Using Microsoft Outlook in your Dental Office? NOVA Computer Solutions is your trusted Microsoft partner for your dental technology.
Whoever claimed that technology will be our servant and friend didn’t wake up to a ton of emails for responding and sorting. Good thing we have Microsoft Outlook.
See, a lot of businesses still use email as their main communication channel. That’s how members of the organization communicate and that’s how their clients and suppliers reach them. So while there are newer and better ways of communicating online – email is here to stay.
But if there’s anything that can help you tame the beast that is email, it’s your email client. Depending on your email client, it can make the job easier – or harder. If you do a quick search online, you will see that there are a ton of different email clients out there. If there’s anything common between all of the options, it’s that they aim to ease the burden of dealing with email daily. But if you’ve been in corporate for the longest time then you know that the go-to email client is Microsoft Outlook.
I know you might be imagining some 90’s aesthetic UI whenever people mention Outlook but it’s a pretty nifty tool that can run with the big boys. A lot of people believe Outlook is much better in helping you deal with email compared to other clients.
So the question is, is Microsoft Outlook good for a business? What are its benefits? Let’s dive in.
Integration, integration, integration
When you are working through your emails, it’s not rare to see yourself opening 3 or 4 different applications. This may include your calendars, contacts, and communication tool. This is because as you go through one email, you need to make sure you save a contact, save the date on the calendar, or prepare a meeting. In the case of Microsoft Outlook, it can be integrated with a variety of tools within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This means you can do all these things within one app. Have a meeting with a new client? Save him/her as a new contact, add a notification on your Calendar, and schedule a meeting on Teams all within the same window. As soon as you get used to this process, you will see that going through your emails does not take as much time as it used to.
Access Emails Offline
As much as we would like to work on reading and replying to emails when we are working with an active Internet Connection, it’s when we are offline that we have a lot of time. Like when you are 38,000 feet up in the air traveling to New York. That’s roughly an hour you can spend sorting emails. With Outlook, you can read and respond as if you were online. As soon as you get an Internet connection, the emails will be sent automatically. This is perfect for people who are always on the go or those that want to unplug and disconnect from the world wide web now and then.
Organize Your Emails The Way You Want To
Organization is a big deal for people who are using email. After all, if you are going to slog through hundreds if not thousands of emails you better make sure there’s some sense of organization to all of them. In other clients, they offer options for organization but with close to zero customization. This can be a problem because not all users work the same way. In Outlook, you have multiple ways of organizing emails from categories, folders, and flags. Another added feature is being able to color-code your categories. Simply put, Outlook does not restrict you on how you want to organize your emails.
If you are looking for more space-saving tips for Outlook then we have this perfect video for you.
Different Ways To Search for Emails
Ever had the experience when you’ve been trying to look for a specific email but can’t seem to find it. Sure, if you know you’ve been talking about Jamie’s casserole then you can just search for it. But for those moments when you just don’t know what you are looking for then Outlook can help you out. You can sort your emails in a multitude of ways from size, date, timeframe, and other things. Outlook gives you all the ways you can track and email. Couple this with the fact that Outlook already has folders and categories that can help narrow the search.
Minimizing Clutter With Rules
Oh don’t you just wish emails would be in their right folders or categories as soon as they arrive in your inbox? Well, you can do just that with the help of rules in Outlook. With rules, you can flag emails depending on a variety of factors, and they will automatically be categorized or put into folders. This means emails coming from within your organization will be placed in one folder but one from your boss will be placed on the folder with URGENT. This way, you can properly schedule your time and go through the emails without needing to organize them as you go.
Complete Contact Information
Unlike other email clients that only save a person’s name and email address, Outlook offers rich contact information cards. These contact cards may have a person’s photo, the status of the user (if they are busy or offline), and other information. This means just by looking at the contact card you will know where the person works, what department they are in, and if they are currently in a call.
There’s a reason why Microsoft Outlook is the #1 choice for corporate email communication. It’s simple, effective, and flexible. However, it can be quite a headache at times. For those moments, you can depend on NOVA Computer Solutions to sort everything out for you.
NOVA is composed of skilled IT technicians and specialists with years of experience using and troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook. NOVA has provided quality IT services and support to various dental offices in Northern Virginia. If you need help in setting up Microsoft Office or troubleshooting problems, you can count on NOVA to have the solutions for you.
