Microsoft 365 has helped companies become more productive and cost-efficient. Organizations can use Microsoft 365 to work collaboratively on files, use videoconferencing tools so that globally dispersed teams meet in real time, and use AI to gain business insights. Today, many companies are already gaining substantial Microsoft 365 benefits.
According to recent IDC research, for every $1 organizations invest in generative AI, for example, they’re realizing an average of $3.70 in return.
But, when it comes to AI capabilities in M365 as well as other features, many companies haven’t maximized the platform’s full value. That’s often because they don’t know how. Many companies use M365 in application silos, working in specific apps, such as Microsoft Word, Teams, and Outlook.
As a result, they don’t centralize key information or gain actionable insight from their invaluable business information. This modular approach doesn’t maximize the benefits of the M365 platform as a whole.
“Too many organizations treat M365 like a basic utility, only focusing on email, documents, and spreadsheets,” says Brian Luckey, chief information officer at Integris. “In reality, it’s a strategic powerhouse packed with untapped capabilities, but most businesses only scratch the surface. The real cost isn’t the subscription; it’s the value left unused in the tools they already have.
Only certain managed service providers (MSPs) with the right expertise can help companies recognize the full value of Microsoft 365. MSPs with expertise in understanding company business objectives and industry requirements can help. They can bolster company security with M365 data protection, backup, and encryption; enhance organizational productivity; and harness data insights to foster business growth and customer experience.
Optimizing Company Use of Microsoft 365
According to a survey from IT research firm Gartner Inc., only 10% of respondents said they had gained maximum return on investment (ROI) from M365. Companies can gain greater ROI by using M365 to drive operational efficiency. Features like SharePoint, which enables a single version of truth for files, and Copilot, which allows teams to summarize and even query documents, can save workers hours of time.
This is where a skilled MSP—with expertise in M365 as well as your business, industry, regulations, and IT environment—can make the difference. MSPs can guide you toward a holistic approach to M365, train and support employees, and help companies realize the full value of their invaluable data.
“Staying ahead of Microsoft 365’s constant updates while aligning these changes with your specific business needs can be tough,” notes Damon Dobbs, an Integris IT product manager. “That’s where an MSP partner adds tremendous value. They bring deep platform expertise and industry insight, helping you navigate changes smoothly, empower your team, and unlock the full potential of M365 for real results.”
Tapping Key Microsoft 365 Benefits
The first step in gaining greater benefits from M365 is to identify areas of potential benefit. Here is a rundown of some of these key areas.
- Increased efficiency. AI can automate tasks, optimize workflows, and provide real-time data analysis, freeing up employees to focus on strategic initiatives. According to one survey, 70% of Copilot users said they were more productive and 68% said it improved the quality of their work.
- Cost savings. By automating tasks, improving resource allocation, and optimizing processes, AI can lead to significant cost reductions for businesses. According to one estimate, M365 offers a three-year return on investment of 197%. Using IT management tools in Microsoft 365, some organizations have reduced IT support tickets by 45% and boosted resolution time by 21%.
- Optimized licensing. Organizations often pay for unused M365 features or overlook valuable tools already included in their subscription. The rapid evolution of M365 only augments licensing issues, with new features and services constantly being added to the platform. MSPs can help you structure licensing to reduce costs and eliminate complexity.
- Enhanced security and compliance. Microsoft 365 can sit at the core of your cybersecurity strategy, providing users with secure access to applications, preventing and even predicting cyberthreats, and managing incident response, data backup, and disaster recovery. Data storage, governance, and management are also key aspects of M365 security and compliance.
- Data-driven insights. Data-driven business insight is the new gold for companies. Data enables companies to navigate business decisions, such as predicting inventory needs, developing new product lines, and better understanding customer preferences. Better data can help companies identify threats and opportunities—even in real time. AI-enabled capabilities allow organizations to automate workflows and tasks that free employees to be more strategic.
- Improved collaboration and productivity. M365 can facilitate seamless collaboration across teams, regardless of location, and ensure that all members are aligned on projects. M365 enables organizations to centralize documents, create real-time communication with Teams and channels, and use tools like Copilot to summarize and query a variety of information, from email messages to 20-page documents to meeting transcripts. These features, however, come when organizations take a unified approach to the platform, it enables them to collaborate and work more efficiently. While these applications operate independently, of course, they are built on a fabric that “weaves together” the capabilities of each application to support and supplement other applications.
- Competitive advantage. By adopting AI, companies can stay ahead of the curve, adapt to market changes, and gain a competitive edge.
How the Right MSP Can Help Maximize Microsoft 365 Benefits
MSPs can help customers get full value out of M365 platform by using it holistically rather than in a modular fashion.
A holistic platform approach enables organizations to secure and monitor their IT environments, automate mundane tasks, gain data insights for better decision making, and collaborate more effectively—all without compromising sensitive data or violating key industry compliance regulations. Let’s explore how an MSP, after assessing your Microsoft 365 environment, can help you get some of these benefits:
- License management. Organizations can struggle to track licenses and manage updates and upgrades for multiple user licenses. A qualified MSP can shoulder this burden, identifying the right licenses for business needs.
- M365 deployment. Companies need help maximizing an M365 platform deployment to reduce costs, optimize feature use, and boost the value they garner from their investment.
- M365 support. With MSPs, organizations get access to specialists in M365 who also understand their business and industry requirements and can help address issues with Microsoft 365 service.
- Data insights. The right MSP can help organizations identify key metrics to track and visualize in dashboards that are digestible, shareable, and actionable. When organizations are accountable to these data insights, they can drive greater revenue, understand customer experience, and improve operational efficiency.
- Updates and management. An MSP with the right expertise can provide the latest updates, patches, and security fixes. These updates are critical to prevent malicious actors from identifying vulnerabilities in your environment.
- Monitoring. An MSP can also provide critical monitoring of an organization’s environment to identify threats and address them quickly—sometimes even proactively.
- User training and change management. An MSP can provide critical user training to enable users to maximize the platform and ensure change management as organizations integrate new practices into their use of 365.
The right managed service provider—one that intimately understands your business objectives and industry requirements—will be at the forefront in maximizing Microsoft 365. They can help companies innovate, reduce costs, and gain industry advantage with M365.
“The quietest competitive advantage belongs to organizations with MSPs that unlock Microsoft 365 as an integrated business platform,” says Dobbs of Integris, “while their competitors mistake it for simple office tools.”
