Appendix

Microsoft 365 is a suite of productivity and collaboration applications designed to help you and your team to achieve more. In previous chapters, you learned various tips and tricks for each specific application, such as Teams, Planner, and Outlook. We also discussed methodologies and ways of working to help remote and hybrid teams use Microsoft 365. As you can imagine, the future of work and collaboration will always be changing.

In this appendix, you will find other resources and references for your journey in continuous improvement and professional development. We will cover the following topics:

• Productivity and collaboration
• Microsoft 365 evolution
• Conclusion and next steps

Productivity and collaboration

Collaboration and productivity have always been important. However, the future of work is reshaping collaboration and taking productivity to another level, thanks to the accelerated pace of digital transformation. A combination of technology and remote work will make this shift as significant as the mechanization of agriculture and manufacturing.

As the world changes, new and transformed professions arise. We are now at a point where it is very challenging for people and organizations to make sense of the current situation because the pandemic has turned our world upside-down. Meanwhile, we need awareness that "what brought us here won't get us there," to paraphrase Marshall Goldsmith.

Figure 16.1 shows a centralized organization versus a distributed organization. Bureaucracy and hierarchy were important in the past because there were no technologies for collaboration and communication to enable distributed organizations:

...

Exploring the evolution of Microsoft 365

Microsoft launched Office 365 in 2011. At that time, collaboration depended on email with Exchange and document-centric workflows and folders with SharePoint. Both products tried to make collaboration easier, as the cloud was still catching on in organizations.

Ten years later, in 2022, many things have changed. The pace of digital transformation has accelerated because of the global pandemic, which forced organizations to adopt a remote-first approach to work. In the following screenshot, you will see what the Microsoft 365 page looks like:

Figure 16.2 – Office.com

Microsoft 365 is constantly changing and evolving to empower users and organizations to achieve more. New applications may be available as you are reading this book. As you visit www.office.com (Figure 16.2), try and explore other Microsoft 365 applications.

Next steps

As we reach the end of our book, keep in mind that you can also continue learning by visiting www.docs.microsoft.com (Figure 16.3). In fact, you could take Microsoft certification exams to demonstrate your knowledge to colleagues and potential employers.

Figure 16.3 – Microsoft Learn

Also, feel free to reach out to us, the authors, at www.trentim.com.br or our Packt Publishing team, as you wish.

Summary

It has been a great journey. As you progressed from chapter to chapter, you added new competencies to leverage individual and team productivity. It is important that you revisit some chapters to master all the tips and tricks and get a competitive edge by using all the features of Microsoft 365. Do not forget that the Microsoft 365 platform is always evolving. Stay tuned and keep updated.

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