Microsoft Office 365 is a productivity suite that comprises different apps, including Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, and Publisher. This software platform is undoubtedly an excellent pick if you want to handle a lot of your duties effectively. Due to this, numerous companies across the globe have adopted the use of this cloud-based package. This is more vital today when working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, and with the new normal in most organizations. 

But for optimal efficiency and productivity, it’s best first to learn how to use Office 365. So, without further ado, let’s get started and take a look at the tips and tricks on how you can better learn Microsoft Office 365. 

1. Learn The Keyboard Shortcuts 

To remain productive, you should be able to carry out your assigned duties within the shortest time possible. Luckily, you can achieve this using Office 365 because it features numerous shortcuts to make work easier. However, it’s best to start by first familiarizing yourself with a handful of these shortcuts because you’ll find it difficult to memorize all of them right away. But if you want to go beyond the Office 365 basics, then you can go on a training course to learn more, such as this UK-based course by Acuity Training. 

When starting to memorize the shortcuts, ideally start with those of the two most often used Office 365 applications: Microsoft Word and Excel. Some of the shortcuts of Office 365 applications are identical, and mastering how to use them becomes a lot simpler. By learning how to use these shortcuts, your speed and accuracy will increase significantly, increasing your productivity. 

2. Learn How To Use The Status Bar 

Below every Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, after highlighting a range of numbers, appears a status bar. This section displays information on the total number count, average, and sum. Unfortunately, many users have seen the status bar but don’t know how to best make use of it. You shouldn’t make such a mistake as this prevents you from realizing the full potential of Microsoft Office 365. 

Once you’ve learned how to use the status bar, you can determine the maximum and minimum value within a certain range of highlighted data. In addition, it helps you learn how to add more features to a particular document. With such handy features, you save yourself a lot of time that you would have otherwise spent searching for information on a specific document.   

3. Streamline Your Email

Sending an email is often preferred as the ideal communication tool by most companies due to its affordability, security, speed, and efficiency. But with more than 300 billion emails sent each day and email marketing still being a commonly practiced B2C and B2B communication strategy, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by emails. This is the last thing you’d want to happen when you’re starting to acquaint yourself with how to use Microsoft Outlook, which is part of the Office 365 package. 

Luckily, you can prevent all this by streamlining your email. One way of streamlining your inbox is by using the Focused Inbox feature to do away with the clutter. As a result, the most important emails will be shown at the front and center. This way, you’ll always be able to respond to your urgent emails immediately and prevent losing track of them. 

4. Ask For Help When You Need Assistance 

You can’t always have the answer to everything. This is especially the case when you’re starting out to learn any new software application such as Office 365. Knowing this, you should never be shy to reach out to a co-worker to ask for help. Otherwise, you might end up feeling overwhelmed by your work, and this, in turn, will negatively affect your efficiency and productivity. 

With this in mind, feel free to contact your colleagues when experiencing any issue, for instance, difficulty remembering a formula or function. You can also get a much-needed assistance from the in-built help system. For example, if you’re using Excel and need help, head to the search bar and enter ‘Help’, and a list of the frequently asked questions will come up with their respective solutions. Likewise, you can key in the exact question you have, for instance, how to insert a graph, and the answer will be displayed. 

5. Learn OneNote’s Full Potential 

The Microsoft OneNote app is designed to take notes and store information. Using this app, you can also store research notes, write with a stylus, as well as keep links, save drawings and photos all in one convenient location. While this app is among the least popular in the Office 365 package, it’s quite helpful because it acts as a digital notebook where you can outline your to-do list. And by using it, you’ll be able to quickly do the assigned duties and remain focused on your work. 

OneNote also incorporates added features to make your work easier, and this includes advanced search fitters, collaboration tools for co-authoring notebooks, touch screen features, and meeting management. 

6. Visualize Your Data

Data is usually available in different formats, and people have varying preferences on how they would like to read such information. For example, some individuals prefer reading graphs to avoid navigation troubles. 

However, the graph can’t be used on all applications, such as Microsoft Excel. The better option, in this case, would be a Data Bar that can be effortlessly added to a current table. All you would need to do is choose the cells and data you’d prefer and proceed to generate a data bar. Consequently, go to the sections Home, Conductional Formatting and Data Bars, where you’ll be given the option to pick between a color fill or gradient fill. Using the data bar is ideal if you want to easily pinpoint specific information and is also appealing to the eye. 

Takeaway 

Technological advancements have allowed businesses to boost their efficiency and productivity, with Microsoft Office 365 as an example of such a tool. But to get the most out of Office 365, learning how to best use it should be your primary objective to realize its potential. Fortunately, this guide has helped you realize this goal by outlining useful tips and tricks on how you can quickly learn how to use Microsoft Office 365.