Why use Microsoft 365 management software?

Cloud-based solutions are an increasingly popular choice to help streamline operations and improve productivity. Microsoft 365, formerly Microsoft Office 365, is a suite of powerful productivity tools for modern enterprises.

But if you want to take full advantage of the benefits of this comprehensive platform, you'll need to manage it efficiently. In this article, we'll explore the benefits of Microsoft 365 management software, including:

• Standardizing how people in your company use M365 tools
• Introducing governance controls and making your M365 environment more compliant and secure
• Increasing the adoption of M365 tools across your company
• Reducing the burden on the IT team by making it easier to manage Microsoft 365 day to day
• Maximizing ROI in Microsoft 365 product licenses.

Standardize how people use Microsoft 365 Tools

M365 tools and user interface are complex and can be quite confusing for the end users. Without proper training, they often have to figure out which tool to use for what job.

At best, the IT team will find themselves overwhelmed with support requests and neverending questions. At worst, people will turn to the tools they are more familiar with to complete common tasks. Many of those tools are likely to be unsanctioned or unauthorized.

Microsoft 365 management software allows organizations to standardize how tools are leveraged. Many of the software platforms come equipped with pre-built Microsoft Teams or SharePoint Online site templates. Others offer capabilities to create templates from scratch.

Microsoft Teams and SharePoint templates introduce the business angle to the usage of technical tools. Users no longer need to think about whether to use Microsoft Team or a SharePoint site and which channels or apps they need to add. They simply need to find the template that meets their needs, for example, a project or an employee onboarding Team.

Governance Controls

For businesses to maintain a secure and efficient work environment, governance is of utmost importance.

Unfortunately, even if the organization defines its governance policies, they often remain locked away in a document. A document no one ever bothers to read.

Microsoft 365 management software offers strong governance controls for defining policies, managing permissions, and enforcing compliance rules organization-wide.

Whether it is naming conventions, or privacy controls, with the help of Microsoft 365 management software enforcing those policies becomes effortless.

IT Admins can embed workspace templates with governance controls and policies. Every new Microsoft Team or SharePoint Online site created from a template is then compliant from the start.

This oversight promotes compliance with internal and external regulations, fostering a culture of data responsibility and accountability in the organization.

Compliance and Security

In today's data-driven world, businesses handle sensitive information from customers, partners, and employees. Ensuring compliance and data security is crucial to maintaining trust and credibility.

M365 management software has compliance and security features built-in. It safeguards sensitive data and meets industry-specific regulatory requirements.

With the help of M365 management software administrators can enforce policies that prevent the sharing of confidential information outside the organization. This helps mitigate the risk of accidental data exposure.

Furthermore, Microsoft 365 adheres to industry standards and certifications, like SOC2 Type II certification which Orhestry holds, for example.

Organizations using certified Microsoft 365 management software can relax, knowing their data is secure.

Microsoft 365 Adoption

The adoption of Microsoft 365 tools among employees is essential to get the most out of the investment in the platform. It improves productivity and contributes to the bottom line. However, without proper management and training, some employees may underutilize the features.

M365 management software helps simplify the platform and make it more accessible to anyone regardless of their level of technical knowledge. Microsoft templates add a business angle to otherwise purely technical tools.

Governance controls enforced by M365 management software remove second-guessing and paralysis analysis experienced by the active users.

On average, companies that have introduced Orchestry see a 27% increase in Microsoft adoption in the first two months.

Optimization of M365 license costs

Investing in Microsoft 365 licenses can be a significant expense for any organization. To maximize the return on investment (ROI), efficient license management is crucial.

Microsoft 365 management software helps optimize costs in many ways.

With embedded analytics that goes beyond what is available in Microsoft 365 Admin Center, it offers visibility into the usage of the platform and highlights areas for improvement.

Lifecycle management capabilities help cut down on storage costs by automatically archiving content that's no longer needed.

Increasing the adoption of M365 tools improves the overall return on investment in M365.

M365 management software solutions come with user and Guest user account management features. These features and functionality result in a cost-effective usage of Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 tools are incredibly powerful and will, no doubt, improve how people collaborate within your organization. That said, M365 management and day-to-day administration require a lot of time and effort.

By using the native Microsoft 365 administration capabilities, organizations unlock their workforce's full potential. It fosters a collaborative, secure, and productive digital environment.

Implementing Microsoft 365 management software is a smart investment. It boosts productivity, streamlines operations, and keeps you ahead in the fast-paced business landscape.

Depending on the size of your organization, investment in M365 management software can have significant benefits.

From streamlining how people use M365 tools, to introducing business automation, to securing your tenant - the benefits are undeniable.