Some of the most transformative features of cloud-based office technologies have been ones that positively impact a company’s bottom line. Technologies allow offices to save time through automations, increase workflow efficiencies, and break the chains that tied them to a single desktop computer.

One of the most powerful tools for businesses that’s been transforming the way they work is Microsoft’s Office 365 E3, which is part of their Enterprise line up of office productivity applications.

As a Microsoft Silver Partner, Neuron Computers helps businesses in multiple industries with personalized Office 365 deployment, so they can hit the ground running with what’s considered the “gold standard” in office productivity tools.

If you’ve been on the fence about upgrading to Office 365 from a desktop software version, then you’ll definitely want to read on to find out what you might be missing that could improve your business efficiency and your bottom line.

Microsoft Office 365 vs Office 2019 Overview

Before we get into the productivity-boosting features of Office 365 E3, let’s go through a quick overview of how Office 365 differs from Office 2019.

Many business owners like just purchasing the software one time, without the monthly subscription, but there’s quite a big difference in what you get with each version.

Office 2019 (Stand-alone)

• One-time purchase
• Word. Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher
• No new features
• Use on only one PC/Mac
• No online storage

Office 365 (Cloud)

• Pay monthly per user (can add or remove at any time)
• Word. Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher
• SharePoint, Access, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business (and more)
• Receive new feature updates automatically
• Each user can install on 5 PC/Mac/Tablet & 5 Phones
• Online storage with OneDrive

Ways that Office 365 Can Transform Your Business

One of the buzzwords of the new millennium is “collaboration” and it’s becoming increasingly evident why so many companies are implementing team-based collaboration tools. They improve productivity and reduce mistakes by keeping everyone on the same page.

Companies that promote collaborative working are 5 times more likely to be high performing. (Forbes)

Here are 8 ways that Office 365 E3 can propel your business forward.

1. Create an Online Communication Hub

Having the ability to communication in real time in segmented chat channels can reduce inefficient email trails that staff spend hours sorting through in their inbox. Microsoft Teams allows you to chat in real-time, share files, and coordinate on projects, all from one central communication hub.

Wins: Keeps everyone coordinated, saves times, organizes conversations

2. Host Client/Lead Webinars

Host online webinars for clients and potential leads with audio, HD video, and web conferencing. Office 365 has a meeting broadcast feature that allows up to 10,000 people to attend at the same time. You can also enable chat interaction with Yammer.

Wins: Save money on a separate webinar program, host online meetings for convenience

3. Make Your Office Mobile

With the cloud capabilities of Office 365, you and your team can access the documents and tools they need from any internet connected device. This allows you to easily start a PowerPoint document at the office and work on the same document at home or while traveling without having to deal with multiple files.

Wins: Faster access to documents from anywhere, allows office mobility

4. Advance Email Options for Security & Compliance

If you’re subject to any data privacy regulations, the advanced email features in Office 365 E3 can make compliance much easier and less costly. It includes archiving and legal hold capabilities, unlimited storage, and data loss protection policies.

Wins: Ensures security and compliance, saves time and money

5. Offer Clients Their Own Online Portal

You can really outshine your competition by using SharePoint’s online sites features to create a hosted client portal that allows a company to grab your product guides and resources from a dedicated page. SharePoint sites are easy to update and can be used externally and internally.

Wins: Increases personal customer service, more efficient way to communicate product information 

6. Reduce Manual Tasks with Automation

Microsoft Flow allows you to build workflow automations that can take repetitive tasks – like re-entering data from a website contact form into a segmented email list – and automate them, saving you countless hours. This also frees up your team for forward-motion activities.

Wins: Reduces time spent on repetitive tasks, improves accuracy

7. Sync, Share, and Collaborate on Files

Using OneDrive and the collaborative power that Office 365 brings to programs like Word and Excel, your team can easily collaborate on the same document simultaneously. All those extra file copies (v1, v2, v3, etc) are also eliminated because files can be updated and synced automatically across multiple devices.

Wins: More efficient co-authoring, always work with the right file version

8. Easy User Management and Login Controls

With a cloud-based system you won’t have to worry if your users have installed the latest software security patch or try to get that licensing information off an old computer. In Office 365 you can easily grant or revoke access, set user permissions and ensure secure logins with multi-factor authentication.

Wins: Improves security, reduces time for system administration

Take a Test Drive of Office 365 E3 Today!

Would you like to see in person how your business could benefit from upgrading to Office 365 E3? Our Cloud Solutions Team at Neuron Computers would be happy to give you a demonstration and show you how Office 365 can be customized for your workflows.

Schedule your Office 365 Test Drive today by calling 1-833-4-NEURON or using our contact form.