M365 (aka Microsoft 365) is one of the most popular cloud platforms in the world, with about 345 million paid seats and usage numbers continue to climb with numbers were up 32% in Q3 2022 compared to the previous year.

One of the reasons for its continued growth is the amount of cloud tools offered in the service. Depending on your subscription most users get access to over 20 different apps, including the core MS Office suite.

With so many different apps, it’s not uncommon for some to go unused as users are not even aware that they exist! One handy app you get is called Microsoft Forms. This online survey and form-building tool has a lot to offer organizations.

What Is Microsoft Forms?

Microsoft Forms is a drag-and-drop form, quiz and survey creator that is simple to use. You can create a form and send it out to people via a link. Recipients can then fill out your form online from any device and the results come into the software instantly. You can see the collated results charted in the software and you can even export the results to Excel.

How to Get Started using Forms

1. Visit forms.office.com and if you are not already logged in, log into your Microsoft account.

2. Choose “New Form” / “New Quiz: from the top menu OR you can choose to explore the built-in templates

3. Click “Add New” to add a new form field. You can choose from field types:

• • Choice (i.e., multiple-choice question)
  • Text
  • Rating
  • Date
  • Ranking
  • Likert (a scale that records attitudes/opinions about a topic)
  • Net Promoter Score® (a scale from “not likely” to “extremely likely”)
  • Section (separator that can include a title and image)

4. Enter your questions.

5. Once finished, click “Send” at the top. You can distribute the survey using the following options:

• • Link to a web form
  • Email
  • QR code
  • Embed in a web page
  • Via Facebook or Twitter

6. View the responses on the “Responses” tab.

Four Advantages of Using MS Forms

1. It is Included in Microsoft 365 Subscriptions

If you already subscribed to M365, then it makes sense to use Forms. It can save you money as you don’t need to purchase a separate utility like Survey Monkey.

2. It Saves Time

Creating and managing a survey can be a very time-consuming job. You have to design the survey, organise distribution of the of the survey and then collate the results.

With Forms, it is easy to create and distribute the survey, users also don’t need to download anything or open an email file attachment. They simply follow your link and fill out the form online. As soon as they fill the survey out, you can view the results as Forms collates all the answers for you.

3. Get Charted Results Automatically

Once users have filled out the survey, you can quickly see the results in meaningful graphs. Forms makes it simple to export to Excel if you want to upload the survey results into another platform. On the “Responses” tab, you can hover over the result graphs to see the details.

4. It’s Easy to Use

There is a very low learning curve with Microsoft Forms as the interface is very intuitive and simple. This means just about everyone can jump in and start using it with little help.

What Are Some Ways You Can Use Microsoft Forms in Your Business?

Here are some ways to use Forms that can benefit your business:

Event Registrations

Are you hosting an event? You can easily gather registration details, send out a Forms link via QR code, social media, text, or email for your event visitors.

Employee Security Training

Integrate a security awareness quiz using Forms into your cybersecurity awareness training. The platform also lets you know the average response time per person.

Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey

Using a web-based survey can increase responses from your customers. It is quick and easy from them, as they can fill out your satisfaction survey from any device and you can see results instantly. Once completed, you can chart the results to gain insights into what your business is doing right and areas you can improve on.

Plus a Lot More…

Other ideas include:

• • Social Event Forms
  • Office facility request form
  • Employee satisfaction survey
  • Competitive analysis study
  • Post-event feedback survey
  • Product pricing survey
  • Food catering request form
  • Training form

Would You Like to Get More Out of Microsoft 365?

There is a good chance that your company may be leaving some value on the table with M365 as it includes a lot of functionality many people aren’t aware of (like Forms!). Contact DP Computing today to learn more about our Microsoft 365 support services.