In this article, we look at two free Microsoft apps to increase your productivity, the Microsoft Forms and the Bookings apps. We answer the following questions: What is the Forms app? What are the benefits of the Forms app? What is the Bookings app? And what are the benefits of the Bookings app? (Note: this article was written upon request).

Increase your productivity with the Forms app

The first app we have a look at is the forms app, which officially is called Microsoft Forms.

What is the Forms app?

The Wikipedia gives the following definition: “Microsoft Forms (formerly Office 365 Forms) is an online survey creator, part of Office 365. Released by Microsoft in June 2016, Forms allows users to create surveys and quizzes with automatic marking. The data can be exported to Microsoft Excel and viewed live using the Present feature.”

Microsoft itself describes it as “a simple and powerful app that lets you easily create surveys, quizzes, and polls. With its intuitive interface, you can quickly design and share your forms with others, track responses in real-time and make data-driven decisions. Whether you’re conducting market research, gathering customer feedback, or testing student progress, Microsoft Forms makes it easy to get the insights you need to make informed decisions.”

Microsoft Forms provides a range of features to create interactive forms. Users can customize the background image, add pictures to questions, create sections, and use branching logic. It also offers real-time analytics to evaluate responses and integrates with other Microsoft 365 applications like Excel, SharePoint, and Teams. The app provides free templates and exclusive themes. It allows you to sync the results of your surveys and analyse the responses seamlessly in Excel.

Microsoft Forms is generally available to Office 365 Education customers, Microsoft 365 Apps for business customers, and users with a Microsoft account (Hotmail, Live, or Outlook.com). It is an optional and free app. Forms exists in an app version, which can be downloaded through the Microsoft Store, as well as in an online version, which can be found at https://forms.office.com. In essence, it is Microsoft’s competitor for Google Forms and Jotform.

As a lawyer, you could use the app, e.g., to do surveys among your clients, but also for things like client intake.

What are the benefits of the Forms app?

Microsoft Forms is a powerful tool that simplifies data collection and feedback gathering, with many benefits.

Integration with Microsoft 365: Microsoft Forms can be seamlessly integrated with other Microsoft 365 products. Users can insert quizzes, surveys, polls, and other types of forms into applications like OneNote, Excel, SharePoint, and Teams. This is probably the most important benefit, as it means that it integrates with the products and services your clients use and are familiar with.

Customization: Microsoft Forms offers customization options to create visually appealing forms. Users can choose from professionally designed templates or create their own themes. It also supports multilingual forms and provides powerful data visualization tools. Add themes, images, and videos to align forms with your law firm’s identity.

Real-time Responses: Visualize data as responses come in, with automatic charts and graphs.

Collaboration and Sharing: Share forms via links, embed them on websites, and collaborate with others.

Security and Privacy: Forms adheres to strict standards, allowing control over form access and anonymous responses.

Simple Creation Interface: You can create forms without any coding or design skills. Choose from templates or start from scratch.

Variety of Question Types: Forms supports multiple-choice, text entry, ratings, and more.

Logic and Branching: Customize the survey experience by directing respondents based on their previous answers.

Increase your productivity with the Bookings app

The second app we have a look at is the Bookings app.

What is the Bookings app?

The Wikipedia describes the Microsoft Bookings app as “a scheduling tool and is part of the Microsoft Office family of products. Released by Microsoft in March 2017, Bookings allows customers of small businesses and companies to book appointments with the company.”

In other words, Microsoft’s Bookings app is a scheduling tool that allows organizations to manage appointments and bookings with their customers. It is integrated with Microsoft Teams.

You can have one or more booking calendars. Scheduling bookings is easy and flexible. Attendees can join a booking, with or without a Teams account.

To add the Bookings app to Teams, users can go to the Apps section and search for Bookings. Once added, users can set up their booking calendar and customize the app according to their business needs.

Bookings is available with various subscriptions, including Office 365 and Microsoft 365 plans. It is not available as a standalone app and requires Outlook Web App or Outlook on the web to be enabled. All users of the Bookings app and staff participating in meetings must have a license that supports Teams meeting scheduling.

What are the benefits of the Bookings app?

The Bookings app offers the following benefits.

Integration with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365: The virtual appointments scheduled through the Bookings app are held via Microsoft Teams Meetings. This integration allows for seamless communication and collaboration during appointments. Appointments that are registered in Teams can automatically be added to your Outlook Calendar. Most importantly, because of this integration, it also integrates with the products and services your clients use and are familiar with. In other words, your clients can set up a meeting with you through an interface that they are familiar with.

Flexible and customizable: Bookings can be customized to fit the needs of your law firm. It offers built-in flexibility and the ability to customize appointment details, booking requirements, and service providers. This allows you to tailor the app to your specific requirements.

Features and functionality: Bookings simplifies the process of scheduling and managing appointments. It includes a web-based booking calendar that syncs with Outlook to optimize availability. The app also supports automated notification emails and reminders to reduce no-shows and enhance customer satisfaction. Additionally, Bookings integrates with Microsoft Teams to support virtual appointments via online meetings.

Conclusion

Forms and bookings are two free apps that function as add-ons to Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365. They are easy to use and make doing things like taking surveys and booking appointments easy. An additional benefit is that these are both Microsoft apps, which means your clients do not have to familiarize themselves with yet another platform. Instead, they can interact with you in a familiar environment.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bookings
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/overview-of-the-bookings-app-in-microsoft-teams-7b8569e1-0c8a-444e-b712-d9968b05110b
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-is-bookings-42d4e852-8e99-4d8f-9b70-d7fc93973cb5
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/bookings/bookings-faq?view=o365-worldwide&viewFallbackFrom=o365-worldwide/
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/bookings-app-admin
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/microsoft-bookings-service-description
• https://meganvwalker.com/using-microsoft-bookings-in-microsoft-teams/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Forms
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/introduction-to-microsoft-forms-bb1dd261-260f-49aa-9af0-d3dddcea6d69
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-forms/set-up-microsoft-forms
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-is-microsoft-forms-6b391205-523c-45d2-b53a-fc10b22017c8
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/frequently-asked-questions-about-microsoft-forms-495c4242-6102-40a0-add8-df05ed6af61c
• https://forms.office.com
• https://www.attorneyatwork.com/transform-your-law-practice-with-three-microsoft-365-apps/