Tips to Maximise Your Microsoft 365 Experience

If you want to get more from your Microsoft 365 business subscription, this blog will guide you through essential settings to power up your productivity.

Microsoft 365 is a powerful suite of tools that can enhance productivity and collaboration, particularly for small to mid-size businesses (SMBs). To get the most out of Microsoft 365, it’s important to optimise its settings, otherwise you’ll only be using a fraction of the power available to you.

Optimise Email with Outlook Features

Set Up Focused Inbox

Focused inbox helps you manage your email more efficiently. It separates important emails out from the clutter. To enable it, go to the View tab in Outlook and select Show Focused Inbox. If you have the new Outlook, visit View > View Settings. This setting ensures you see the most important messages first.

Customise Email Signatures

A professional email signature can enhance your brand and create consistency within your company communications. To customise email signatures, open a new email message. On the Message menu, select Signature > Signatures. Under Select signature to edit, choose New, and in the New Signature dialog box, type a name for the signature.

Under Edit signature, you can begin composing your signature to change fonts, colours, sizes and alignment, then save.

If you want to add an image to your signature, open a new message and select Signature > Signatures. In the Select signature to edit box, choose the signature you want to add an image or logo to. Select the image icon, locate your file, then insert. You can resize it accordingly, then save and you’re done.

Organise with Rules

Email rules help to automate the organisation of your inbox. You can create rules to move emails to specific folders or mark them as read, reducing clutter and making it easier to find what you’re looking for.

To set up a new rule, select File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule. You can then choose from the existing templates or create your own.

Secure Your Data

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA adds a critical layer of security to your account by protecting against unauthorised access. You can learn more about MFA here.

Set Up Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies

DLP policies help prevent data breaches. You can create policies to identify and protect sensitive information, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.

Manage Mobile Device Security

Ensure mobile devices accessing Microsoft 365 are secure by upgrading to Microsoft 365 Business Premium. This includes Intune, a powerful endpoint device manager, allowing you to set up several security protocols for devices accessing your data.

Customise SharePoint

Organise with Document Libraries

Document libraries in SharePoint help organise and manage files. You can create libraries for different departments or projects, improving file management and accessibility.

Set Permissions

Control access to your SharePoint site with permissions based on roles and responsibilities. This ensures only authorised users can access sensitive information.

Use Site Templates

Site templates in SharePoint are great for sharing information. You can set up topic-focused mini-websites either inside or outside your company. Use templates for common site types, like team sites or projects site.

Maximise Productivity with OneDrive

Sync Files for Offline Access

OneDrive allows you to sync files for offline access. Go to OneDrive, select the files or folders to sync to ensure you can access important files even without an internet connection.

Use Version History

Version history is OneDrive allows you to restore previous version of files. This is vital for business continuity and ransomware recovery. You can view and restore older versions as needed, helping to recover from accidental changes or deletions.

Share Files Securely

Share files securely with OneDrive. Select a file, click Share, and choose sharing options. Set permissions and expiration dates for shared links, ensuring only intended recipients can access shared files.

Leverage Advanced Features

Use Power Automate for Workflow Automation

Power Automate helps automate repetitive tasks. Go to the Power Automate website and create flows from common workflows. Use templates or create custom flows. This saves time and reduces manual work.

Analyse Data with Power BI

Power BI provides powerful data analysis and visualisation tools. Connect Power BI to your Microsoft 365 data sources. Create interactive reports and dashboards. This helps you gain insights and make informed decisions.

Add Copilot for Microsoft 365

Copilot is Microsoft’s generative AI engine. It can dramatically reduce the time it takes for all types of tasks. For example, create a PowerPoint presentation from a prompt or have Copilot generate tasks based on a Teams meeting.

Get in Touch for Expert Microsoft 365 Support

Using these features can maximise your Microsoft 365 experience and lead to improved security, efficiency and collaboration.

If you need a more detailed exploration of these settings and more, our Microsoft 365 Productivity Training is the perfect option for you. View our course catalogue and learn more here.

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