What is Microsoft OneNote?

Microsoft OneNote, part of the Microsoft Office suite, is a versatile digital note-taking app that offers various benefits. This tool serves as a great alternative to Word and has become a crucial tool for businesses to keep notes all in one place. Using the power of the cloud and Microsoft technologies to make capturing, storing, and sharing information easy.

Similar to apps like Evernote, you can create free-form documents that can be worked on privately or shared. Whether it's ideas, to-do lists, reminders, or sketches, OneNote accommodates everything professionally and personally. The best part of OneNote is its organisational features. You can organise your notes into digital notebooks with folders, sections, pages, and sub-pages for easy access.

In this blog, we cover the many benefits of Microsoft OneNote to help you maximise your workflow.

Benefits of Microsoft OneNote

Easy Notetaking:

OneNote makes organising your notes easy. You can create notebooks, sections, and pages, setting up a neat and organised structure. This helps keep your information neatly categorised and easily accessible.

One great feature of OneNote is the Freeform Canvas which allows users to write or draw anywhere on the page, closely imitating traditional paper notebooks. This feature provides a creative space for you to note down your ideas freely without any restrictions. This is perfect in comparison to Word, which is very restrictive in its formatting, giving you limited freedom and flexibility.

The app’s interface is also incredibly user-friendly, making it easy to move around your notebooks, sections, and pages. It’s simple to learn, so you can focus on your content without getting lost in complicated settings and menus.

Real-Time Collaboration:

Another benefit of OneNote is that it lets you collaborate in real-time effortlessly. The application’s cloud-based nature allows you to share notebooks with your team to empower colleagues to view or edit notes. OneNote supports co-authoring which means multiple users can work on the same file simultaneously. This is perfect for team-based projects as everyone can do their part without having to wait for others to do theirs. This speeds up the time it takes to create documents and complete projects. It also helps build another channel of communication and avoids miscommunication, so everyone is on the same page.

Accidents can happen, but OneNote provides a safety net. In case of accidental deletions or unintended changes, the ‘history’ tab has your back. It helps you see the changes and reset the document to an earlier version. This is an incredibly time-saving feature as it means no more spending time deleting a section or re-writing an entire document.

Store Sensitive Data Securely:

Keeping your information safe and secure is a top priority for businesses worldwide. Microsoft understands this, which is why they have built-in security features to keep your notes protected. No one will be able to view or edit your documents unless you give them access. To invite collaborators, just shoot them an email and set the permissions.

If you store sensitive data, OneNote allows you to add a password on specific sections. This helps to add an extra layer of protection, providing you with complete peace of mind. If you ever leave the confidential file open, OneNote automatically steps in and locks them for protection.

Access Information from Anywhere:

Another huge benefit of Microsoft OneNote is its cloud-based nature. The cloud features allow you to access your notes anytime, anywhere. The ability to reliably access your notes no matter where you are means your team is not constrained by geographic location. This leads to a much more versatile collaboration experience.

The note-taking application is also designed to the diverse needs of users, as it ensures compatibility across a spectrum of devices, including iOS and Android devices. It’s universal and lets you switch between devices without losing access to your information. This is thanks to OneNote’s syncing capabilities. Syncing is a key part of the tool’s design as it effectively connects your notes across all your devices. This means you can access and manage them while on the go. This is a great feature for businesses who want uninterrupted access to their information.

OneNote also has an offline mode which means you can work on your notes, even without an internet connection. This is extremely useful for those looking to work on the go or who suffer from network issues. Changes made offline will automatically sync when you reconnect to the internet, helping you maintain a fluid workflow.

Web Clipping:

Microsoft also offers a browser extension; OneNote’s Web Clipper, which lets users easily clip and save valuable information from your web browser. This extension is a great way to declutter your digital space. Instead of saving entire web pages, you can selectively clip specific articles, recipes, product information, and more. This optimises your workflow as you’re only focusing on the information that matters.

This tool is invaluable for various business departments, promoting seamless collaboration. Teams can collect and share relevant online content which can be used to improve the business. Marketing teams can use it as an easy means of communication to share competitor analysis and campaign inspirations. Management professionals can stay up to date with relevant industry trends for informed decision-making. HR departments can clip and organise information related to new policies and changes in regulations, making sure everything is in one place.

Integration With Other Software:

Microsoft OneNote becomes even more powerful with its integrations with third-party apps like Zapier and Slack, expanding its features and connectivity.

When connected to Zapier, OneNote users can create automated workflows that connect with different apps and services. These automated workflows remove the manual process required in certain tasks resulting in time-savings, improved productivity, and reduced human errors.

With the integration with Slack, users can easily share OneNote pages or sections directly within Slack channels.  This makes communication and collaboration smoother especially with larger teams. You can also receive an instant notification in Slack whenever changes are made in OneNote. This makes sure everyone is in the loop, making sure teams stay updated.