Tips for using Microsoft Office to increase work efficiency

Microsoft 365 is office softwareg is the most widely used today. If you want to take full advantage of your abilities, don’t ignore the tips below!

Millions of individuals and businesses widely use Microsoft 365. This productivity suite includes popular apps for device management, advanced security measures, and powerful cloud services. Even though office workers use these Microsoft 365 apps every day, are they getting the most out of them? Most likely or not if they don’t know the following tips.

Use OneDrive to automatically save work

Launched in 2007, OneDrive is Microsoft Office’s cloud storage system, which can be used with or without Microsoft 365. Instead of having to manually save work every time you work, once activated, this service will automatically make changes to documents in real time and save them to the cloud.

What really makes Microsoft 365’s enhanced OneDrive so convenient is that, in addition to allowing access to every file no matter where the user is, OneDrive also stores multiple versions of a document to allow for thorough comparison and tracking of progress on specific tasks. OneDrive offers 5GB of free storage (via Microsoft).

Use the “Tell Me” feature

With the rise of remote work, finding the answer to a technical problem can be time-consuming. There isn’t always an IT expert sitting next to the desk. Unlike regular help screens, features “Tell Me” allows you to enter words or phrases to be guided to a command that is executed immediately. Isn’t it amazing? Click “Tell Me” from the navigation bar and enter the command you want. A drop-down menu may appear for you to refine your request. Click on the option you want and the app will do it immediately.

Unlock the full potential of OneNote

OneNote is a lesser-known productivity tool in the Microsoft Office 365 suite that simplifies task management. Acting as a digital notebook, Microsoft OneNote helps prioritize to-do lists by seamlessly integrating them into your workflow. This helps you focus more and complete tasks more effectively.

The latest versions of OneNote come with enhanced Outlook integration, including features like:

• Manage meetings
• Touch screen capabilities
• Advanced search filters for instant results
• Collaboration tools allow you to edit notebooks together in real time, including file attachments

Additionally, OneNote combines effectively with third-party applications like Office Lens. This free software, available on iOS and Android, turns your smartphone camera into a portable scanner. Take a photo of a whiteboard or important document after a meeting, and the app automatically transfers it to OneNote, ensuring optimal readability, secure storage, and easy organization.

Use the share button to stay in touch

Timely document sharing is vital to an efficient workflow, whether it’s writing a novel, a screenplay, or managing the latest work project. Especially for businesses, smooth coordination between people is paramount to organization and productivity. Instead of emailing, faxing manually, or other outdated methods, Microsoft Office has a very handy Share button that every new Microsoft Office user should use.

Located in the upper right corner of the app, the share button can be used to quickly share documents with colleagues, friends, or instructors by instantly uploading documents to OneDrive, AirDrop, Dropbox, email, or any other third-party service that uses cloud storage to keep files in a convenient, easily accessible space. It sounds simple, but Microsoft Office’s share button is not only compatible with the best cloud storage services, but it also helps you save time searching for files, sending them manually, and tracking work without worrying whether the document was received properly.

Optimize Word documents

Collaboration is a fundamental aspect of modern businesses. In addition to a variety of collaboration tools, Office 365 provides real-time collaboration for the global community of Microsoft Office users. With the help of the integrated sidebar, you can easily save files to OneDrive or SharePoint directly from within Word, share them instantly with others, and track changes in real time.

This eliminates the need to switch back and forth between applications. Similar to the Tell Me feature, you can further improve your productivity in Word by performing web searches directly from Office applications. Right-click a word or phrase and select Smart Search. Powered by Bing, a search window appears in your Word document, allowing you to enter a query and start a web search without leaving the document.