You’ve done it. You’ve invested in Microsoft 365, and you’re feeling pretty good about it. But here’s a million-dollar question: Are you really getting your money’s worth? M365 efficiency is a hot topic right now.
At Propelle, we’ve seen a lot of lost potential which has led to us having lots of hands-on experience helping clients get more bang for their buck. Companies pay good money for M365, thinking they’ve solved all their productivity woes, only to find themselves drowning in the same sea of inefficiencies. It’s like buying a Ferrari and only using it to drive to the supermarket!
But don’t worry, we’re not here to criticise you. We’re here to help you discover the hidden costs lurking in your M365 setup – and more importantly, the hidden opportunities for you to do more with Microsoft 365. It just takes some intentional action to clean things up.
Here’s a paradox for you: More tools, less efficiency. Sounds crazy, right? But in the world of technology, it’s all too common.
Many organisations fall into the trap of thinking that simply having access to all these shiny new tools will automatically boost productivity. Well, it doesn’t. Time and time again we gain insight into customer profiles and we see the same thing – productivity apps not being used.
The real challenge lies in identifying inefficiencies in the complex system of people, process and technology. Gaining granular insight can be difficult when the metrics are constantly changing.
Picture this: Sarah from marketing spends hours creating a report, not knowing that Tom from sales already made the same report last week. Sound familiar?
Poor information management is like a black hole, sucking up time and resources. According to a McKinsey report, employees spend 1.8 hours every day searching for and gathering information. That’s 9.3 hours per week!
Let’s look at the actual value:
Again, you’ve got that Ferrari but once a week you drive it to the supermarket – exactly what many companies do with their M365 licenses. We understand that the M365 pricing model can be confusing, it goes far deeper than just paying for your licensed users.
According to a Gartner study, up to 38% of software licenses in large enterprises go unused. What a waste.
Quick assessment: Are you using MS Teams for more than just chat messages? Have you explored productivity app like Power Automate? What about MS Forms? Power BI for custom reports? If you answered no, you’re not maximising your M365 investment.
People don’t know what they don’t know. Unleashing technology tools and applications often results in frustration, overwhelm and misuse. The mess can snowball.
Remember when your grandma got her first smartphone and called you every 5 minutes for help? She’s stressed and the tensions are high – you have other work to do. That’s what happens when you roll out M365 without proper training modules. The cost isn’t just in lost productivity. It’s in the increased load on your IT support team. According to HDI, the average cost per IT support ticket is $15.56. Multiply that by the number of “How do I share a file in Teams?” tickets, and there’s the budget saving you are looking for.
Here’s a scary thought: Your biggest security threat might not be hackers, but Bob from business admin who doesn’t know how to properly share files, specially when you can have external users accessing files.
A single data breach can cost an average of $3.86 million, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report. And that’s not even counting the cost to your reputation! The headache and costs continue if there’s a breach of privacy laws.
Switching between apps is like channel surfing – it’s easy to do, but before you know it, you’ve wasted hours and accomplished nothing.
With constant notifications from Teams, Outlook, and other M365 apps, your employees’ focus is taken away from key activities, and general user experience can be poor. Think about how many times you have lost focus on the task at hand when you have glanced at a Channel message…where was I again?!
Get a picture of what is happening in M365 by looking into these areas:
Key metrics to watch:
The Key to Implementing Change
Measuring Success and ROI
Key Performance Indicators to track:
The hidden costs of inefficient M365 usage are real, and they’re probably costing you more than you think. But here’s the good news: with the right approach, you can turn this ship around. At Propelle, we’re passionate about helping organisations like yours squeeze every drop of value out of their M365 investment. We’ve seen firsthand how proper optimisation can transform businesses, and we could do the same for you.
Remember, in the world of M365, efficiency isn’t just about doing things right – it’s about doing the right things.
