Over the last few decades, digital work tools have become a central part of everyday life in many economic sectors. Computers have become veritable assistants for many professions, and are used as intermediaries for more and more tasks. The English call this the digital workplace.
But these major changes have also been very rapid, and adapting to these new uses has been done in a hurry, even under duress. And in many cases, without having explored in detail the extent to which the digital transition can be an opportunity.
An important revelation: all this software has been designed to save you time and make you more reliable. Once you’ve got to grips with them, with the help of tailor-made support, they can be a considerable asset!
Mastering your software is the key to your company’s success
Everyone has at one time or another exclaimed “Oh, you can do that! Incredible!” in front of their computer. The kind of revelation that opens up new paths and lights the way to productivity. Even for a tool as commonplace as Word.
When you realise that what used to take you an hour and a series of hazardous manipulations can now be done in just one click.
When you realise that you can do without this application, which consumes all your RAM and slows down all your current tasks.
When you divide by 5 the number of identifiers and passwords needed to start up your work tools (and you no longer need that prominently displayed post-it note that jeopardises the IT security of your entire company…).
Or even when you discover this keyboard shortcut that brings fluidity to your work processes, and peace of mind by minimising interruptions.
When tools are developing so rapidly, we don’t necessarily realise just how many functions they offer that can save companies time (and therefore money).
This is particularly true of Microsoft Office 365, which brings together a particularly rich set of solutions. But it requires advanced expertise to unlock its full potential, and tailor it precisely to the needs of your business.
To find the best solution, our experts always start with an audit of your tools and uses, whether or not you are already using certain Microsoft Office software.
This gives us an overview of your day-to-day tasks, the specifics of your business and the state of your equipment, so we can build a balanced configuration and define any training needs.
Ask us for a free audit of your software infrastructure!
Why call in a Microsoft Office 365 expert?
Not all companies have a CIO available to manage the evaluation, configuration, monitoring and maintenance of software in-house.
Not all companies have a technical project manager who has the overview needed to choose efficient applications, without duplication or multiplication of interfaces.
All businesses have their own habits and routines, and are not necessarily aware of the developments and updates that could make their work easier, automate tasks and make back-ups more secure.
However, all companies need the best elements to develop their business, and to know how to use every feature that can be useful to them.
This is an often underestimated factor in productivity and growth, which can easily be optimised with the skills and teaching of our specialist consultants based in Lyon. With an expert, the answers are always clearer.
Do you only need office software? We can help you choose the most economical package and master all the elements of Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Access that are useful for your business.
Do you want to harmonise your teams’ practices and make it easier for new employees to join? We can configure your Outlook office services and mailboxes with turnkey workstations that are perfectly tailored to your team’s needs.
Are you making increasing use of teleworking and don’t know which components to use? We can help you avoid multiple interfaces and link your Office 365 accounts to Teams and Sharepoint, so you can take full advantage of Microsoft’s collaborative solutions.
Do you need to work with your employees simultaneously on the same document? We can help you make the most of Sharepoint and the instant messaging features built into your Office package.
Do you use Open Source software? Do you need advanced Cloud Computing services with additional security guarantees? Our experts can help you connect your accounts to Microsoft Azure, set up secure Exchange messaging and find the best configuration for the whole package.
The Microsoft Office 365 software suite includes everything you need to do without Zoom, Skype, Slack, Google Workplace, AWS, etc…
Our personalised support means you benefit from the comfort of an all-in-one solution, the simplicity of tools designed especially for you, and the proximity of a contact person open to discussion and all your questions!
We provide you with the experience of an expert, who acts as a consultant, architect and engineer (sometimes even a developer) to put in place the best software infrastructure for your team.
Our consultant also provides all the support and technical training needed to ensure the success of each of your company’s projects.
And of course, once the ideal solutions have been put in place, we continue to monitor and maintain them: supervising the security of your data, upgrading software, scrutinising new, potentially more advantageous offers, and always providing dialogue, technical support and training when you need it!
Contact us for a tailor-made IT diagnosis!
We are based in Lyon, but can also work in Paris and the Rhône-Alpes region. Of course, we’re also open to proposals from elsewhere, which may give us the opportunity to visit Bordeaux Métropole or travel up the banks of the Seine!
To go further than creating a Word document :
Outsourced consultant versus in-house IT support
In France, many VSEs and SMEs are faced with the problem of scale when it comes to managing their IT infrastructure. How do you find the right formula for a small team? What are the solutions that combine expertise, reliability and flexibility?
Take the example of this Hauts de Seine company, which has been operating in the professional training sector for 15 years and has 25 permanent employees and as many IT workstations. A stable and profitable business, it also has to take account of its operating costs in Paris and the surrounding region. From the outset, it has opted for Microsoft Office 365 software, with a basic package.
To prepare its training materials, it mainly uses Word and PowerPoint, and is beginning to take an interest in the collaborative possibilities of Sharepoint. Its administrative services have their routine on Excel.
His entire team has adapted to teleworking in confined spaces, but uses Google Meet with the personal account of one of his employees, who was the first to offer videoconferencing.
To develop a new range of online services and promote its Qualiopi certification throughout France, it is planning to set up an online teaching tool that centralises course modules and integrates a messaging system. It is therefore studying the potential of Microsoft’s offering for its deployment, in particular with Azure Cloud services, Exchange secure messaging and development via the Powershell suite.
At every stage of its thinking, this company does not know if it is looking in the right direction. It doesn’t know whether its use of Microsoft software is suited to its needs (particularly the simpler ones such as Word or Excel), or whether it is capable of making the right choices for its future development paths. It is looking for the right format, the right expert, the right consultant to support it in this process.
She is considering bringing an IT expert on board to manage this issue on a day-to-day basis and anticipate future needs. She is therefore looking at the job vacancies available in Paris to see what is being done, what requirements need to be met, and to get an idea of how much she needs to invest in terms of salary.
And whatever the job title, in English or French, on a fixed-term or permanent contract, the salaries offered are more than she can afford, especially as she’s not sure she’ll be able to provide enough assignments to fill a full-time position. At least she doesn’t have to worry about the job title: she won’t have a technical project manager, a Lead Digital Workplace Manager or a Ninja-level IT experience developer.
It therefore began looking for a freelance consultant to manage these issues, but was unable to find a truly versatile profile in Paris. The vacancies are full of highly qualified and highly specialised consultants, ranging from lead developers and software engineers to cloud computing project managers. Specialisation also means high pay, and the company believes that the guarantees are less clear-cut with a freelance profile.
It was while she was browsing LinkedIn that she heard about our timeshare IT services, and quickly realised that this formula offered her a multi-skilled, qualified contact with all the flexibility she needed to cover her needs in full, while only charging for the time spent, no more and no less. Even though our offices are in Lyon, she understands that we can travel to Paris as often as necessary.
After an initial audit, we were able to don our Office 365 architect hat and deliver our recommendations.
So we helped the company discover new resources in Microsoft Word, and automated the configuration of workstations, Microsoft Office accounts and email accounts when a new member of staff joined the team.
Of course, we’ve replaced Google Meet with Teams, so that only business accounts are linked to business uses, and in the medium term we’re recommending the deployment of virtualised workspaces using Azure and Windows Virtual Desktop.
We trained the teams in the collaborative uses of Sharepoint and in good document management practices to enable them to work together more effectively, while enabling them to capitalise on their mastery of Word and the Office suite.
Finally, our Microsoft expert has recommended doing without Powershell for the development of their future e-learning platform, as we feel that another development language would be more practical and less costly for this project. on the other hand, their messaging system will be able to be linked to Exchange.
Employing a consultant specialising in Microsoft software has therefore made it possible to optimise the use of Office 365, and save a salary with expenditure strictly limited to requirements.
And in your business, do you know how much Microsoft Office can do for you?