Many companies rely on Microsoft 365 expecting it to give them a massive boost in their productivity. But when they actually come down to use it, they find that it isn’t the magic wand that they thought it would be. While it is possible to benefit from its advanced security and strong return on investment, many brands wind up falling short of getting full value from it.
So what can you do to improve this? Why are you not getting what you want from Microsoft 365?
You’re only treating it as a productivity suite
One of the biggest mistakes that companies make is treating Microsoft 365 as a productivity suite. They view it as being just the same as Office, and use it for Word, Excel, PowerPoint presentations, and maybe email. But of course Microsoft 365 is a lot more than that. It’s also a combination of Power Apps, SharePoint, Power Automate, and OneDrive. There are even AI tools included in the system that enable you to get deeper insights into how your company is operating and what you could be doing better.
It has a low adoption rate
Another factor that could be militating against you in your organization is low adoption rates. When employees feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications and tools available through Microsoft 365, they may only focus on learning a small subset of them. For example, a lot of colleagues just use Microsoft 365 for Teams or SharePoint without realizing that it has other functionality that they can tap into. The key to changing this is to adopt proper training and management, showing employees how to use Microsoft 365 puts them in a better position. They are more likely to adopt additional features and stop underutilizing the solutions that will help them boost their productivity.
You have poor implementation
Another reason you’re not getting full value from Microsoft 365 is poor implementation. IT services like MDL Technology are constantly working with companies that simply don’t understand the best way to use the tool.
For example, if your files are scattered all over the place or you have siloed usage, you’re never going to get full value from the system. Your colleagues will just see it as another set of tools rather than a unified platform they can use for all aspects of their work. The key to getting the most out of Microsoft 365 is to see it as more of a comprehensive approach to work. It’s something that you can insert into your workflow in multiple areas. It’s also a good idea to use external help to find opportunities to insert Microsoft 365 into more solutions.
You have high expectations around AI
Another stumbling block for some companies is the expectations around AI. Microsoft 365 Co-Pilot was supposed to offer huge gains, but the reality is that out-of-the-box, it’s essentially just a generalist tool, a bit like a chatbot. It doesn’t have the deep business context that’s needed to make real suggestions that help push your business forward.
For many companies, this is leading to disillusionment, but what’s usually required is simply better customized training. If Co-Pilot has the right understanding and inputs, it’s able to make better decisions on outputs.
Even Microsoft’s internal numbers suggest that Co-Pilot usage is minimal, sometimes around 5% of the total number of people working in a company. When you combine that with the $30 per user per month fee, and you start running into economic issues and difficulties: it’s a costly tool that doesn’t really provide much value unless it’s been trained properly.
There’s inadequate support
Also inadequate support might be getting in the way of your use of Microsoft 365. If there aren’t people in your organisation who understand how to use the tool and make the most of it, then you’ll always be playing catch-up. Teams only usually adopt new ways of working if there’s clear communication and people in the organisation championing the new tool.
Usually IT focuses on deployment, but they should also be looking into how to boost adoption. If they don’t have proper strategies for this, then support could be lacking. Yes, it’s possible to get support directly from Microsoft, but it isn’t the type of detailed, individual, tailored level that you usually need. For that, you’ll want to work with an external service who really understands your requirements in your industry.
You have security and management inconsistencies
Security and management inconsistencies are another significant issue with Microsoft 365. Not every setup is the same, so it’s hard for Microsoft and other vendors to harmonize across all platforms and situations. When this happens, it opens up opportunities for hackers and other nefarious actors to undermine your systems.
If you want to get real value, make sure you start auditing your licenses for optimization. If you need to downgrade some services, then do so. Don’t keep paying for solutions that remain inactive. At the same time, train people and prioritize adoption programs. Make sure that the business’s culture is geared towards using tools like Microsoft 365 that boost productivity.
If you can pilot advanced tools like co-pilots for things like corporate governance then do so. These tools continue to develop quickly over time as AI models improve and the capacity of the underlying software to understand what you want advances. If you can get to a position where you’re automating the vast majority of tasks and that can help enormously. The more you can get into the flow of that the better off you’ll be. If you need expert help for implementation then grab it, don’t be a cheapskate. Usually the cost of hiring IT professionals who understand Microsoft 365 is much smaller than the lost productivity of staff not being able to use its systems and services properly.
You should find that once you can use Microsoft 365 reliably, it delivers strong results. You are better able to save money and experience productivity jumps in your organization. See it as a tool with untapped potential rather than something that’s just a disappointment.
