Email has been around long before Office 365 came into view. The 1960s were known for peace and love, but astonishingly it was also known for the birth of electronic mail or, as we affectionately call it now, email.
Email has changed a lot during the past 60 years. It has nearly completely replaced outdated communications such as snail mail or phone calls and makes communicating with clients as easy as a few keystrokes. You can send or receive important information any time, anywhere, and on any device. All you need is an active internet connection to instantly send your mail on its way.
It’s not just about the instant gratification, though. Email saves your SMB time and money. From avoiding the mailbox to dodging the ever-increasing price of postage, email is the budget-friendly communication platform for SMBs world-wide.
Bulk communications such as newsletters, sales materials, flyers and brochures can be sent with a single click. By using email for your communications, you are actively saving trees and helping the planet.
Sounds great, right?
Not so fast.
Office 365 is a Complete Organizational Tool
Luise Freese, Office 365 consultant, and independent consultant Tony Redmond advise that some small businesses find working via email to be problematic. Among the issues, they explain, are:
- An expectation of instant response across the workforce, resulting in disruption to smooth workflow
- Lengthy email chains that include all previous texts of the conversation
- Mismatched files and documents, depending on the version of email being used
- Confusing threads that may involve multiple users being added or dropped
- Storing unnecessarily large amounts of texts and graphics
- Improper use of Reply, Forward, BCC and CC options that may exclude members of the team from seeing the “big picture”
Tony Redmond says there is a better way to keep your team connected and informed. Microsoft Teams is a streamlined shared workspace that allows assigned team members to share files, chat, use business apps, and meet in real time. Microsoft Teams allows users to:
- Create groups consisting of specific individuals for any given task
- Use third-party tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Trello
- Give each task an individual, dedicated workflow instead of spreading it across multiple channels
- Store task-specific files in one channel
- Store old documents via SharePoint so they can be accessed by the whole team
- Make audio and video calls, schedule meetings, share the workflow, and collaboratively work on files
- Use a wide variety of Gifs, stickers, and emoticons to personalize communications
Email will still have a prominent spot in company-wide communications, or in connecting with clients and vendors. Microsoft Teams isn’t intended to replace email, just reduce the endless email distraction, miscommunication, and traffic associated with using the platform for targeted tasks.
Microsoft Teams is a platform designed to keep small and medium-sized teams connected and informed connected without the need for individual email. Your teams can stay updated with the progress and goals of each task in real-time, keeping their inboxes clean and uncluttered.
Thanks to Microsoft Teams, email can now be saved for high-priority or bulk messages. Why depend on sixty-year old technology to bring your tasks across the finish line? Remember: “work smarter, not harder.”
Remember that Windows 7 EOL may require an upgrade to your Office toolkits as well.
Ready to take your workflow to the next level of productivity? Contact Integris today for a free consultation and see how this valuable tool can help your business grow and thrive.
