Common Problems with Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft has been a long-time vendor of office solutions, and most business professionals have utilized their applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Exchange, etc.)problems microsoft office 365

Office 365 is Microsoft’s most recent iteration of its office solutions, and it takes the tried-and-true applications to the cloud.   

As an on-premises Microsoft or Google cloud user, if you’re considering Office 365, you want to understand the benefits and challenges you might encounter.  

When The KR Group presents Office 365 as a proposed business solution, we point out the advantages it comes with, such as availability, user-friendliness, collaboration, etc.  

However, we also mention issues customers might have, which includes the following:  

  1.  Subscription-based 
  2. Complicated configuration 
  3. Possible security concerns 
  4. Learning curve 
  5. Perceived downtime issues 

Most importantly, we tell customers how these problems can be solved or worked through, which is the goal of this article.  

After reading through the following sections, you’ll have a clearer picture of what potential challenges Office 365 could present in your IT environment as well as how to address them.  

 

Problem: Microsoft Office 365 is Subscription-Based 

If you haven’t bought Microsoft Office solutions in a while, you may be expecting a one-time purchase, but Office 365 isn’t designed like that. 

Instead, you’ll need to buy Office 365 as a subscription with monthly payments per license. If you stop paying, you’ll lose the features associated with your licenses.  

Solution: Budget for a Recurring Expense 

As a result, you may need to think differently about how you budget for your office solutions platform. As a subscription, you’ll want to think of it as an operational expense. 

 

Problem: Complicated Configuration 

One of the more common complaints about Office 365 is how daunting it can be to configure.  problems microsoft office 365

You’ll have to turn on or off numerous flags and switches to get the solution to work how you want it to.  

And don’t forget just how many features come with Office 365 – Exchange Online for email, Word for documents, OneDrive for cloud storage, SharePoint for shared files, and more. Of course, all of these are tied together, but you’ll need to ensure it’s set up properly for it to work correctly. 

If you use Microsoft Azure, this process can be even more complicated as the features share names with Office 365. It can be tricky even for a Microsoft expert to correctly configure, let alone someone new to the platform.  

Solution: Work with a Microsoft Partner 

The quickest way to address this issue is to find a Microsoft partner to help you with implementation.  

To get Microsoft Office 365’s set up completed correctly, you’ll have to put in hours of learning before you start implementation. If you don’t have the time (or desire) to do this yourself, finding a partner to help you is likely your best option.  

 

Problem: Possible Security Concerns with Office 365 

As an Office 365 user, I’ve found the cloud sharing and storage features (OneDrive and SharePoint) useful during my many hours of notetaking and writing.  

I can share documents with other users at The KR Group and see what edits or comments they make in real-time.   

However, cloud sharing doesn’t come without security concerns. Anytime you increase the accessibility of a solution within your IT environment, you must ask who can access it and who should be able to access it.  

Solution: Secure Configuration 

If a user accidentally shares too much – for example, gives access to confidential company information via a private email address – that could have significant ramifications for your company.  

Microsoft’s solution to avoid the above scenario is to give network administrators the ability to prohibit access to a Onedrive or SharePoint link from external logins.  

Know that Microsoft allows open sharing by default, so to change who can access shared links, you’ll need to reconfigure some settings.  

Additionally, you’ll want to address the root of any security concerns by training your users about safe cloud storage practices.  

 

Problem: Learning Curve between Office Platforms

If it’s your first time using Office 365, you’ll want to expect an adjustment period for you and your users.  

Compared to on-premises Microsoft office products, applications will look slightly different, and you’ll have a few more features, such as autosave to the cloud, link sharing.  

And if you’re coming from Google Business Suite, you can expect you’ll need to relearn the location and details of certain tools. 

Solution: Set Realistic Expectations 

Regardless of what office solution you used previously, Office 365 will likely be just different enough to be super confusing.  

Ultimately, you’ll want to consider if the additional functionality gives you increased performance. If so, expect a temporary loss of productivity, knowing you’ll make up for it in the long run.  

To help shorten the learning curve, you can also consider training or requiring users to read current documentation on the functions of the different Office 365 applications.  

 

Problem: Perceived Downtime Issues 

It’s also worth mentioning the downtime struggle Microsoft has historically faced.  

In 2021, Microsoft suffered a significant outage when Azure went down for 14 hours. The issue affected Azure’s Active Directory, and as a result, users couldn’t log into Office 365, Dynamics 365, Xbox Live, and other Microsoft services. 

That scenario, combined with other application-specific outages, has given Microsoft the perception of having ongoing downtime issues.  

Solution: Understand and Think Through Average Downtime 

Fortunately, Microsoft has addressed the frequency and widespread impact of outages. Since then, they have held to three 9’s of uptime (about 9 hours of downtime per year.) 

Since most systems, including Microsoft, require regular application of patches for security, bug fixes, and new functionality, they will be necessary reboots every year. As a result, five 9s of uptime (a total downtime of just over 5 minutes) is virtually impossible. 

It’s important to remember, however, that any time you rely on a cloud service – Microsoft or other – you’re along for the ride. If you’re all in and those pieces go down, that will impact your business.  

If this sounds detrimental to your business, you’ll want to consider an on-premises alternative.  

 

Would the Problems Impact Your Office 365 Experience? 

As you’re deciding if Office 365 is the right option for your business, you’ll want to weigh the problems you read about earlier.  

Office 365’s subscription model, complex configuration, security concerns, learning curve, or downtime may all be reasons to research other solutions. But, as you also read, each problem has a solution that almost all businesses can work through.  

Ultimately, you’ll need to decide if moving to the cloud is the most effective choice for your business and if the end result is worth the initial adjustment. 

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