For many businesses, Microsoft 365 has become a staple. Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams are familiar names that power daily operations. But the truth is, Microsoft 365 is far more than the headline apps. It includes a range of tools designed to improve collaboration and productivity, yet many organisations never take advantage of them.
What often happens is that SMBs stick to familiar tools and then go out and buy new software for needs they didn’t realise Microsoft already covered. In some cases, this means paying for third‑party subscriptions that duplicate functionality you already own. For IT managers, this creates unnecessary administration, and for business leaders, it quietly adds costs that chip away at budgets.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of Microsoft 365’s lesser‑known apps, Planner, Forms, Whiteboard, Loop, and Bookings, and show you how they can drive real value in your business.
Why Exploring The Full Suite Matters For SMBs
The logic is simple: if you’re already investing in Microsoft 365, you should extract every ounce of value from it. That means knowing what is available, where it overlaps with paid third‑party apps, and how your team could be working smarter.
For decision makers, this translates to three major benefits:
- Cost efficiency: avoiding duplicate software subscriptions.
- Collaboration: empowering teams to work together more effectively.
- Security: keeping tools inside Microsoft’s ecosystem, reducing the risks of fragmented apps.
In a climate where budgets are tight, ignoring these hidden gems not only wastes resources but also blocks your teams from working at their best.
Planner: Bring Order To Projects Without Extra Software
If your teams are juggling tasks and struggling to stay aligned on projects, Microsoft Planner is worth exploring. Think of it as Microsoft’s answer to tools like Trello or Asana, but included in your subscription.
A Real‑World Example
Imagine your marketing team is planning an upcoming campaign. Using Planner, they can:
- Create a board for the campaign.
- Add tasks with due dates.
- Assign responsibilities to team members.
- Track progress visually.
Everyone involved sees updates in real‑time, and with its integration into Teams and Outlook, notifications and task lists naturally appear where your colleagues are already working. The result is accountability and visibility, without having to manage log‑ins for multiple third‑party platforms.
For SMBs, this is about more than convenience, it’s about confidence. You know that projects are being organised without needing yet another tool to introduce, learn, or justify in the budget.
Forms: Quick Surveys And Feedback In Minutes
Surveys are a routine part of business operations, from gathering customer insights to checking in with employees. Too often, companies turn to standalone survey platforms when Microsoft Forms could get the job done quickly and securely.
How SMBs Can Use It
- HR feedback: A HR department might create a survey for staff to rate engagement levels, with responses easily collated into charts.
- Customer touchpoints: A sales team can run a quick post‑project feedback survey, ensuring they capture client views while the experience is still fresh.
The standout advantage is speed. Anyone can set up a survey in minutes, no coding or lengthy onboarding required. Because results are available inside your Microsoft environment, data stays secure and can be quickly exported to Excel for deeper analysis.
By using Forms, you’re not just saving money on third‑party platforms, you’re centralising data where it belongs.
Whiteboard: Visual Collaboration No Matter Where The Team Is
Hybrid working is now the norm for many SMBs, but creativity can take a hit if your team is missing a physical whiteboard. Microsoft Whiteboard gives you the digital equivalent, baked into Microsoft Teams.
Scenario In Action
Imagine a product workshop with employees in different locations. Instead of scribbling notes on a whiteboard in one office, participants can sketch diagrams, shape ideas, and vote on concepts through Whiteboard in Teams. Everyone contributes, whether they’re at a desk or using a tablet.
The benefit is clear: you preserve the energy of a live brainstorming session even when people are spread out. This makes it easier to innovate, align staff, and keep hybrid collaboration inclusive.
Many businesses spend money on standalone whiteboard apps, unaware they already have Whiteboard ready to go. With this tool, creativity and inclusivity are available directly inside Microsoft 365.
Loop: The New Way To Work Together On Content
Loop is one of Microsoft’s latest and least understood tools, and that’s precisely why it can feel like a hidden gem. At its core, Loop is designed to break down barriers between applications. Instead of emailing document versions back and forth, Loop enables teams to co‑author components in real time across apps like Outlook, Teams, and OneNote.
What This Looks Like In Practice
Picture a leadership team aligning on a business plan:
- A Loop component (like a table or list) is created in Teams.
- Updates made by one colleague instantly update everywhere the component is shared.
- There’s no “version one” and “final version”, just the living, current text, always in sync.
The pay‑off is smoother decision‑making and far less administrative friction. Rather than merging feedback, everyone has the same source of truth. For decision makers, Loop can mean less wasted time and quicker project execution.
Bookings: Easy And Professional Scheduling Without Back‑And‑Forth Emails
Few things waste as much time as scheduling meetings over email. Bookings solves this problem by letting people book into your calendar directly, within rules you set.
Use Case For SMBs
Say you run a consultancy. Rather than exchanging strings of emails with clients to confirm a time, you can send them a Bookings link. Clients see your available slots and book instantly.
This does more than free up administrative time. It also makes your business look professional and digitally savvy. What’s more, because Bookings is built inside Microsoft 365, you avoid sending customer data to external scheduling apps, reducing privacy concerns.
For service‑based SMBs, Bookings is a simple improvement that can boost efficiency, customer experience, and brand image in one go.
Unlocking Business Value With Tools You Already Own
The hidden gems inside Microsoft 365, Planner, Forms, Whiteboard, Loop, and Bookings, are more than nice extras. They can transform how your business operates, often replacing tools you might already be paying for.
By using these apps, you:
- Cut unnecessary software spend.
- Enable teams to collaborate more effectively.
- Keep your business data within Microsoft’s secure ecosystem.
The message is simple: you’re likely already paying for tools that could save time, improve collaboration, and even remove security risks created by fragmented app use. It’s about shifting the mindset from “what do we need to buy” to “what can we use better.”
If you’d like to explore which Microsoft 365 tools could deliver the most impact for your team, contact us to find out more, you may be surprised at the value that’s already within your reach.