Microsoft 365 has a ton of apps – Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Copilot, and more. It sounds great at first… until you are stuck trying to figure out how everything works together. I have seen people click around for hours, hoping things just fix themselves. That’s where Microsoft 365 Consulting comes in. And no, this isn’t some fancy thing only big companies need. It just means having someone who knows what they’re doing help you set things up the right way.
In this post, I will walk you through the common mistakes I see when businesses try to handle Microsoft 365 on their own. If you are doing it without any help, you might already be running into some of these.
Not Planning Properly & Jumping Before You Know Where You’re Going
One big mistake is trying Microsoft 365 Deployment (moving to the cloud, switching tools, etc.) without a plan. People think “let’s just start using Teams / SharePoint / Copilot / Power Platform” and hope things fall into place. But:
- You might not audit your existing setup (documents, permissions, old tools) → chaos in data, lost files
- You may miss compatibility issues (does my old on‑prem software work nicely with Microsoft 365 Integration?)
- Migration becomes messy: downtime, unexpected costs, maybe even data loss
Good Microsoft 365 Consulting helps you map out what needs doing before you flip the switch. That saves time, stress, and money.
Underestimating What’s Needed for Migration
Lots of people think Microsoft 365 Migration Services are just moving files. Nope, there is so much more:
- Data cleaning (old files, duplicates, malformed names)
- Security & permissions setup (who sees what; not everyone needs admin)
- Ensuring compliance (especially if you have legal / regulated stuff)
- Ensuring that after migration your staff know how to use the new tools
Without decent migration planning, you can lose data, confuse people, or create security holes. Microsoft 365 Consulting helps you anticipate all that and handles it smoothly.
Mis‑Configuring Permissions and Security Without Microsoft 365 Consulting
Security, man, this is one of the ones that causes real bad headaches. When people do Microsoft 365 Management on their own, common errors:
- Giving too many people “admin” type rights
- Using default settings that are insecure
- Not using MFA (multi‑factor authentication) properly
- Not auditing permissions regularly
- Ignoring data loss prevention, retention policies, etc.
Microsoft 365 Consulting will help you set up secure permission structures, lock things down, make sure only the right people can see or change sensitive stuff.
Over‑Buying Licences Without Microsoft 365 Consulting
This is one I see all the time. Businesses buy big Microsoft 365 licenses and subscriptions thinking “maybe later we’ll use all this”. But:
- Some tools or features in the license are never used (e.g. Power Platform tools, advanced compliance, etc.)
- Departments duplicate tools (e.g. buying something extra when Microsoft 365 already offers something similar)
- Licences stay active even when staff leave or change roles
- Not reviewing usage periodically → paying for stuff you don’t need
With help from Microsoft 365 Consulting (and using Microsoft 365 Support Services / Microsoft 365 Management), you can audit licence usage, turn off what’s not needed, and avoid waste.
Poor Integration Between Microsoft 365 Tools and Other Systems
Microsoft 365 has a lot of pieces: Teams, SharePoint, Power Platform, etc. It also often has to talk to other software you use. If you don’t manage Microsoft 365 Integration well:
- Things don’t sync correctly → files missing, version issues
- Automation (Power Platform Solutions) may break or behave oddly
- Users may have to do duplicate work because systems don’t ‘talk’ to each other
Microsoft 365 Consulting helps you design proper integration so tools work together, not fight each other.
Not Leveraging Development or Power Platform with Microsoft 365 Consulting
Lots of people use Microsoft 365 “out of the box” and never touch Microsoft 365 Development or Power Platform. But:
- You might be wasting time doing things manually that could be automated
- Custom apps (via PowerApps etc.) can fix workflow gaps unique to your business
- Without development help, sometimes you build inefficient or fragile solutions
With guidance in Microsoft 365 Development and Power Platform Solutions, you can build what you need, smoother, and avoid cobbling together hacks that break later.
Skipping Training and Ongoing Support with Microsoft 365 Consulting
Even the best setup is useless if people don’t know how to use it.
Some common mistakes:
- Not giving staff enough training in how to use Teams, SharePoint, or Power Automate
- No documentation or guidelines, people do things their own way → chaos
- No regular support when updates / changes come
Microsoft 365 Support Services and Microsoft 365 Consulting should involve helping your team learn and adapt. That makes everything more useful.
Treating Microsoft 365 Deployment / Roll‑Out as One‑Off
You might think “once we deploy, we’re done”. But Microsoft keeps adding features, tools change, security threats evolve, business needs shift. If you don’t plan for ongoing Microsoft 365 Management:
- Permissions/security drift, someone gets extra rights accidentally
- Tools/features under used because no one explored updates
- Business growth (or change) fails to align with your setup → inefficiency
Microsoft 365 Consulting helps you treat 365 not like a product you buy once but like a service you evolve.
Ignoring How UX & User Adoption Works
Finally, this is less technical but hugely important. If your team hate using the tools, or find them confusing, they’ll avoid them (or make their own “workarounds”). Things I’ve seen:
- No onboarding process or poor guidance
- Tools configured poorly (menus, names, sites, Teams structure messy)
- Naming conventions, folder structure, governance ignored → people waste time finding things
Good consulting includes helping with adoption: making things easy for people, giving them reasons to use tools, refining how things are organised.
How Microsoft 365 Consulting Helps (Briefly, From My Experience)
Since I know you might wonder “okay, but is it worth hiring someone?”, here are how a consultant would help avoid all the above:
- They draw up a Microsoft 365 Deployment plan before doing anything risky
- They manage Microsoft 365 Migration Services, so data and users move smoothly
- They set up permissions & security properly from the start (Microsoft 365 Management)
- They do Microsoft 365 Integration with existing systems cleanly
- They help with Microsoft 365 Development / Power Platform Solutions so you don’t build weird workarounds
Key Mistakes to Avoid
- Not planning (deployment, migration) properly
- Buying too many licences or paying for under‑used features
- Messy permissions/security
- Skipping training / low adoption
- Poor integrations
- Treating setup like “one time” instead of ongoing
Conclusion
Handling Microsoft 365 without the right help can quickly get confusing and messy. Poor planning, tricky migrations, security gaps, and unused licenses, the problems can pile up quickly. The upside is you don’t have to handle everything by yourself. A Microsoft 365 consultant can help with deployment, migration, integration, and long term support. My365Apps make sure your system runs well and that your team knows how to use the tools the right way. Subscribe now and make your work easier with the benefits.
FAQs
Is Microsoft 365 Migration only moving files?
No. It also means fixing old data, setting who can see what, and keeping your business safe while moving to the cloud.
How can a consultant save me money?
They check your licenses and turn off what you don’t need. This way, you don’t pay for apps no one uses.
What about security in Microsoft 365?
If you set it up wrong, anyone might see or change your files. A consultant makes sure only the right people have access.
Can Microsoft 365 connect with other tools I use?
Yes. But if done wrong, tools may not talk to each other. A consultant sets up Microsoft 365 Integration so everything works together.
Do people need training for Microsoft 365?
Yes. Without training, people get confused and do things their own way. Training helps any team use tools better.
Is Microsoft 365 a one time setup?
No. Microsoft keeps adding new tools and updates. You need Microsoft 365 Management to keep things running well.
What is the Power Platform?
It’s part of Microsoft 365 that lets you make custom apps, reports, and workflows. A consultant can help you use it to save time.
