10 ways Microsoft 365 Management can enhance local government services

Maximise digital services efficiency and security to impact local communities with Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is widely used within local government to empower teams, maximise productivity and security, increase collaboration, and keep local government costs to a minimum.

However, around half of all local governments who have invested in Microsoft 365 are not using it to its full potential1. Those who start off with a full and successful deployment, often find the benefits fall by the wayside unless they have the resources to dedicate to its on-going management. Through diligent in-house management of your Microsoft 365 environment, or by utilising our expert Microsoft 365 management services, you can leverage all the tools and functionality to their fullest capacity.

Acquiring Microsoft 365 for your local government is a smart choice, but not enough to see its full benefits.

The complexity, rapid update cadence, unrelenting security tasks, and interdependencies of linked products in Microsoft 365 require expert management in order to maximise your return on investment and continue to reap the benefits.

The cost of living and rising public demand in critical services have meant the toughest of choices for local government, with less to spend on the services that communities value.

This makes it more important than ever to be able to make the most of the numerous benefits your existing technology offers to enhance your productivity and meet the mounting pressures of sustainability, digital inclusivity and public demand.

Let’s explore the 10 key advantages of investing in our Microsoft 365 management services to make this a reality:

1. Proactive security measures for local government data protection:
Across the UK, local authorities are experiencing an average of 10,000 attempted or successful cyber attacks every day 2, so keeping your organisation secure is a key goal. With our Microsoft 365 management service, you can implement proactive security measures to safeguard your data and infrastructure. This includes setting up multi-factor authentication, data encryption, threat detection, and regular security audits to identify and mitigate potential risks and ensure regulatory adherence and operational efficiency.

2. Custom setup and configuration for local government needs:
Automate those repetitive, laborious, everyday manual tasks with ease and remove the need for them to use up your employees’ time, allowing them to focus on meeting public demand. Our Microsoft 365 management services incorporate end-to-end expertise from skilled engineers throughout the UK who handle the setup and configuration of your Microsoft 365 environment, leveraging advanced features and technologies. This ensures it’s tailored to your specific requirements, to optimise costs and efficiencies for public services, decreasing operational risks and increasing regulatory compliance.

3. Ongoing maintenance and regular updates for local government IT compliance:
With our management services, you can rest assured that your Microsoft 365 environment is kept updated with the latest features, security patches, and bug fixes. Using best practices, we handle all maintenance and updates for you, allowing you to focus on streamlining public service delivery without worrying about the admin required to keep maintenance-related system interruptions or vulnerabilities at bay.

4. Training local government staff for Microsoft 365 proficiency:
To maximise user adoption and productivity, our Microsoft 365 management provides comprehensive training and support services for your employees, giving them the knowledge and skills to leverage Microsoft 365 effectively and to support members of the public should they require support in accessing online services. This includes using new features, troubleshooting issues, or optimising workflows.

5. Tailored solutions for local government operations:
Every local government organisation has unique requirements, and with our Microsoft 365 service, we can develop customised solutions and integrations to enable local governments to address specific challenges. Whether building custom apps, integrating third-party tools, or creating automated workflows, we can tailor Microsoft 365 to align with your authorities’ specific organisational objectives and processes.

6. Cost management strategies for local government IT budgets:
Implementing and managing Microsoft 365 can be complex and costly if not done correctly. Implementing Wavenet optimisation tooling for your Microsoft estate provides optimised licensing, reduced infrastructure costs, predictable monthly costs and improved operational efficiency.

7. Continuous support for local government IT reliability:
With round-the-clock monitoring and support services, our Microsoft 365 management can quickly identify and resolve any issues that may arise within your Microsoft 365 environment. This minimises downtime, enhances system reliability, and ensures that your organisation can always respond to public demands.

8. Flexible solutions for growing and seasonal local government requirements:
As your business grows and evolves, so do your needs for Microsoft 365 management. We can scale and adapt to accommodate changing requirements, such as over the festive period and new year or in the summer when more people are out and about. This can be adding new users, expanding storage capacity, or integrating additional services seamlessly.

9. Strategic IT planning for local government efficiency:
Beyond day-to-day management, our customer design authority (CDA) team will offer strategic guidance and roadmap planning for your Microsoft 365 deployment. This will help you identify long-term goals, assess technology trends, and develop a roadmap to align with your local government’s objectives, enabling you to keep up with public demand and ensure your on-going compliance with regulations.

10. Peace of mind and time savings for local government services:
Ultimately, partnering with us for your Microsoft 365 management gives you peace of mind, knowing that your Microsoft 365 environment is in expert hands. It also frees up valuable time and resources that can be allocated to the things that truly matter to you, delivering quality services for members of the public.

So, if your local government would benefit from end-to-end expertise from: