Cloud applications have become a vital centerpiece of any business operations. The pandemic showed just how important it is to be able to operate from any location, which requires the use of cloud-based applications that can be accessed from any device.
The most popular cloud application in the world by user count is Microsoft 365. It’s used by approximately 600,000 U.S. businesses for productivity and to stay connected using applications like Teams.
One of the big benefits of using Microsoft 365 is that it contains multiple applications in a single cloud subscription, which helps prevent cloud overload and paying too much for apps that don’t share data or integrate well.
Another advantage of this cloud platform is that Microsoft keeps adding value to it. For example, a few additions (for no additional cost) they’ve added recently are:
- Editor in Word (for grammar, clarity, and more)
- Presenter Coach in PowerPoint
- Thousands of royalty-free stock images, icons, fonts, videos
- Data types in Excel for geography and stock information
One exciting new app that was rolled out during August 2020 is Microsoft Lists. This dynamic list application comes free with any Microsoft 365 subscription that has SharePoint.
What is Microsoft Lists?
More than just a task or to-do list, Microsoft Lists is designed to power list processes using automation, rules, and collaboration. It’s a way to organize and track a workflow.
These lists are designed to be:
- Simple: Easy to create, share, and track
- Smart: Automated notifications, multiple views, and syncing
- Flexible: Customization using rules, flows, and forms
You can use Microsoft lists in a desktop app, mobile app, or within Microsoft Teams.
Lists are designed to be easy to create in a few clicks and you can create them from:
- A blank list (i.e. from scratch)
- From one of several list templates (itinerary planning, onboarding, asset inventory, and more)
- From an Excel document
- From existing lists
Microsoft Lists Issue Tracker Template
Where to Put Microsoft Lists to Work for You
There are some activities you can do in Microsoft Lists (like issue tracking) that might allow you to drop another app subscription. The lists are dynamic and because they can be automated to make notifications or move status values, they’re much more powerful than just your average “to-do” list.
Here are several ideas for how you can use Microsoft Lists at your Framingham, MA area business.
Marketing Content Scheduling
You can use Microsoft Lists to manage your online content marketing schedule, sharing the list with your entire marketing team. The app allows you to assign people to various tasks within the list and can update you when an item is completed (like drafts of social media posts).
You can also use calendar view with the app to easily view your entire content marketing calendar and the status of each piece of content.
Customer Issue Tracking
If you’re paying for an expensive CRM to track customer service issues, this is one workflow that Microsoft Lists could take over.
You can keep a running list of issues that are outstanding, who is assigned to them their due date, status, and priority. Because Lists is sharable, everyone has visibility into a list and can do their part to move an issue through the resolution funnel.
Keep a Visual Device Inventory
Using the card view and asset management template in Microsoft Lists, you can make a list of company devices much more helpful by adding the photo of the actual device onto the list item and including which staff member each item is assigned to.
Reviewing available equipment in visual format is much easier than trying to read through a list of device names in text only to figure out which one you need.