{"id":4571,"date":"2018-10-31T09:50:13","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T07:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shaundicker.com\/about\/?p=4571"},"modified":"2024-01-06T15:16:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T13:16:07","slug":"the-power-of-office-365-a-key-part-of-a-business-digital-transformation-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/the-power-of-office-365-a-key-part-of-a-business-digital-transformation-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of Office 365 \u2013 a key part of a business\u2019 digital transformation journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Office 365 energises the traditional office suite with AI and Modern Workstream Collaboration<\/li><li>New, powerful applications are available to users, elevating the nature of work<\/li><li>A more dynamic, fluid, and virtual workplace becomes a reality<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The shift from on-device installations of Microsoft software \u2013 the likes of Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other familiar tools \u2013 into Cloud-hosted applications is far more than just a change in the way software is delivered to users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the view of Shaun Dicker, Manager of Microsoft 365 Teamwork, who says that these native Cloud applications, wrapped under the umbrella of Office 365, unleash modern collaboration, creativity, and productivity within users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor decades, Microsoft\u2019s tools have been at the very centre of almost all businesses,\u201d he says, \u201cbut with the shift to Cloud-based, Office 365 applications, users now gain access to an array of modern tools, opening up new employee engagement opportunities\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSoftware is lit up by the real-time data feeds that the Cloud enables, drawing in useful, relevant content from across the organisation \u2013 files, conversations, documents, images, and video.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"compelling-advantages\">Compelling Advantages<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Tiaan Rossouw, Practice Lead for Office 365, says that with traditional installations of Microsoft software, users would have to buy the latest software on CDs, or (in the corporate setting) wait for their IT division to upgrade software in what was typically lengthy refresh cycles. \u201cUltimately, software didn\u2019t get upgraded for years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut with Office 365, users get the very latest updates from one of the world\u2019s most pioneering technology giants. As fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and Big Data develop in leaps and bounds, the latest from these new frontiers are automatically updated into the software stack,\u201d adds Rossouw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Office 365, all your documents and data are moved from one\u2019s physical device or local server, into distributed Cloud-based servers, locked-down with the latest advances in cyber-security defences. \u201cBy automatically receiving the latest updates you always stay on top of emerging cyber-threats,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But he says that the biggest advantage to Office 365 is seen in the new ways that colleagues are now able to work. With Microsoft Teams, far more dynamic and fluid ways of interacting are unleashed, which is a boon to employee collaboration and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor South African teams collaborating with global colleagues, suddenly it doesn\u2019t feel like we\u2019re so far away. Sharing that latest signed-off specification, collaborating on a costing spreadsheet, or just having our daily stand-up meetings becomes a breeze. And all the history is available at the click of a button.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fact that all content and applications is now available on PCs, tablets and smartphones encourages the rise of modern virtual teams and the kind of mobile-first workforce that defines today\u2019s most successful digital companies.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"new-powerful-platforms\">New, powerful platforms<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Pundits\nlike to talk about the so-called \u2018consumerisation of IT\u2019 (complex technology\nbeing made so easily available and intuitive that non-technical people can use\nit). But in Microsoft\u2019s case, Dicker says this has truly become a reality, with\ntools like Microsoft PowerApps and Microsoft Flow &#8211; which allow people to build\nforms and workflows for organisations without deep technical or coding\nknowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Microsoft\nDynamics 365 is another fitting example of sophisticated enterprise software that\nis now reaching a far broader audience and enabling increased productivity. By\nuniting CRM and ERP solutions, staff can break down data silos and integrate\nseamlessly with third party ERP solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs\nteams engage with each other on platforms that are far more powerful than\nmerely the stock-standard Excel and PowerPoint, they\u2019re able to tackle more\ncomplex work and achieve ever-greater results,\u201d he notes.\n\nThe likes of Microsoft\u2019s Power BI help to surface\nand visualise key information to leadership and teams, giving new insights into\nbusiness performance; while all these Microsoft tools work in harmony to\neffectively modernise legacy systems and architectures, with sleek and\nintuitive front-end interfaces.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"benefits-to-it-teams\">Benefits to IT teams<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>While\nthe advantages of Office 365 to the end-user are compelling, the value\nproposition to IT managers and administrators are just as clear, explains\nDicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese\nare the kind of dynamic, always-on personal tools that users have been asking\nfor. Adopting Office 365 helps to curtail the problem of Shadow IT, and of\nsensitive data being hosted in unauthorised Cloud platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Slide1.jpg?w=610&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4576\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Slide1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Slide1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Slide1.jpg?resize=1024%2C575&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Slide1.jpg?resize=768%2C431&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nthis way, organisations are better able to follow the raft of new data privacy\nlegislation that\u2019s arriving on the scene \u2013 from the Protection of Personal\nInformation Act locally, to the far-reaching General Data Protection Regulations\nnow in-force in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith\nusage-based licensing models, the total cost of ownership is also generally\nlower than it would have been in the traditional client-server era, especially\nwhen one considers all the internal resources that were previously needed to\nupgrade, maintain and support the organisation\u2019s Microsoft environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith\nOffice 365, configuration and deployment is abstracted away from the IT\ndepartment and managed centrally in the Cloud. Companies are able to re-deploy\ntheir IT support resources to more strategic and profitable areas of the\ntechnology estate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For emerging companies looking to scale and optimise their offerings, Office 365 is the obvious choice \u2013 as they have no legacy infrastructure in place and do not need to justify the big capex expenses of building their own server rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-priority\">#1 Priority<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Ultimately,\nDicker says that Office 365 is still \u2018just technology\u2019, and that it can never\nbe an organisation\u2019s most vital asset. \u201cHowever, it does enable organisations\nto create a better experience for their most vital asset: their people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGallup\nresearch shows that highly engaged employees are 21% more productive than\nothers,\u201d he notes. \u201cWith Office 365, work becomes easier and more enjoyable,\npowered by the latest tools, and employees become far more engaged, as they\nwork together in new ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTeams\nare able to create amazing content (with the likes of PowerPoint Morph, Zoom\nand 3D), and complete their work more quickly and smartly (via a Modern\nWorkstream Collaboration tool like Microsoft Teams, Outlook\u2019s Focused Inbox,\nResearcher, Search, and Smart Lookup)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He adds that Office 365 encourages the sharing of insights throughout the organisation and Microsoft Delve and Workplace Analytics help individuals to find their way to subject matter experts within specific fields. \u201cAll this assists the organisation to better capture and codify the IP that flows through its veins.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Office 365 energises the traditional office suite with AI and Modern Workstream Collaboration New, powerful applications are available to users, elevating the nature of work A more dynamic, fluid, and virtual workplace becomes a reality The shift from on-device installations of Microsoft software \u2013 the likes of Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other familiar tools [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-with-sidebar","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-office-365"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Slide2-e1640531883121.jpg?fit=611%2C343&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1rSVq-1bJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4571"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7588,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4571\/revisions\/7588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaundicker.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}