner to reduce manual effort.

Final Thoughts

If your business is using Microsoft 365 only for email and documents, you’re missing out on huge opportunities for productivity, efficiency, and smarter ways of working. By tapping into tools like Teams, Power Automate, Power BI, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Copilot, you can transform the way your team collaborates and makes decisions every day.

At Technicalities, we help businesses unlock the full value of Microsoft 365. From staff training to tailored workflows and automation, we make sure you’re getting the best return on your investment.

👉 Ready to get more from Microsoft 365? Contact us today to see how we can help.