Since its start in the early 90s, Microsoft Office has become a household staple for businesses of all sizes. Odds are you have been using Microsoft Office for years. With technology constantly being updated, there may be some advanced features you have missed over the years.
Our time is valuable, and it’s important to optimize the tools we use every day. There are so many advanced features to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. In fact, people even take classes and become certified masters of all things Microsoft. With so many facets of these applications, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and miss some excellent time-saving features.
That’s why we have compiled a few tips on how to use advanced features of the most used Microsoft applications. We want to help you save time and ramp up productivity.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a great place to start. It is one of the simplest tools Microsoft offers. However, there are some Microsoft Word advanced features that will take your documents to the next level and save you time.
The first feature you might not be aware of is the “outline view” option in Word. Creating an outline for a report or any written document in Word can help you stay organized. An Outline can also save you time when writing long and tedious documents.
All you have to do to access this feature is go to the ribbon, click the view tab and then select outline.
Putting your document into outline view allows you to easily navigate a long report by jumping to a specific heading. You can also quickly plan out a report by writing your draft in this format. Using the outline feature also allows you to edit your work by reorganizing and formatting headings.
Another helpful feature of Microsoft Word is inputting equations. Writing out equations can be tedious and hard to understand. Thankfully, Word has a feature that allows you to insert equations much like Excell.
The updated version of Word refers to it as “Equation” and to access it all you have to do is click Insert on the top toolbar, then select Equation, then Insert New Equation. You will then be able to use the toolbar to create and insert equations into your reports.
These advanced features will help you save time writing reports and create a professional final product to present.
PowerPoint
PowerPoint presentations are a great way to enhance communication by using a visual. PowerPoint slides can be used for anything from presenting new objectives to reviewing company policies. It can help your staff better understand information and stay on track during meetings. With all of these benefits, it’s important you are getting the most out of this Microsoft application.
Most of us create multiple slides and then spend a lot of time editing each slide to add logos, consistent fonts, etc. One advanced feature and major time saver of PowerPoint is the Slide Master feature. Using this feature allows you to create a master slide that will set the theme for the rest of your PowerPoint. You can add your logo, font, font size, and personalized background to this slide. Everything on the master slide will be transferred to the rest of the PowerPoint. Then, when you need to edit the formatting, you can simply edit it on the master slide. The edits will then apply to the rest of the PowerPoint.
To use the slide master, click the View tab, then select Slide Master.
This will open up the master slide and master layouts. On the slide master, you can create all of the design elements for your slides. You can edit each slide underneath the master slide to create a different look and it will not affect the rest of the PowerPoint.
For a video tutorial on how to apply this feature to your PowerPoint click here.
Excel
I think we can all agree using Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets can be either very confusing or very helpful. Many people take classes to become masters of Excel. If you’re not a master, but you are looking to increase your skills, we are here to help.
One of the easiest ways to save time with Excel is to insert data directly from the internet. Unfortunately, copy-paste doesn’t do the job when formatting data correctly. Fortunately, Excel has an advanced feature that imports data from a website and formats it for you.
The steps to accomplish this are to first click on File, then select Open. Then, a dialogue box will open asking you which file you’d like to import. Next, go to the question bar and copy-paste the website you want to import data from. Now click open.
You may be asked for your security key. Enter your Windows login and click ok. The data should then appear formatted onto an excel sheet. This is a quick and easy way to import data into Excel.
Another advanced feature of Microsoft Excel is the option to remove duplicates. Don’t waste time going item by item. Your excel spreadsheets may have thousands of items and you need to be able to remove duplicates efficiently to present proper data.
To remove duplicates simply select the table or list you would like to edit. Then click the data tab. Now select Remove Duplicates.
A window will open and ask you which columns and windows you would like to scan through to find duplicates. Input the appropriate information then click ok. Excel will then remove all duplicates. You now have a few new tools under your belt to expedite your spreadsheet creation and editing.
Optimization
Optimization is key to productivity and efficiency. Making the most of the Microsoft tools you already have integrated into the enterprise can help you maximize performance and reduce time waste. We know how important saving time is to your business.
Our experts at v-TECH io can work with you to make sure you are getting the most out of the solutions you already have. We can support your optimization whether it’s Microsoft Office or another solution you are using. Our on-call experts are available to help.
Partnering with us is simple and easy. All you have to do is click here, fill out the form, and let us do the rest.
