5 Best Office 365 Applications For Boosting Productivity

I like to consider myself as well organised. I have always enjoyed using lists and planning my time efficiently. Before starting at Fabric IT, I had never worked in an office environment, which required me to manage several jobs and meet deadlines. I was also new to using Office 365 applications. In my first week, I was shown the plethora of potential that Office 365 and Microsoft can offer. 

I am making a conscious effort to go paperless, and I’m slowly getting there. From being a notebook and paper planner lover, I now use OneNote and To-do for all my notes. Apart from the stack of Post-It Notes on my desk, I like to think I work entirely online.

Here are some of the most productive applications in Office 365 that I use daily. 

1. OneNote

One note is one of my all-time favourites. I’ve always been a ‘notebook’ person. I love writing things down and using different colours to organise my notes. *rainbow gel pens❤*

When I started at Fabric IT a year ago, I was introduced to One Note. It has now become an essential part of my everyday organisation. I get organised with notebooks that I can divide into sections and pages. OneNote has easy navigation and a search tool, so it’s easy to stay organised and always find your notes where you left them. I can mix my love of colourful notes with my Office 365 applications to be as productive as possible.

At a glance:

• Organise your notes and information quickly with the tabs and pages
• Highlight so you can’t miss any important notes
• Add To-Do tags to link up to your to-do list
• Draw your thoughts and annotate your notes using a stylus or your finger
• Use mix media to gather your thoughts and then make them even better. Record audio notes, insert online videos and add files. Love your notes!
• Use the OneNote Web Clipper to save content with a single click
• Share notebooks with co-workers, friends, and family

Read more about the digital notepad, Microsoft OneNote in this blog post.

2. To-do

Productivity at work is essential not only for economic growth but also for self-satisfaction and feeling like you have achieved something on that day. Having an extensive list of pending jobs in front of you isn’t an effective way of organising. To-Do can be a handy tool if you are a list lover like me. 

I find the best way to stay organised is by creating small and categorised lists. There is nothing better than ticking off all your jobs that you have completed that day and starting the next day afresh.

At a glance:

• Plan your day by adding tasks to ‘My day.’
• Schedule your tasks and jobs, so you never miss a deadline again
• Access from anywhere, from any device with the online application
• Share and collaborate on tasks to boost your productivity
• Add details such as due dates, steps, notes and more
• Incorporate with Outlook flagged emails, so you never miss a job

Read my other post on how to stay productive with To-Do.

3. OneDrive

OneDrive is another application that I use every day. It has become an essential part of my job and means I can access my files from anywhere. Sometimes I like to work from home when I do training. This style of flexible working is easy with OneDrive.

At a glance:

• Access and store your documents and files in Office 365. This includes Microsoft Teams.
• Edits can also be made offline and will automatically update next time you connect to the internet.
• Collaborate and work smarter
• Work on the go and access from anywhere
• Controls for security

Read more to discover if OneDrive is the one for you.

4. Teams

In my opinion, Microsoft Teams is the holy grail Office 365. Its continually being improved and updated. It’s one of the newer suits of service in Office 365 but one of the most powerful. Teams is easy to use and incorporates chat-based workspaces with conversations and content. Its main features include messaging, calling, video meetings and file sharing, and its main aim is to simplify teamwork.

At a glance:

• Collaborating on tasks
• Communication with colleges individually as well as larger teams
• Keep your Team secure with Microsoft security
• Customisable and can be personalised to each users’ requirements
• Access your Outlook calendar. You can accept, join and review meetings by selecting Calendar view and choosing ‘Team Meeting.’
• Access your OneNote notebook to Teams. You can add your existing notebooks, create and make new notebooks, or add links to a current notebook.
• Sharing documents for easy access and collaborating.
• Chat and instant message through Teams calling. All your Office 365 contacts are incorporated into teams.

Learn more about Microsoft Teams with our full guide.

5. Yammer

Forget staff-all emails. Yammer is a new way to share and engage across your organisation. It’s more inclusive and open than email alone and reaches more users.

At a glance:

• Yammer engages all staff members and allows them to connect in an open space. It’s a great platform to share across the organisation
• At Fabric, we will often share knowledge on Yammer. If somebody learns something new that could be interesting or useful to the broader Team, they can share
• I often share company culture updates. It’s like a more professional version of Facebook that seamlessly integrates with Office 365
• Open conversations
• Yammer has trusted security and compliance with control and insights

Read our other post on what Yammer is to find out more.