This article was originally published in the Autumn 2018 issue of The Record.

The delivery of more personalised user experiences is a key pillar for the modern workplace, and many businesses are planning to adopt Microsoft Office 365 to achieve that. But making sure the investment delivers maximum value for the business is not a simple matter.

Office 365 includes traditional applications that are already used on-premises – such as Exchange, Office and SharePoint – but it implements them in a secure, highly available configuration and extends them to provide additional services, such as Teams, that build upon this ecosystem. Adopting Office 365 successfully requires a thorough understanding of the existing environment and careful planning around every aspect of the business – from security and identity requirements to business resiliency, network readiness, third-party add-ons and the organisation’s culture. It’s also important to have an ongoing plan for engaging, educating and communicating to users as regular software updates deliver new features and capabilities in the future.

Working with an experienced partner is invaluable in helping the organisation to navigate its Office 365 journey. Office 365 implementations, migrations and operations are a core competency of Dell EMC Consulting Services. We have helped customers of all sizes and complexities to make a smooth transformation for their workforce and get the most out of their Office 365 investment – enabling the business to reach new heights of productivity and innovation.

Ed Woodrick is Office 365 solutions architect at Dell EMC Consulting Services. Read the ‘Office 365 Planning Considerations eBook’ in full. 

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