# Best Microsoft 365 Management Tools for Small Business

  *By [Tian Lin](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/tian-lin)*

   Products classified in the overall Microsoft 365 Management Tools category are similar in many regards and help companies of all sizes solve their business problems. However, small business features, pricing, setup, and installation differ from businesses of other sizes, which is why we match buyers to the right Small Business Microsoft 365 Management Tools to fit their needs. Compare product ratings based on reviews from enterprise users or connect with one of G2's buying advisors to find the right solutions within the Small Business Microsoft 365 Management Tools category.

In addition to qualifying for inclusion in the Microsoft 365 Management Tools category, to qualify for inclusion in the Small Business Microsoft 365 Management Tools category, a product must have at least 10 reviews left by a reviewer from a small business.






---

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---

## Top-Rated Products (Ranked by G2 Score)
  ### 1. [Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365](https://www.g2.com/products/veeam-data-cloud-for-microsoft-365/reviews)
  Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365 provides unified, future-ready data protection for Microsoft 365 and Entra ID in a single, modern SaaS solution. Designed for organizations of all sizes, Veeam safeguards your critical Microsoft 365 workloads—including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Entra ID—against cyber threats, accidental deletions, retention policy gaps, and misconfigurations. Veeam Data Cloud stands out with: - Single platform simplicity: Manage and protect Microsoft 365 and Entra ID data from an intuitive interface. - Granular, rapid recovery: Restore exactly what you need, from individual emails and files to full Entra ID attributes, groups, and logs. - Unlimited storage: Always included, with clear, predictable per-user pricing and no hidden fees. - Zero-trust security foundation: Benefit from service-level immutability, MFA, strong encryption, and role-based access controls integrated with Entra ID. - Advanced compliance & sovereignty: Meet audit, legal, and regional data residency requirements with automated reporting and flexible backup locations. - Seamless integration: Works natively with Microsoft APIs and does not lock you in, ensuring true data portability. Trusted by over 23.5M users worldwide, Veeam Data Cloud for Microsoft 365 is consistently recognized for its usability, fast recovery, and robust security, making it the ideal choice for IT teams who need to ensure business continuity and compliance without complexity.


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 202

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 8.4/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [Veeam](https://www.g2.com/sellers/veeam)
- **Company Website:** https://www.veeam.com
- **Year Founded:** 2006
- **HQ Location:** Columbus, OH
- **Twitter:** @veeam (51,544 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/veeam-software/ (6,666 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Who Uses This:** IT Manager, System Engineer
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
  - **Company Size:** 55% Mid-Market, 25% Small-Business


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Backup Solutions (20 reviews)
- Ease of Use (17 reviews)
- Easy Restore (17 reviews)
- Restore Functionality (15 reviews)
- Easy Setup (9 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Lack of Backup (10 reviews)
- Difficult Setup (7 reviews)
- Backup Issues (6 reviews)
- Licensing Issues (6 reviews)
- Expensive (5 reviews)

  ### 2. [Orchestry](https://www.g2.com/products/orchestry/reviews)
  Orchestry is a Microsoft 365 management and automation platform that accelerates cost savings, storage reduction, sprawl prevention and risk remediation. Our platform is purpose-built with an emphasis on user experience and actionability so you can implement and start making an impact in days, not weeks. Orchestry streamlines workspace provisioning and lifecycle management, automates manual governance tasks, identifies and prioritizes potential risks, and consolidates data into centralized reports and dashboards. It goes beyond native capabilities so you can get control of your tenant, prevent future issues, scale with confidence, and get ready for AI fast.


  **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 98

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.9/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [Orchestry Software Inc.](https://www.g2.com/sellers/orchestry-software-inc)
- **Company Website:** https://www.orchestry.com/
- **Year Founded:** 2020
- **HQ Location:** Vancouver, British Columbia
- **Twitter:** @OrchestrySoft (460 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchestry (41 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Who Uses This:** Senior Consultant
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Consulting
  - **Company Size:** 45% Small-Business, 43% Mid-Market


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Ease of Use (20 reviews)
- Time-saving (9 reviews)
- User Interface (8 reviews)
- Workflow Management (8 reviews)
- Solutions (7 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Steep Learning Curve (7 reviews)
- Learning Curve (5 reviews)
- User Difficulty (5 reviews)
- Difficult Setup (4 reviews)
- Poor UI (4 reviews)

  ### 3. [AdminDroid](https://www.g2.com/products/admindroid/reviews)
  AdminDroid 365 brings your entire Microsoft 365 and Active Directory environment into one powerful management platform. With 3600+ Microsoft 365 reports, 450+ Active Directory reports, and 100+ intuitive dashboards, AdminDroid 365 lets you monitor, manage, and secure your organization with unmatched clarity and control. From in-depth analytics to smart automation, AdminDroid 365 delivers everything you need for efficient administration, proactive monitoring, and compliance assurance - all in a single solution. Core Capabilities of AdminDroid: Microsoft 365 Reporting & Auditing - Comprehensive reports across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, OneDrive, Power BI (Audit), and more to track usage, audit activities, and analyze trends with clarity. Active Directory Reporting & Auditing - Detailed AD reports on users, groups, computers, OUs, GPOs, logons, and security events providing granular insight into directory activities and security-related changes. 360° Visibility Explorers - Gain a holistic, interconnected view of users, Teams, mailboxes, SharePoint, and OneDrive with centralized activity, access, and permission insights. Management Actions - Execute 475+ management actions across Microsoft 365 and Active Directory, including bulk user, group, mailbox, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and computer operations with full visibility and delegation control. Automation with Flow Agents - Automate onboarding, offboarding, and routine administrative tasks using a centralized, no-code workflow builder that scales from single users to thousands. Reminders & Follow-ups - Automate timely reminders and follow-ups for every critical action within your Microsoft 365 and Active Directory environment. From notifying users about upcoming password expirations to monitoring lockouts and sending Kerberos password reset alerts, AdminDroid handles all follow-ups for you. Alerting - Detect risks and anomalies across Microsoft 365 and Active Directory with coverage for 3000+ activities and 110+ prebuilt alert policies, supported by actionable alert dashboards. Usage & Adoption Analytics - Analyze Microsoft 365 usage and adoption across departments, roles, and locations to identify active users, inactive resources, and license optimization opportunities. Compliance Auditing - Audit and categorize activities against major compliance standards such as ISO, SOX, PCI-DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, and more to strengthen internal controls and data security. Other Major Feature Highlights: Advanced Reporting Capabilities to customize report columns, apply advanced filters, and export data in multiple formats including PDF, Excel, CSV, HTML, and RAW. Saved Report Views to preserve personalized report layouts with selected columns, sorting, and filters for quick reuse. Governance Portal to gain centralized visibility into security, compliance, and usage across Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange from a single interface. Multi-tenant & Multi-domain Support to monitor and generate comprehensive reports across multiple Microsoft 365 tenants and Active Directory domains from a single AdminDroid portal. Multi-Geo Support to manage and report SharePoint data across different geographical locations. Delegated Roles to control admins' access to specific reports, dashboards, management actions, and flow agents. Virtual Tenants to limit admins' access to only the required Microsoft 365 & Active Directory resources, providing granular control based on users, groups, mailboxes, sites, teams, computers, and their properties. Data Retention, Backup & Recovery to retain audit data indefinitely with secure backup and reliable restore options. Partner Support to onboard and manage multiple customer tenants using Microsoft Partner GDAP permissions. Rebranding to personalize the AdminDroid portal with your company name, logo, and custom sign-in experience.


  **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 31

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 7.9/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 7.4/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [AdminDroid](https://www.g2.com/sellers/admindroid)
- **HQ Location:** Chennai, IN
- **LinkedIn® Page:** http://www.linkedin.com/company/admindroid (145 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services
  - **Company Size:** 45% Mid-Market, 35% Small-Business


  ### 4. [Datto SaaS Protection](https://www.g2.com/products/datto-saas-protection/reviews)
  Reliable, Secure Protection for Cloud Applications Datto SaaS Protection is a cloud-to-cloud backup solution that offers comprehensive backup and recovery for critical cloud data in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It is designed specifically for MSPs to protect their clients’ SaaS data efficiently and manage client data retention, licenses, and cost. SaaS Protection protects against permanent data loss and allows MSPs to easily recover clients’ data following a ransomware attack with 3x daily, point-in-time backups. Backups are stored securely in the Datto Cloud with files, folders, settings, and permissions intact for fast restores whether you need to restore a single item or an entire user account.


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 35

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 7.3/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [Kaseya](https://www.g2.com/sellers/kaseya)
- **Company Website:** https://www.kaseya.com/
- **Year Founded:** 2000
- **HQ Location:** Miami, FL
- **Twitter:** @KaseyaCorp (17,426 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaseya/ (5,512 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security
  - **Company Size:** 78% Small-Business, 17% Mid-Market


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Backup Solutions (2 reviews)
- Easy Setup (2 reviews)
- Simple (2 reviews)
- Cloud Computing (1 reviews)
- Ease of Use (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Backup Issues (2 reviews)
- Lack of Backup (1 reviews)

  ### 5. [Automation Anywhere Agentic Process Automation](https://www.g2.com/products/automation-anywhere-agentic-process-automation/reviews)
  Automation Anywhere is the global leader in Agentic Process Automation (APA), transforming how organizations put AI to work. Our platform combines specialized AI agents, generative AI, and end-to-end process automation—including process discovery, RPA, document processing, and advanced analytics—all built on a foundation of security and governance. We empower businesses worldwide to unlock productivity, elevate customer experiences, and drive new revenue streams. Guided by our vision to fuel the future of work, we unleash human potential through Agentic AI-powered automation. Learn more at https://www.automationanywhere.com.


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 4,009

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [Automation Anywhere](https://www.g2.com/sellers/automation-anywhere)
- **Company Website:** https://www.AutomationAnywhere.com
- **Year Founded:** 2003
- **HQ Location:** San Jose, CA
- **Twitter:** @AutomationAnywh (55,131 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/208639/ (3,967 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Who Uses This:** RPA Developer, Software Engineer
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
  - **Company Size:** 59% Enterprise, 23% Mid-Market


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Ease of Use (84 reviews)
- Automation (71 reviews)
- Efficiency (43 reviews)
- Automation Ease (42 reviews)
- User Interface (42 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Expensive (28 reviews)
- Learning Curve (27 reviews)
- Missing Features (25 reviews)
- Software Bugs (22 reviews)
- Bot Issues (20 reviews)

  ### 6. [Backupify](https://www.g2.com/products/backupify/reviews)
  Reliable, automated, secure Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup from the cloud-to-cloud experts who started it all. Backupify makes it easy to recover emails, files, sites and Teams from all forms of data loss including accidental or malicious deletion, canceled employee accounts and ransomware - all from an easy to use web dashboard. Now protecting over 4.5 million enterprise users from software tech companies to school staff and students.


  **Average Rating:** 4.2/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 183

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 7.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 7.7/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 7.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [Kaseya](https://www.g2.com/sellers/kaseya)
- **Company Website:** https://www.kaseya.com/
- **Year Founded:** 2000
- **HQ Location:** Miami, FL
- **Twitter:** @KaseyaCorp (17,426 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaseya/ (5,512 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Who Uses This:** IT Manager, Director of IT
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Primary/Secondary Education
  - **Company Size:** 61% Mid-Market, 29% Small-Business


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Reliability (2 reviews)
- User Interface (2 reviews)
- Backup Frequency (1 reviews)
- Backup Management (1 reviews)
- Backup Solutions (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Billing Issues (1 reviews)
- Difficult Setup (1 reviews)
- Lacking Features (1 reviews)
- Lack of Backup (1 reviews)
- Login Issues (1 reviews)

  ### 7. [CoreView](https://www.g2.com/products/coreview/reviews)
  CoreView is the leading SaaS platform for Microsoft 365 Tenant Resilience. Trusted by enterprises worldwide, CoreView secures the configuration, identity, and access layers of Microsoft 365—hardening tenants against attack, reducing privilege and blast radius, detecting configuration tampering, and restoring security posture after incidents. By protecting Microsoft 365 & Entra at the tenant level, CoreView ensures organisations can prevent compromise, withstand intrusion, and recover with confidence from cyber threats and operational disruption. Use Cases: 1. Tenant Resilience for Microsoft 365 2. Complex Microsoft 365 tenant management 3. Enforce governance and lifecycle management for Microsoft 365


  **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 116

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [CoreView](https://www.g2.com/sellers/coreview)
- **Company Website:** https://www.coreview.com
- **Year Founded:** 2014
- **HQ Location:** Washington, DC
- **Twitter:** @CoreViewHQ (1,046 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/5200159/ (192 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Construction
  - **Company Size:** 51% Enterprise, 32% Mid-Market


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Automation (12 reviews)
- Ease of Use (11 reviews)
- Time-saving (7 reviews)
- Productivity Improvement (6 reviews)
- Centralized Management (5 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Steep Learning Curve (6 reviews)
- Navigation Issues (5 reviews)
- Limited Features (4 reviews)
- Insufficient Training (3 reviews)
- Slow Performance (3 reviews)

  ### 8. [Teams Manager for Microsoft Teams](https://www.g2.com/products/teams-manager-for-microsoft-teams/reviews)
  Teams Manager helps IT administrators keep control of Microsoft 365 and stop uncontrolled growth. Governance features: =================== Provisioning of teams and SharePoint sites with customizable templates Request & approval workflow for new teams, channels, M365 groups, SharePoint sites Lifecycle management Naming conventions Metadata Classifications Governance policies Guest access Access review Ensure structure and organization for your Microsoft Teams & Microsoft 365 environment! Get started right away: Simply install the app from the Teams store and start requesting teams with just one click at https://teams.microsoft.com/l/app/87000000-3db9-bb44-5015-0b4a327a6597 For more information about Teams Manager, please visit www.solutions2share.com/teams-manager/. Curious to see more? Get a free demo at https://www.solutions2share.com/book-a-demo/


  **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
  **Total Reviews:** 63

**User Satisfaction Scores:**

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Management:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10)
- **Storage Insights:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Bulk User Management:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)


**Seller Details:**

- **Seller:** [Solutions2Share GmbH](https://www.g2.com/sellers/solutions2share-gmbh)
- **Year Founded:** 2011
- **HQ Location:** Fürth (Bavaria), Germany
- **Twitter:** @Solutions2Share (400 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/2799419/ (48 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Reviewer Demographics:**
  - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Hospital & Health Care
  - **Company Size:** 56% Mid-Market, 23% Small-Business


#### Pros & Cons

**Pros:**

- Ease of Use (4 reviews)
- Centralized Management (1 reviews)
- Integration Capabilities (1 reviews)
- Integrations (1 reviews)
- Navigation Ease (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Cost (1 reviews)
- Difficult Setup (1 reviews)
- Expensive (1 reviews)
- Integration Issues (1 reviews)
- Licensing Issues (1 reviews)



## Parent Category

[IT Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-management)



## Related Categories

- [User Provisioning and Governance Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/user-provisioning-and-governance-tools)



---

## Buyer Guide

### What You Should Know About Office 365 Management Tools

### What are Office 365 Management Tools?

Office 365 management tools are cloud-based SaaS solutions that assist in monitoring and gaining visibility into Microsoft Office 365 suite. These software packages comprise the same core functionalities as traditional versions of Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and based on the plan subscribed to, may also include other applications and services such as Planner, Publisher, Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Access, Yammer, Skype, and Microsoft Teams.

Implementing Office 365 management software enables an organization to govern its IT infrastructure more efficiently by providing security functions, data analyses, and real-time communication, thereby improving overall organizational productivity.

Microsoft 365 management solution assists with administrative tasks at a granular level which typically involves setting up employee devices, granting user permissions, and creating alerts for critical tasks, in addition to the monitoring features it offers.

Hiring a [Microsoft Office 365 consulting provider](https://www.g2.com/categories/microsoft-office-365-consulting) may help provide additional insights to businesses still contemplating whether or not the implementation of an Office 365 management tool will be beneficial.

### What are the Common Features of Office 365 Management Tools?

Efficiency is crucial for businesses. Having the capability to create, collaborate and communicate seamlessly and access tools that enable workers to perform their jobs more effectively promotes agility and makes the organization more competitive in their sector.

Office 365 management software boosts the productivity of an organization. Here are the common features it offers: 

**Centralized management** : Office 365 management tools facilitate centralized management of diverse applications, including everything from email and chat to project and task management to automation and business security configurations via a single dashboard.

**Administrative support** : With the help of the O365 solution, administrative tasks are delegated at a granular level to assist desk staff and other non-IT users through role-based delegation. It aids with auditing all user activities in SharePoint Online, Azure Active Directory (AD), and Exchange Online through integration with the Microsoft 365 Activity Management API.

**Secured search** : The software allows IT administrators to search and manage native users or group permissions directly through Microsoft 365 Groups, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. Additionally, it helps scrutinize emails with automated content search to detect potential personal information hacks and spear-phishing attacks.

**Granting permissions:** The software allows admin users to assign temporary permissions to individual users or groups within Microsoft 365 and audit all administrative actions. 

**High-speed migration** : Office 365 management facilitates seamless bulk content movement or replication across Microsoft 365 instances for internal consolidation or tenant-to-tenant migration.

**Granular deployment:** The software allows users to select SharePoint objects and customizations as required, which includes site collections, sites, lists, folders, items, configurations, design elements, security settings, managed metadata service settings, web parts, workflow, and forms. These customizations can be sent to another location and are deployed at a granular level.

**Report generation:** Office 365 management suite helps in generating reports on global Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Group team sites settings and security to spot any unauthorized changes and take actions accordingly. It also supports the generation of audit reports for last access time, content type changes, item lifecycle, site access, list access, list deletion, permission changes, and user lifecycle across an entire Microsoft 365 environment. 

### What are the Benefits of Office 365 Management Tools?

**Backup and recovery** : A general fallacy among the masses is that data created and stored in the cloud requires no backup. Microsoft operates on the shared responsibility model, i.e., while they maintain their infrastructure, the organization has to assume the responsibility of recovering its data. When data is deleted or corrupted, companies risk incurring losses due to the loss of sensitive information. Data loss can happen for various reasons, whether it's human error, cyberattacks, or keeping up with new compliance measures, which can cost valuable time and resources. Office 365 management tools aid in backing up and protecting the organization’s data effectively and offloading routine process management. Beyond Microsoft’s native recovery capabilities, these solutions save time and eliminate stress by making it easy to locate and restore the files and folders which are needed quickly. Fast and granular restoration functions assist in recovering lost files and folders directly to a user's account or downloading them directly to the computer or device.

**Cloud compliance:** Cloud compliance is the principle that cloud-delivered systems must be by the standards their customers need. Office 365 management solutions ensure that data is secure, retrievable, and protected. It provides data controls and monitoring tools, including audit data logs archiving, uptime and availability SLAs, and export capabilities to meet the compliance requirements of enterprise customers.

**Analytics and governance:** This software provides the organization with deep insight to measure results. It offers total visibility across Microsoft Office 365 software with action-enabled reports and facilitates management through delegated administration and automation. It offers a unified dashboard for users to seamlessly shift between tasks like calculation of chargebacks, prevention of data breaches, onboarding new employees, and more.

**Improved efficiency:** Office 365 management solutions optimize the tasks and data that employees require to interact with every day. Its user management capabilities allow IT admins to change user permissions easily, provide users with the correct licenses and privileges promptly, and manage mailboxes efficiently.

### Who Uses Office 365 Management Tools?

**IT industry:** IT teams of various enterprises can boost their productivity with tools like Word, Excel, Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and more. Since Office 365 is cloud-based, it is accessible from location and on any device, as long as there’s a stable internet connection. However, solving visibility and reporting problems can be a recurring challenge. Office 365 management software provides an easy way to completely manage Microsoft 365 tools, tightening security and compliance, thereby assisting end users to get the most out of all Microsoft 365 applications. 

**Healthcare industry:** Office 365 tools assist the healthcare sector by facilitating effective patient care and lowering operational costs by enhancing collaboration between healthcare staff and independent specialties, health teams, and healthcare professionals in hospitals. However, without implementing Office 365 management software, hospitals may lose millions of dollars in unwanted licensing fees, face security vulnerabilities, and fail to maximize their ROI in office 365 productivity tools.

**Financial services industry:** Using Office 365 tools helps the banking, finance, and insurance industry optimize their productivity. Implementing the software to manage them assists in addressing various issues relating to governance like visibility, license management, adoption, provisioning and de-provisioning, and more.

**Retail industry:** Office 365 has helped retail outlets to streamline processes, facilitate effective communication among the staff, deliver excellent customer experience, and secure their business. Deploying an Office 365 management tool provides feature-based governance to gain visibility and monitor Microsoft 365 components. It helps to identify who has access to what environment to tackle security issues arising due to different user accesses on mailboxes, OneDrive, and other tools. 

### Challenges with Office 365 Management Tools

Microsoft Office 365 is not a single application but an entire suite, which is why IT teams face various challenges when it comes to managing these tools. For large enterprises, these challenges are amplified since they face complications that smaller organizations don’t have to deal with. Here are a few challenges with Office 365 management software to keep in mind:

**User adoption:** Office 365 is a powerful tool. It consists of various applications and services with an extensive set of functionalities, hence it is not unusual that there is some crossover in features between different apps. This crossover is one of the factors that make management of Office 365 challenging as it can lead to confusion. Creating buy-in from end users and keeping a track of the adoption of M365 apps can be complex and deplete IT resources, specifically while transitioning from an on-premises solution. If M365 services aren’t fully adopted, it can also create issues when the IT team has to show the ROI of this solution. While the native Microsoft 365 admin tools can give IT some information into adoption, it can still be challenging to comprehend the full picture across the entire Office 365 suite. 

**IT staff utilization:** With a variety of applications and corresponding admin consoles, the most productive and systematic method to manage Microsoft 365 can be unclear, especially for small IT teams, often reduced on account of outsourcing to cloud services. An ideal team would involve an expert in each application or subject area, but this can incur huge costs even for large enterprises. Regardless of the size, every IT team faces the additional challenge of managing the organization’s existing MS Office 365 deployment while also trying to stay up to date with new solutions and features released by Microsoft. 

**Monitoring performance issues:** Simply deploying Microsoft 365 management suite isn’t enough, as the system must be monitored regularly for tracing issues with performance, inconsistencies, and usage. Most of the time, monitoring performance is an issue related to bandwidth for IT.

### How to Buy Office 365 Management Tools

#### Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Office 365 Management Software

If a company is just starting and looking to purchase its first Office 365 Management tool, or maybe an organization needs to update legacy office management solutions--wherever a business is in its buying process, [g2.com](https://www.g2.com/) can help select the best Office 365 management solution for the business.

Organizations all over the world have adopted Microsoft 365 as a communication and workflow solution for their staff. However, managing a large Microsoft 365 tenant isn’t a cakewalk. With so many O365 management service providers available, it has become more complex for businesses to select a provider that suits their organizational goals and strategy.

Taking a comprehensive overview of the business—which tools are being used to conduct business and identify pain points can help the team to produce an RFI, a one-page list with precise bullet points describing what is needed from the Office 365 management solution.

This checklist serves as a guide that helps in determining both necessary and nice-to-have features including budget features, number of users, integrations, security requirements, and more.

#### Compare Office 365 Management Software Products

**Create a long list**

An initial list of potential Office 365 management software providers is created by eliminating the options that are not in line with the organization’s business strategy. Vendor evaluation also depends on the Microsoft Office 365 tools implemented and the kind of management functionality that the organization is looking for. Vendor evaluation helps to prepare a consistent list of questions regarding specific needs and concerns to ask each vendor.

**Create a short list**

After a long list has been created, it’s realistic to look at each product in more detail to determine if it will meet the needs of the organization to narrow down the list. This should include evaluating additional and more sophisticated features of each product, beyond the ones identified as essential to determine if that additional functionality would make the management of the Microsoft 365 environment effortless.

**Conduct demos**

Demos provide an opportunity to buyers to see how an Office 365 management solution is effective in monitoring and resolving a host of issues within Office 365 tools. While pre-recorded demonstrations are available on the vendor’s website, it is useful to request the vendor for a live demonstration to see how the software will help in providing insights on the organization’s Office 365 stack and manage the tools.

#### Selection of Office 365 Management Software

**Choose a selection team**

When choosing an Office 365 management software, it is important to involve any relevant stakeholders who might be using the product to ensure that the software will meet everyone’s needs. This likely includes the management and the IT team who will be responsible for weighing in on the technical concerns with the products.

**Negotiation**

After narrowing in on a preferred product, it’s time to negotiate a pricing package. Buyers must consider the licensing fee and pricing model of the software, such as whether the seller charges a flat monthly or annual fee or, more commonly, charges a fee based on how many users would be utilizing the product. Also, the buyer can consider negotiating a discount in exchange for multi-year contracts.

**Final decision**

The parties involved in decision-making should consider whether the software is easy to implement, improves operational efficiency, and allows for better monitoring of the O365 environment. It is pragmatic to scrutinize the terms and conditions of the product support and licensing agreements or SLAs to achieve organizational goals within the defined budget. It is essential to capture and monitor deployment and operational risks and improvement opportunities early so that it is possible to modify plans when needed. Whenever a new technology is implemented, it is good to devise back-out plans or alternatives when assumptions and outcomes change. It must be ensured that the solution selected will be adaptable to the company’s future requirements.