A business’s connectivity is only as modern as its most intuitive software. From Windows 95 to Zoom in 2021, the business of managing business has come a very long way. Here are some Microsoft Business Management Tools you can use to mobilize your team and build your brand.
Calendar
The calendar is shared on a joint network, and updating events frequently will give your work-at-home employees a slight nudge with a direct message on startup. The Microsoft calendar can be updated with deadlines, product launches, quarterly reports, and client anniversaries. Any date or update your employees need to know can be posted here with just a couple of clicks.
MalwareBytes
Worried about your network security? It happens. A worker downloads freeware with a suspicious attachment, signs up for the wrong email list, or views inappropriate material on the clock. Suddenly, your business is under attack. MalwareBytes is an antivirus that will detect and halt rootkits, viruses that latch into your files and wait to hatch.
End-to-end protection ensures that MalwareBytes finds and quarantines malicious files, effectively stopping cyberattacks before they happen. Subscription to the software also ensures 24/7 live support. Whether or not you use Antivirus to protect your business is up to you, but trade secrets are typically best left protected.
Excel
Excel is a double-edged sword; difficult to learn, and impossible to unlearn. Uncertified users face the daunting task of learning its UI, but once everyone is on board, communication and productivity will skyrocket. Charts will be made, analyzed and edited more efficiently, leading to a greater group understanding of sales figures, market share and inventory. It’s also a calculator; once you’re familiar with Excel’s functions, you can even program it to analyze that data for you. Excel can be used for anything from mail listings to accounting, so long as it’s in the right hands.
PowerPoint
You will always need to present information to someone higher up on the corporate ladder. As we all know, the dreaded monthly meeting has become a remarkable slog. When such circumstances arrive, look no further than PowerPoint. PowerPoint has been around since late 1987, when it was bought by Microsoft as “Presenter”. Presenter was only used internally until 1990, when it was formally released to the public as PowerPoint. Since then, PowerPoint has evolved into the most simple and useful software on this list. Text, photo and video files alike can be stored in a PowerPoint. The only true limitation to PowerPoint is the user’s time.
Access
Once you’re done creating a database, the next pivotal step is to share it. Access can be accessed through OneDrive, which the entire company will be able to see once logged in. Access is at its best when you either don’t have time to meet up, or extenuating circumstances keep employees at least six feet apart. You can also share PowerPoint presentations and word documents via Access. It can also bypass the technical limitations of Excel if needed, when the computational power of Excel’s software just isn’t cutting it. This is primarily used for corporation-length spreadsheets and lists.
Teams
Teams is Microsoft’s Zoom alternative. Interestingly, they purchased Skype in 2011. Only one hundred people can be on a Skype call at once. This number appears a lot smaller knowing that Teams supports up to 250 people per call. Teams is like slack, except with more focus on audio calling. It maintains 1080p fidelity, even on bigger conferences. It functions just like Zoom, with admins being able to mute employees and turn their cameras off when they aren’t speaking. With end-to-end encryption and customer support that values your time, It’s an essential tool for companies to invest in right now.
Outlook
Outlook is Microsoft’s email service. Users send and receive mail, with a 15GB limit on attachments. Mail can be organized into folders, replies scheduled, and spam automatically deleted. Outlook also reads emails and gives users a list of automated responses to choose from, though this feature can be turned off in its settings. This is a communication tool that’s not to be forgotten; file share options and quick reply maximize efficiency.
These tools are the kind of software you purchase, and never have to think about replacing. Everything works as it’s supposed to, and is supported through weekly updates. Microsoft Suite certifications are growing in value every day, and your resume may be lacking without them. How you use all of these programs is up to you, but when it works, it works.
