Making the Most of Your Existing Tools: A Deep Dive into Microsoft 365

March 26, 2024 Jabey Gray

Collaborative Design Sessions: Create dedicated Teams channels for each project and host real-time design collaboration and brainstorming sessions. Share sketches, CAD drawings, and 3D models to provide immediate feedback and foster creativity.

Project Management: Teams serves as a central hub for project management, enabling you to organise project-related discussions, schedule meetings, assign tasks, and share project updates. Create channels for specific project phases (e.g., concept design, schematic design) and collaborate with consultants, contractors, and clients in a secure environment.

Budget Management: Excel can create detailed project budgets and track expenses such as materials, labour, and consultant fees. They can set up formulas to calculate projected costs and compare them against actual expenditures, ensuring projects stay within budget constraints.
Data Analysis: Analyse project data using Excel's pivot tables and charts, identifying patterns and trends in project performance. For example, they can analyse past project data to estimate resource requirements for future projects or assess the impact of design changes on project timelines.

Client Presentations: Visually compelling PowerPoint presentations showcase design concepts to clients and stakeholders. They can include slides with renderings, floor plans, and 3D walkthroughs to communicate design vision and secure client buy-in.
Conceptual Design Visualisation: PowerPoint can create interactive presentations that allow clients to explore different design options. For instance, create slides with clickable hotspots that reveal additional information about specific design elements or alternative design proposals.

File Management: Store project files, including CAD drawings, specifications, and reports, in OneDrive or SharePoint. Organise files into folders and subfolders to ensure team members can easily locate and access the latest project documents.
Document Collaboration: Use co-authoring features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to collaborate on design documents and project deliverables in real-time. Multiple team members can work on the same document simultaneously, and changes are automatically synced across all devices.

Communication and Scheduling: Outlook enables project-related communication and scheduling meetings with clients, consultants, and contractors. Set up shared calendars to coordinate project milestones, site visits, and design review meetings, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.

Workflow Automation: Use Power Automate for repetitive tasks and to streamline workflows. For example, create automated workflows to notify team members when new design revisions are uploaded to SharePoint or to send reminders for upcoming project deadlines.

Brainstorming and Ideation: Microsoft Whiteboard is perfect for virtual brainstorming sessions and collaborative design discussions. Users can sketch design ideas, annotate drawings, and collaborate with team members in real time, promoting creativity and innovation in the design process.