Microsoft 365 offers far more than email, word processing, and spreadsheets. It’s a complete platform for improving collaboration, automating tasks, and strengthening cybersecurity. However, many businesses only scratch the surface. If you’re mainly using Outlook, Word, and Excel, and you’re only using Teams for messaging, you could be missing out on some of the most valuable tools in the suite.
Here are seven powerful features within Microsoft 365 your business may not be using—but definitely should be!
1. Microsoft Teams – Advanced Collaboration Tools
Most companies use Teams for chat and video meetings, but there are several lesser-used features that can significantly enhance communication and collaboration.
Breakout Rooms allow you to split large meetings into smaller, focused groups for discussion or training. These rooms can be managed directly by the meeting organiser, who can send announcements, jump between rooms, and bring everyone back together when needed.
Teams Connect (Shared Channels) enables secure collaboration with external partners without the need to add them as full guest users. External users can access shared channels while remaining within their own Teams environment, making external communication seamless and secure.
Live Transcription and Meeting Recaps allow Teams to automatically transcribe meetings in real-time and generate summaries with transcripts and shared content, making it easier to revisit key discussions and decisions.
2. Microsoft Lists – Organise Workflows Effectively
Microsoft Lists is an easy-to-use tool for tracking tasks, assets, and projects in a structured way. It includes prebuilt templates for common needs like onboarding, issue tracking, and project management, so you can get started quickly with minimal setup.
You can switch between custom views—like grid, calendar, or gallery—depending on what works best for your team. Whether you’re managing deadlines or tracking inventory, Lists can be tailored to suit.
With built-in automation via Power Automate, Lists can send reminders, initiate approval processes, or integrate with other Microsoft 365 apps. Common use cases include project tracking with progress updates, managing IT hardware and licences, and enabling team collaboration directly within Microsoft Teams channels.
3. Microsoft Viva – Enhance Employee Experience
Microsoft Viva brings together insights, learning, and communications into one platform, accessible directly in Teams. It’s designed to help businesses support employee wellbeing, development, and engagement.
Viva Insights helps employees manage their time with features like focus time blocks and wellbeing reminders. For managers, it offers data on team habits and workloads, making it easier to spot burnout risks or inefficient meeting patterns.
Viva Learning centralises training materials from providers like LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn. It allows businesses to assign courses, track completions, and integrate learning into everyday workflows without disruption.
Viva Connections acts as a central dashboard for company announcements, HR resources, and internal updates. It gives employees quick access to important documents and tailored content based on their role or department.
4. Power Automate – Eliminate Repetitive Tasks
Power Automate allows you to streamline repetitive processes and eliminate manual steps through simple, no-code automation.
Workflows can be triggered by events—such as receiving an email, updating a SharePoint list, or completing a form. You can then automate a series of tasks, like sending alerts, routing documents for approval, or syncing information across apps.
It integrates with both Microsoft and third-party apps, enabling automation across platforms like Outlook, Teams, Salesforce, and more. Businesses commonly use Power Automate for email notifications, customer onboarding, IT requests, and even security monitoring—freeing up employees to focus on more valuable tasks.
5. OneDrive & SharePoint – Advanced File Management
OneDrive and SharePoint are often used as basic cloud storage tools, but they include a range of advanced features that help with version control, secure sharing, and data protection.
Version History automatically saves previous versions of documents so you can recover earlier drafts or restore files after accidental changes. Deleted files are also recoverable for up to 93 days.
File Request lets you securely collect documents from clients or partners via a unique upload link, without giving access to the full folder. This is ideal for gathering forms, invoices, or HR documents.
Sensitivity Labels and Access Controls help protect sensitive files by enforcing sharing restrictions, requiring passwords, and setting expiry dates for shared links. You can apply confidentiality levels to documents and ensure they’re only accessible to approved users.
In general, OneDrive is best suited for personal or small team documents, while SharePoint is ideal for company-wide collaboration and structured file management.
6. Microsoft Planner – Visual Task Management for Teams
For teams looking to manage tasks more effectively, Microsoft Planner offers a visual and intuitive way to organise work. It’s ideal for projects, campaigns, or department-level planning where multiple team members are involved.
Planner uses a board-based layout (similar to tools like Trello), where tasks are represented as cards and grouped into buckets. Each task can include due dates, file attachments, checklists, and comments, making collaboration straightforward and centralised.
Because Planner is tightly integrated with Microsoft Teams, you can create and view plans directly within a Teams channel, keeping communication and task tracking in one place. Teams can also receive notifications when task statuses change, helping everyone stay aligned and accountable.
Planner works especially well alongside other Microsoft 365 tools like To Do and Outlook, offering a lightweight but effective alternative to more complex project management platforms. It’s an excellent choice for teams that want structure without overcomplicating their workflow.
7. Microsoft Bookings – Simplify Appointment Scheduling
Scheduling meetings doesn’t need to involve endless email threads. Microsoft Bookings makes it easy for clients or colleagues to book appointments based on your real-time availability.
It provides a self-service booking page, where users can choose from available time slots. Bookings syncs automatically with Outlook and Teams calendars, so there’s no risk of double-booking. Email and SMS reminders help reduce no-shows. The scheduling assistant in Outlook will also help you find a time that works for everyone.
Bookings is great for client-facing roles—like consultations, support calls, or onboarding—but it’s also useful for internal scheduling. HR can automate interview booking, managers can offer open time slots for 1:1s, and IT teams can use it for service appointments.
Many businesses already pay for third-party scheduling tools, but if you’re using Microsoft 365, Bookings offers the same benefits without the added cost.
Make the Most of Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 includes a powerful set of features designed to improve productivity, collaboration, and security. Yet many of these tools go unused simply because businesses aren’t aware of their full potential.
By adopting features like Microsoft Lists, Power Automate, Teams Shared Channels, and Microsoft Planner, businesses can reduce manual work, enhance their security, and empower their employees to work more efficiently.
At Carden IT Services, we help organisations unlock the full value of their Microsoft 365 subscription—whether that’s through automation, employee training, security enhancements, or system optimisation.
Ready to take your Microsoft 365 usage to the next level? Contact our team today and discover how we can help you make the most of your tools.
