Are you really getting everything you pay for with Microsoft 365?
For most businesses, the answer is no.
The Missed Opportunity
Microsoft 365 is packed with powerful tools, but most organisations stick to the basics — Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams — and ignore the rest. That means money wasted and opportunities lost.
Take the E5 licence: it includes enterprise-grade security (Defender XDR suite), Power BI Pro (normally £14 per user/month), and advanced identity protection. Yet many companies never switch these features on.
The Real Problem
- Underuse – Businesses treat Microsoft 365 as “Office in the cloud” instead of a full productivity suite.
- Security gaps – Most keep default settings, leaving Defender and auditing tools idle.
- Adoption hurdles – Staff don’t get training or a strategy, so features sit untouched.
Hidden Gems You’re Ignoring
- Power Automate – Automate approvals, emails, and file workflows.
- Planner – A lightweight project tool that integrates with Teams and Outlook.
- Loop – Real-time collaboration across apps.
- Power BI – Turn data into interactive dashboards.
- Viva Insights – Promote productivity and wellbeing with analytics.
These aren’t extras — they’re already in your licence.
How to Unlock Full Value
- Use FastTrack – Microsoft offers free setup and adoption guidance for eligible subscriptions.
- Build an adoption plan – Set goals, train staff, and focus on real business pain points.
- Enable security – Turn on Defender for Office 365 and auditing through Microsoft Purview.
- Automate repetitive tasks – Free up staff time with Power Automate.
- Track usage – Use built-in analytics to see what’s working and improve adoption.
The Takeaway
Your Microsoft 365 licence is more than a set of apps — it’s a productivity and security platform. The only question: will you keep paying for features you don’t use, or start turning them into real business advantages?
