South African companies need to box smart right now. According to new data from the Old Mutual Savings & Investment Monitor, an annual survey of urbanites conducted by way of face-to-face interviews, 49% of South African households that earn R40,000 per month or more are shopping at cheaper supermarkets; up from 41% a year ago. 42% of respondents are also cutting back on shoe and clothes shopping. While 34% are looking at spending less on cellular data and airtime. There’s no denying it, SA businesses need to implement solutions that will lead to better operational efficiency during a time when consumers aren’t spending as much as they used to.

One way to do this is to use Office 365 for Business. Here are 7 reasons why Office 365 for Business will lead to improved operational efficiency for your company:

1. Eliminate version control and improve collaboration

Do you have teams that work together on tasks, documents or presentations? Then you’ll find the collaboration features of Office 365 super beneficial.

Everyone who needs to contribute to or edit a document (or spreadsheet, or presentation, etc.), can work on the same version (and get real-time changes) rather than having multiple copies. Versioning is also included in case you need to go to back to an older version.

The suite of apps included in Office 365 will literally change how you work.

2. Work from anywhere

Many SA businesses still don’t know how to handle flexible working hours or staff who want to work remotely. Office 365 helps you to dip your toes in the water and test what works for your company.

Eliminating version control and improved collaboration with Office 365 makes it possible to be productive regardless of where you are. And although WiFi would be nice, a cellphone’s hot spot will give you access to everything you need to continue working, wherever you are.

3. Security features

Office 365 for Business includes built in advanced security features that protect against external threats and provide administrators with internal access controls. It allows your organization to always know where your data is and gives Admins the ability to control who has access to it.

If a user loses their smartphone or laptop, Office 365 allows the administrator to remotely wipe all Office 365 data and email from that device, while allowing the user to have full access from their other devices.

4. Reduces capital spend

Office 365 is a subscription-based service, which means you pay an annual or monthly fee per user. It eliminates the large up-front costs for new software; you’re essentially leasing vs. buying. This also moves IT costs from capital to operating expenses.

Although some companies pay yearly, most plans are usually paid month-to-month, which can be helpful from a cash flow perspective. You also have the freedom to switch off services that you aren’t using to cut costs.

5. Mix and match Microsoft licenses

Office 365 has various business plans, each with different features and programs. Each employee will have different technical needs so having the ability to mix and match your plan will mean you don’t pay for more than you need.

Switching between plans is straightforward, so if you have user(s) that need more or less programs or features this can be done with ease.

6. Software is always up to date

Office 365 is always up to date because it’s in the cloud, so you’ll have access to the latest versions at no additional charge. Gone are the times of software upgrades or patches. Microsoft continually adds new features and capabilities, and you have access to them as soon as they are introduced.

Compatibility issues have also become extinct because all users will be using the same version.

7. Reduced IT support costs

The cloud is revolutionizing how IT support is being done. For instance, working with Office 365 will negate the manhours spent by your IT support company to do upgrades or patching to ensure software is secure and up to date.

Adding managed IT services with ad hoc support takes your company from telling your IT support company about a problem to them telling you that they fixed a problem before you became aware of it.

Many South Africans feel they need fibre to be able to use cloud technology such as Office 365. Let’s assure you, you don’t. Many of our clients don’t have fibre and can work productively every day without it.

Our clients range from 5 user businesses to corporates with offices across South Africa. We have a tremendous passion for our work and we’re happy to share our knowledge with you. Contact us to improve your operational efficiency.