Microsoft 365 is packed with features designed to enhance productivity and streamline your workflow. However, some of its most powerful tools often remain underutilised. Let’s explore seven Microsoft 365 apps that could revolutionise the way you work, you can also see my YouTube video on the topic right here!

1.Microsoft Lists

If you’re currently using Excel to manage tasks such as inventory, invoices, or content calendars, it might be time to explore Microsoft Lists. This app is a modern alternative to Excel, tailored specifically for organising and tracking information. While Excel is powerful, it can get a bit clunky, especially when your data grows. Microsoft Lists gives you a cleaner, more structured way to organise information, making it easier to keep track of things without the chaos of endless rows and columns.

Getting started is simple. When you're logged into Microsoft 365, just head to the app launcher (the grid icon) and look for Lists

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If it’s not immediately visible, click “More Apps,” and it’ll pop up. Once inside, you can either create a brand-new list or choose from pre-built templates to speed things up. For example, the Asset Manager template is perfect for tracking company gear like laptops, making it easy to see what you have, what’s being repaired, and what’s in use

With Lists, everything is right where you need it—whether you're managing a project, keeping an eye on budgets, or just organizing day-to-day tasks. It's designed to streamline your workflow and help you stay organised without all the hassle of juggling multiple apps.

2.Microsoft Forms

Now let’s talk about a tool that can streamline one of the most important aspects of running a business—feedback. Whether it’s customer surveys, employee onboarding, or gathering insights for internal processes, Microsoft Forms is your secret weapon. It’s like SurveyMonkey or Typeform but built right into your Microsoft 365 subscription. You don’t have to switch between different apps to collect information anymore; it's all within your workflow.

What’s great about Microsoft Forms is its simplicity and versatility. You can quickly create surveys, polls, and questionnaires without needing any technical skills. Need to get customer feedback after a service? Set up a survey in minutes. Or, maybe you’re onboarding new employees and need to collect data—Forms can handle that too. It’s ideal for both internal and external use, making it a must-have for businesses that want to stay connected to their stakeholders.

Getting up and running with Forms is incredibly easy. Just log into your Microsoft 365 account, find Forms in the app launcher, and click on it to start creating. You can build your own form from scratch or use templates for common needs like customer satisfaction surveys or event registrations. Once you’ve built your form, sharing is just as easy—copy a link, embed it on your website, or email it directly to your audience.

3.Microsoft Whiteboard

If you miss the tactile experience of brainstorming with a physical whiteboard, Microsoft Whiteboard offers a digital solution. This app is perfect for virtual brainstorming sessions, whether you're in a meeting room or working remotely.

With Whiteboard, you can create virtual sticky notes, doodle, embed videos, and upload files—all in a collaborative, real-time environment. This makes it an ideal tool for teams that need to brainstorm or plan together, regardless of their physical location.

4.Microsoft Planner

Managing tasks and projects can often feel overwhelming, but Microsoft Planner is here to help. Planner is designed to bring organisation and clarity to task management, whether you’re working on personal to-do’s or team projects.

In Planner, you can create plans, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress all within a visual task board. Tasks are organized into “buckets,” making it easy to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Planner integrates with Microsoft Teams, so you can manage tasks within your collaborative workspace. Additionally, you can pull tasks from flagged emails, ensuring nothing slips through the net.

5.Microsoft Sway

For businesses looking to send regular newsletters or create engaging content, Microsoft Sway is an excellent tool. Instead of investing in complex and expensive software, Sway offers an easy-to-use platform for creating visually appealing newsletters and presentations.

When you open Sway, you’ll find a variety of templates that can be customised to meet your needs. Start by adding a title and background image, then insert sections for different types of content, such as YouTube videos or text. Sway allows you to choose between horizontal and vertical scrolling layouts and offers simple sharing options, including standard links and visually enhanced links.

6.Microsoft Stream

Included with Microsoft 365 is Microsoft Stream, a powerful internal video platform. Stream enables you to record and share videos within your organisation, whether for company events, training sessions, or Teams meetings.

Stream supports video uploads, screen recordings, and camera recordings. Although its editing capabilities are basic, you can use Clipchamp—another Microsoft app—for more advanced editing needs. Features in Stream include adding thumbnails, descriptions, captions, and chapters to enhance video content. You can control the visibility of your videos, sharing them within your organisation as needed.

7.Microsoft Bookings

Scheduling meetings can be a time-consuming process, but Microsoft Bookings simplifies this with ease. Similar to tools like Calendly, Bookings is included in your Microsoft 365 subscription and offers both personal and shared booking pages.

With Bookings, you can set up a page where clients or team members can book appointments based on your availability. You can customize the scheduling options, set buffer times between appointments, and automate reminders. Bookings integrates with Microsoft Teams, automatically including a meeting link in the appointment, and allows you to create various types of meeting slots with detailed descriptions.

By integrating these seven Microsoft 365 apps into your daily workflow, you can streamline operations, enhance productivity, and make the most of your Microsoft 365 subscription. Each of these tools is designed to simplify tasks, improve collaboration, and help you focus on what truly matters. Explore these apps and discover how they can transform your business processes.

To wrap it all up, if you're not taking full advantage of these Microsoft 365 apps, you're missing out on tools that can make a real difference in how efficiently you work. From organising tasks with Lists to gathering insights with Forms, each app is designed to streamline your processes and improve collaboration.

If you're interested in diving deeper into these tools, check out Bearded365guy for fantastic tutorials and tips on making the most of Microsoft 365.