Do you feel like you’re only scratching the surface of what Microsoft 365 can do for your business? Join us as we explore the often under-utilised tools within 365, including SharePoint, Workflows, and Power Apps. Discover how they can streamline your processes, improve collaboration, and drive productivity.
Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional or just starting out, we’re here to help you unlock the full potential of your Microsoft 365 subscription by demonstrating why – and how – you can put SharePoint, Workflows, and Power Apps to work.
Every business can benefit in some way from what these tools can offer; it’s definitely not a case of simply using them because you pay for them. Let’s dive in:
Why maximise your 365 subscription using SharePoint, Workflows, and Power Apps?
First, let’s quickly look at the business benefits of utilising all three of these powerful 365 tools. What’s the pay-off for the work required to implement SharePoint, Workflows, and Power Apps?
Enhanced productivity and efficiency
- Streamlined workflows: Automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual errors, and improve overall efficiency
- Centralised information: Store all relevant documents, data, and resources in a single, easily accessible location
- Improved collaboration: Foster teamwork and communication with shared workspaces and real-time collaboration tools
Cost savings
- Reduced paper usage: Transition to digital workflows and minimise printing costs
- Optimised resource allocation: Streamline processes and allocate resources more effectively
- Leverage existing investments: Make the most of your Microsoft 365 subscription and avoid unnecessary expenses like a new intranet, automation, or data analytics tool from an external supplier
Improved customer experience
- Faster response times: Streamline customer service processes and provide timely support
- Personalised experiences: Tailor interactions with customers based on their preferences and history
- Enhanced data insights: Gain valuable customer data to inform marketing and sales strategies
Increased scalability
- Flexible solutions: Adapt to changing business needs and scale your applications as required
- Cloud-based infrastructure: Benefit from the scalability and reliability of the cloud
- Future-proof your business: Prepare for growth and expansion with a scalable technology platform
Improved data security and compliance
- Centralised security management: Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data
- Compliance with regulations: Ensure adherence to industry standards and regulations
- Data backup and recovery: Protect your data from loss or corruption with reliable backup solutions
Now let’s get specific about how to get started and get the most out of these tools:
Sharepoint – your digital workspace for internal communication
SharePoint is a cloud-based collaboration platform that allows businesses to create and manage websites, document libraries, lists, and workflows. It’s essentially a digital workspace where teams can collaborate, share information, and streamline processes.
SharePoint popularity
Although a popular 365 tool, SharePoint’s usage is still surprisingly low for a feature-rich tool that can quickly become essential to how an organisation manages internal information.
According to Microsoft, approximately 200,000 organisations use SharePoint across 70% of the globe – that’s just 10% of the 2 million that use Microsoft 365 worldwide
SharePoint benefits
Enhanced collaboration:
- Centralised workspace: All team members can access and work on documents from a single location
- Version control: Track changes and quickly revert to previous versions
- Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously
Improved productivity:
- Workflow automation: Streamline repetitive tasks and reduce manual errors.
- Document management: Organise and manage files efficiently
- Customisable interfaces: Create tailored workspaces to meet specific needs
Enhanced security:
- Access controls: Restrict access to sensitive information based on user roles
- Data backup and recovery: Protect your data from loss with built-in backup features
- Compliance with regulations: Ensure adherence to UK and international data protection laws like GDPR
Cost-effective:
- Cloud-based solution: No need for on-premises infrastructure or maintenance
- Scalability: Easily adjust your SharePoint environment to meet changing business needs
How to use Sharepoint effectively
Here are some key strategies for effective SharePoint usage:
Define clear goals and objectives
- Identify needs: Determine specific business challenges or opportunities that SharePoint can address
- Set measurable outcomes: Define clear goals and metrics to track success
Plan and structure your SharePoint environment
- Create site collections: Organise content into logical groupings based on business needs
- Design site templates: Develop reusable templates for common site types.
- Implement information architecture: Establish a clear and intuitive structure for navigation and content organisation
Utilise key features
- Document libraries: Store and manage documents efficiently with version control and check-in/check-out capabilities
- Lists: Create custom lists to track data, such as tasks, projects, or contacts.
- Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes
- Power Automate: Integrate SharePoint with other applications and services to create more complex workflows
- Search: Implement effective search features to help users find information quickly
Encourage adoption and training
- Provide training: Ensure users understand SharePoint’s features and capabilities
- Promote adoption: Encourage employees to use SharePoint for their daily work
- Address challenges: Be responsive to user feedback and address any issues promptly
Continuously improve and adapt
- Monitor usage: Track SharePoint usage and identify areas for improvement
- Update and refine: Regularly review and update your SharePoint environment to meet evolving business needs
- Explore new features: Stay informed about the latest SharePoint features and consider incorporating them into your workflows
Integrate with other Microsoft 365 apps
- Teams: Combine SharePoint with Teams for a unified collaboration experience
- Office apps: Integrate SharePoint with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for seamless document management
- Power BI: Use SharePoint to create interactive dashboards and reports
Workflows in Power Automate – the secret sauce for saving time on repetitive tasks
About Workflows in Power Automate
Workflows in Microsoft 365 are automated processes that streamline tasks and improve efficiency. They can be used to automate a variety of tasks, such as:
- Document approval processes
- Employee onboarding procedures
- Purchase order requests
- Customer support ticket routing
Workflows are typically created using Power Automate, Microsoft’s low-code automation tool that allows you to connect different applications and services. It has over 1,000 prebuilt connectors, including connections to popular services like Dynamics 365, SAP, and Salesforce, making it easy to create complex workflows across your business functions.
Power Automate popularity
Research shows that CEOs spend around 20% of their time automating tasks. This is because most people are not sure what they want to automate and why. The same research suggests that 45% of work activities could be automated using already demonstrated technology, and 5% of entire occupations could be completely automated.
While only around 350,000 organisations from Microsoft 365’s two million+ customers use Power Automate monthly, 93% of FORTUNE 500 companies actively use it.
Workflows benefits
- Increased efficiency: By automating repetitive tasks, workflows can save time and reduce errors
- Improved compliance: Workflows can help you ensure that your business processes comply with relevant regulations
- Enhanced visibility: Workflows can provide you with a clear overview of your business processes, making it easier to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement
- Better customer experience: By automating customer service tasks, workflows can help you provide faster and more efficient support
How to use Workflows in Power Automate
- Identify your needs: Determine which tasks or processes could benefit from automation
- Choose the right tools: Decide whether to use Power Automate or other workflow tools within Microsoft 365
- Design your workflow: Create a clear and concise workflow that outlines the steps involved in the process
- Test and refine: Test your workflow to ensure it works as expected and make any necessary adjustments
- Monitor and maintain: Regularly monitor your workflows to ensure they are running smoothly and make updates as needed
Power Apps – your low-cost tool for building bespoke functionality
Power Apps is a low-code platform that allows you to create custom business applications without extensive coding knowledge. It’s a powerful but typically under-utilised part of Microsoft 365 that can be used to build apps for various purposes, such as:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Employee onboarding
- Project management
- Inventory tracking
- Salesforce automation
The latest version of Power Apps now includes AI-powered development functionality to help build custom apps faster, as well as enabling AI technology within the apps themselves.
Power Apps popularity
As businesses continue embracing digital transformation, the demand for low-code platforms is skyrocketing. More organisations are empowering their employees to create and modify apps without needing a traditional IT background, so the demand for Power Apps continues to grow.
While more than 7.5 million developers regularly use the Microsoft Power Platform, Power Apps competes with 160 competitor tools in the application development category and has a market share in 2024 of just 0.27% in the app development market.
Power Apps benefits
- Rapid application development: Create custom apps quickly and easily without extensive coding knowledge
- Reduced development costs: Build apps in-house, reducing reliance on external developers
- Improved efficiency: Streamline processes and automate tasks, leading to increased productivity
- Enhanced decision-making: Gain valuable insights from data-driven apps
- Enhanced customer experience: Create tailored apps to meet specific customer needs
- Increased employee satisfaction: Empower employees with tools to solve problems and improve their work
- Scalability: Easily scale your apps to meet growing business demands.
- Integration with 365: Seamlessly connect with other Microsoft tools like SharePoint, Excel, and Teams
- Customisation: Tailor apps to specific business requirements and workflows
How to use Power Apps
Here are some strategies to get the most out of Power Apps:
Identify business needs
- Assess pain points: Pinpoint areas where automation or improved processes could benefit your business
- Define goals: Clearly articulate what you want to achieve with your Power App
Leverage pre-built templates
- Explore template options: Power Apps offers a variety of pre-built templates to accelerate development and give you the perfect headstart
- Customise to fit: Tailor templates to match your specific requirements
Utilise connectors
- Integrate with other systems: Connect your Power App to various data sources and services
- Expand functionality: Enhance your app’s capabilities by integrating with other tools
Design user-friendly interfaces
- Prioritise usability: Create intuitive interfaces that are easy for users to navigate
- Consider mobile-friendliness: Design apps that work well on phones and tablets
Test thoroughly
- Identify and fix issues: Conduct rigorous testing to identify and address bugs or errors
- Gather feedback: Collect user feedback to make improvements
Deploy and manage effectively
- Choose the correct deployment method: Consider factors like security, scalability, and cost
- Monitor and update: Regularly monitor your app’s performance and make updates as needed
Consider professional services
- Seek expert guidance: If you lack in-house expertise, consider consulting with Power Apps professionals
- Accelerate development: Leverage their knowledge and experience to expedite the development process
By following these guidelines, you can harness the power of Microsoft Power Apps to create custom applications that streamline processes, improve efficiency, and drive innovation in your business.
Get support with SharePoint, Workflows, and Power Apps
Our experienced 365 experts provide excellent technical skills and guidance to help businesses like yours maximise their 365 subscription and put tools like SharePoint, Workflows, and Power Apps to work efficiently and securely.
Contact us to learn more or book a Discovery Call for an introductory chat with one of our friendly and experienced team about how we can help support your business with Microsoft 365.
