Are you using Microsoft 365 for your business “out of the box?” Meaning, without having any professional customization done?
If so, you’re missing out on a lot of value the platform has to offer and may also be leaving your account vulnerable to an account takeover.
Approximately 651,200 companies in the U.S. use Microsoft 365 for productivity and collaboration. But many of them are only using a fraction of its capabilities because they haven’t had the account customized by a business IT professional.
Microsoft 365 is a wide-reaching platform with multiple capabilities, but it’s up to the user to implement many of these. This includes turning on certain security settings and having the platform designed to match their workflow.
Here are some of the main advantages of having your Microsoft 365 account tailored to your business needs.
Improve Cybersecurity
Microsoft 365 doesn’t default to the most secure settings. Users need to turn on certain features or create policies that can increase account and data security.
If you don’t realize this, you could end up leaving your account vulnerable to a password hack when all you had to do to stop it was turn on one setting.
Microsoft states that multi-factor authentication (MFA) blocks 99.9% of all fraudulent sign-in attempts… but you have to turn it on.
Other Microsoft security customizations that can help you prevent a phishing attack, malware infection, and other costly events include:
- Set a mail policy to block auto-forwards outside your domain
- Block file attachments known to be used by phishing attacks
- Warn users of opening Office macro-enabled files
- Turn on Safe Links to block dangerous phishing URLs
- Set up a default admin account to reduce the risk of a high-level account takeover
Fit the Platform to Your Needs, Not the Other Way Around
If you’re using a system like Teams in Microsoft 365 for the first time, you can end up setting up your team channels in a way that doesn’t fit your workflow very well. Then users have to adjust to adapt to a new tool and the way it handles communications.
If you have your platform customized, an IT pro can match Teams to your organizational structure. Including setting up channels the way that makes the most sense to your team.
For example, do you prefer to have channels around customers rather than departments? That can be done easily through customized setup.
Add Time-Saving Automations
There are a number of automations you can do using the tools in Microsoft 365, if you know how to set them up.
For example, if a certain SharePoint list used for new vendors is updated, it can trigger a vendor onboarding process flow, messaging the appropriate people of what needs to be done.
Automating manual processes and alerts, can reduce dropped balls and free up your team from unnecessary follow up work. This is one of the best customization areas to improve overall productivity and efficiency.
Discover Unused Tools
When you work with an IT professional to customize your Microsoft 365 account, you’ll often be made aware of parts of the platform that you never knew were there.
For example, a tool like Microsoft Lists can replace multiple manual processes and free you from spreadsheets that get emailed back and forth. It makes it easy to collaborate and keep up with list-based processes in a cloud environment.
Another tool you may not have even realized you had access to with a Microsoft account is Microsoft Forms, which makes it easy to create, share, and collect, customer surveys, employee training quizzes, and more.
Have Data Migrated Properly
There are a few different types of data buckets in Microsoft 365, and if you put data in the right place when using the platform, it makes your entire workflow much easier.
Many companies just dump all their files in OneDrive, which can slow down things like Teams file sharing and make it more difficult to collaborate within your company.
Having your account customized can ensure you have data where it belongs and where it’s going to be the easiest to access.
For example:
- Personal files that aren’t shared with others should go into One Drive.
- Files that are shared within a department should be migrated to a SharePoint team site.
- Files shared company-wide or outside your company should be stored in a SharePoint communication site.
- Files that are referenced often by a department or team should be added to MS Teams tabs for easy access.
Get Help Customizing Your Business Technology
Pro Tech Guy can help your business with customized IT solutions that save time and money and add value to the tools you already use.
Contact us today for an IT consultation. Call 508-364-8189 or reach us online.