Office 365 is everywhere. If you’re running a business you’re probably running it with the help of Microsoft’s comprehensive office suite which comes with a wide range of programs for any task. In this short article we’ll quickly go over them and what they can do.
Access is a database management system that allows you to run queries, enter data and generate forms in either a local or external database. I can be extremely useful for power users or to easily make custom systems for data entry and retrieval.
Excel is a program for creating spreadsheets for data entry and manipulation. In addition to being able to store vast arrays of data, its robust calculations, tables and scripts make it extremely powerful for manipulating data to get meaningful statistics or accurate financial reports.
Microsoft Teams is a team messaging service made to compete with Slack in 2016. Since it has been released, Teams featureset has expanded greatly and Microsoft is positioning it to replace Skype for Business soon as the place for workers to chat, collaborate and hold meetings.
Microsoft To-Do is a task management app that can help keep track of projects and assign team members to jobs that is also integrated with the calendar and reminders in Outlook.
OneDrive is the cloud-storage platform offered to consumers and businesses used to store documents online and sync backups of your home directory with for data loss prevention and access anywhere. OneDrive also supports integration with SharePoint for easily organising company files.
OneNote is used to take collaborative notes, drawings, recordings and pictures which can then be shared with other OneNote users. OneNote also integrates with OneDrive and SharePoint for easy file and note sharing.
Outlook is primarily used as an email client despite being a fully-fledged personal information manager with support for web browsing, task scheduling, calendaring, contact managing and note taking. Outlook can also integrate with SharePoint and Teams for scheduling meetings and send notifications when a meeting starts.
Power BI provides business analytics powered by Microsoft to create reports and charts based on business intelligence capabilities.
PowerPoint provides a presentation program for displaying information and memos during group presentations and other events. It features many ways to present information and progress through slides that make it very efficient and powerful in the hands of a capable user.
Project is a project managing product for assisting project managers in assigning resources, managing schedules, tracking progress and allocating the budget.
Publisher is made as a more lightweight competitor to Adobe InDesign, used to publish (surprise) posters and other designs on paper. What distinguishes it from Word is the emphasis on layout and design instead of composition.
SharePoint is a web-based collaborative file-sharing program that can be self-hosted or hosted by Microsoft for a subscription. It is highly customisable for use across a wide variety of business models and to suit the organisational needs of its users.
Skype is an app that specialises in video and voice calls, supporting both Skype-to-Skype and Skype-to-phone calls. It also features an instant messaging chat that supports standard chat features.
Sway can be used to collaboratively build and host websites, newsletters and presentations, and can pull from several media sources such as Facebook, YouTube and OneDrive.
Visio is a tool for creating diagrams and vector graphics such as logos, icons and flowcharts. In the professional version, diagrams can be linked and connected to data sources.
Word is a word processor primarily used for writing documents, it is a What You See Is What You Get editor, meaning that it displays formatting in real-time as you apply it. Word also features macros and has recently launched Word Online, allowing for real-time collaborative editing.
Yammer is a social networking service intended for internal use throughout an organisation. It is closer to something like Facebook, LinkedIn or a forum than an instant-messager like Teams or AIM.