Microsoft 365 is the most widely-used office productivity software, boasting 48.8% of the global market share - just ahead of Google's apps by a few percentage points.

Individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as larger enterprises can all use it. It features all of the essential functions that modern offices require - from word processing and spreadsheet work to cloud storage and video conferencing - all in one place!

Microsoft 365 is a vast platform with more than 20 apps, making it easy to overlook useful features. People tend to stick with what is familiar, which could lead them to miss out on money-saving and time-saving opportunities in M365 beyond core apps.

Depending on your subscription plan, you may receive:

• Excel


• Word


• PowerPoint


• Outlook


• To Do


• OneDrive


• Teams


• Formulas


• Defender


• SharePoint


• Yammer


• Lists


• Access


• Book Bookings


• Intune


• Planner


• Visio

Looking to maximize the value of your subscription with Microsoft 365? Here are some useful apps and features you can explore!

These tips will help you maximize the potential of Microsoft 365.

1. Utilize Search to Locate Functions Instead of the Menu Bar

We've all been there: you find an app that does certain things, but it doesn't appear in your list. To free up more space on a page, try adjusting margins in Microsoft Word.

Instead of clicking through tab after tab, you can save time and use the search box at top. Not only is this search limited to searching for help topics; you can quickly jump to settings like margins and page orientation with ease.

2. Utilize free stock images, icons & videos

Businesses require appealing images from time to time for use in brochures, presentations and websites. However, finding high quality business graphics can be costly.

Google searches may yield no free images. Commercially used images must be purchased.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint contain many free images that can be used in your marketing initiatives. Videos, icons and 3D models are also accessible.

To find them, click Insert > Pictures > Stock Images.

To switch between media types, utilize the tab at the top. Simply click to insert that particular media directly into your document or spreadsheet.

3. Utilize Data Types in Excel to Save Time

Researching information such as the population of a city or the nutritional value of an unfamiliar recipe can take days. Did you know Excel has access to multiple databases? This could save valuable time on research tasks.

Excel's data types enable you to quickly populate massive amounts of information for various topics. From chemistry formulas to yoga poses, Excel offers a vast library of data types for quick access.

• Begin by creating a list (e.g., with menu items).


• Highlight your list and then click on the Data tab.


• Choose your desired data type from the Data Types window (e.g., Plant, Food).

• Next, click on the small icon at the top that represents your database.


• Choose the data type that meets your requirements.


• For each item on the list, details will be entered into the next column.

4. Microsoft Forms: Save time on customer surveys

Microsoft Forms is one of M365's best kept secrets. It is a cloud-based survey builder that makes sending surveys out to people effortless. Results are immediately accessible after clicking "submit" on their form in the cloud.

Results can be downloaded directly into Excel for graphing or uploading into a template program.

5. To hone your presentation skills, utilize PPT's presenter coach

Are you nervous about giving a presentation to clients or your team? Even if the event is virtual, not everyone feels confident speaking in public. Even if it's only virtual, some may find speaking awkward.

PowerPoint's Presenter Coach is an AI-powered feature, available to help you practice your presentation. This coach can be activated to improve pacing, repetition and filler words (e.g. umm).

Look for the option "Rehearse with Coach", located on the Slide Show menu.

6. Outlook's Quick Parts feature allows you to save recurring email text.

Do your customers often receive the same type of email? For example, directions to your home or information on how to contact support could be included in these messages.

Don't waste time typing the same information repeatedly. Outlook offers Quick Parts, which saves and inserts text blocks into emails automatically.

• Create a Quick Part by clicking on the highlighted text and saving it in an email.


• Select "Quick Parts" from the Insert menu.


• Quick Part.

To insert this text in another email, use the same menu. Click to insert your Quick Part.

7. To quickly paste unformatted text, create a keyboard shortcut for MS Word

This will help save you time since there may not be one available when needed. Simply set the shortcut to paste as text only, which removes any formatting the copied text may have had, so your document won't get mismanaged.

Here's how you can create a keyboard shortcut for this:

• To open Word as an editable file, choose File > Options from the Ribbon menu.


• To customize the ribbon on your panel, locate Customize at the bottom right hand corner, next to Keyboard shortcuts.


• Scroll down and to the left for All Commands.


• Look for "PasteTextOnly".


• Type in your keyboard command and click Assign to assign it.

Need Assistance Optimizing Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 offers many time-saving, security-enhancing and dollar-saving features. Schedule a consultation to discover how we can assist you.