Microsoft Office 365

Being engaged in business used to mean staying wired in at the office eight to twelve hours a day. In the modern day, this is completely untrue. Often the most efficient workplace is spread far and wide and always on the go.

Today you can completely unplug from your desk with just your laptop computer and 4G modem. The freedom to work out of the office and even on the move is a huge advantage gifted to modern business. A simple mobile phone tether is enough to work from anywhere in the world.

The Right Tools for the Job

The most important part of working on the go is ensuring you don’t lose touch with your team. Maintaining total collaboration between team members can be tricky. Luckily, there are tools that will help you to stay on top.

Microsoft Office 365 provides the traditional tools and support of Microsoft office, but adds remote team collaboration and cloud support too. Files can be saved into the cloud, worked on, and accessed anywhere for review. At one time, remote working meant taking a copy of a file somewhere else to work. Changes to the original weren’t reflected in the remote copy and at least one version was destined to be lost forever.

Software packages such as OneDrive allow the entire team to work on a single centralized file saved to the cloud. Whether you edit on a beach, plane, or train; your team in the office gets the same version you do, at the same time.

Collaborative Working

The key to remote working is the ability to collaborate in a digital space with everyone at once. Modern software such as Office 365 allows all team members to be working on a single document at the same time.

Whether the project calls for killer spreadsheets, expertly crafted documentation, or a knockout presentation; everyone can pull together and hit it out of the park.

Even when you’re not working out of the office or busy on the road, collaborative software can help to power your team working locally too.

Admin Done Remotely

Modern software has impacted the way in which we do bookkeeping and accounts too.

Similar to being tied to your desk in years gone past; accounting software was once stuck solidly in the desktop too. Previously, batch runs of calculations were required to provide reports on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. Today, cloud computing has opened up ways to speed up business in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

Cloud-based accounting packages such as Xero or Quickbooks Online allow for your accounts to be done remotely. Moving the resource and strain out of your firm takes it out of sight and out of mind.

Security and maintenance of your accounts databases, for example, falls to cloud professionals instead of your business. Rather than waste company time on submitting documents and calculating taxes they are done in the cloud and submitted to you instead.

Make your Accounts Work for You

Maintaining your accounts is made as simple as logging into a single portal. This tool allows you to take both your admin and your work out of the office and keep it on the go.

By the time your accounts are due, your accountant simply has to log in remotely and pick up where you left off. By the time taxes are due the work is done and you can get on with the important things.

Getting work done out of the office and on the go is a huge boost to productivity. Modern technology enables you to keep team members up to speed, continue collaborating, and even stay on top of your accounts from anywhere in the world.

Give us a call today at (515)422-1995 to talk about how we can help you unwire from the office.

Microsoft Office has been THE office suite for more than a decade, whether it’s for business or students doing their homework. Other applications have come and gone, but it’s expected that most people will be doing their work in Word, Excel or PowerPoint for a LONG time to come. While you may have an older version of Office that you love, there are three good reasons you should upgrade to Office 365.

It’s more accessible: Office 365 operates in the cloud, which means you can use your Word, Excel, Outlook and other office products from anywhere. This means no more forgotten homework or files you can’t access until you get to work. The cloud has them all ready and waiting for you, wherever you are. Save important files to a USB drive or your computer and use the cloud versions as your mobile copy, there really are no restrictions on how flexible Office 365 can be.

Another benefit is that since it’s in the cloud, the barriers between Mac and PC versions have been erased. It runs on both platforms and on any device – iPhones, iPads, Android, tablets and many other smart devices. A hefty allocation of cloud storage comes with it too, in the form of OneDrive, so you can access your documents from any device. Many people have started using their OneDrive to store all of their important data, including photos, media and recipes. You can even share your files with a simple link, and you always have complete control over who sees what.

It’s more affordable: Previously, there was a large upfront cost per computer and you were stuck with that version until you dug deep and upgraded. For people with more than one computer in their home, for example 2 laptops and a desktop, this was a very expensive way to obtain software. Office 365 has no large upfront costs, no matter how many computers or devices you need to install it on. It’s actually a monthly or annual subscription for a small amount, with no contracts. Depending on your location (pricing differs across countries), you can have six Office 365 licenses for a whole year, for less than the cost of your previous version.

It’s always updated: You are always rocking the latest version of Office. You aren’t stuck with the one you paid for years ago, like Office 2007, 2013 or 2016. Office 365 is always the very latest. If you’re still using an older version, you’ll be surprised by how much Office has evolved. Gone are the annoying paperclip helpers, tacky looking clipart and templates and confusing buttons. Everything is intuitive and easy to use, so you no longer need to take classes or tutorials on how to work it. Even the jargon has been stripped out in favor of human-speak so you can get your tasks done faster and finally break up with the undo button. With the latest features, your files also take on a whole new level of professionalism. Plus, any updates, upgrades or patches happen automatically, so whatever Microsoft cooks up to impress you is added to your Office immediately. In the past, when you upgraded your Office version it was quite the drama and often left your files in a mess. Switching to Office 365 is like a breath of fresh air in this regard, as it’s essentially a sign up and go situation. Older files remain intact, your hard drive doesn’t get cluttered, and you’re up and running in minutes.

With Office 365, you’re essentially getting more while spending less. It’s a popular option for good reason. The fact that it’s always available, always the latest version and works anywhere is reason enough to make the switch, particularly if you have students or work-at-home users. The baked-in security features also mean you’re less at risk of cyber-attack, so you can get on with your tasks and let Microsoft deal with the dirty work. It really is a stress-free solution, saving you time and money.

Switch to Office 365 – call us today at 515-422-1995

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