Microsoft Office 2007

Each new release of Microsoft Office
Suite has traditionally offered many
new features. While MS Office 2007 is similarly packed with new bells and whistles,
it’s different in a way that completely changes
the way users navigate the software. MS
Office 2003 and earlier versions’ way of getting at features were through fixed menus
and hierarchical toolbars. In MS Office 2007,
these are gone and are replaced with what is
called “The Ribbon” — which users either
intuitively get right away or struggle with.

“Businesses making the transition need
to factor in a period of adjustment when
switching over to MS Office 2007,” says
Bill McClung, IT program director for
Corporate College.

Smart Business spoke with McClung
about the benefits to switching over to Office
2007 and the challenges that come with it.

If a business is happy with MS Office 2003 or
1997, why should businesses care about
transitioning to MS Office 2007?

The majority of businesses today have MS
Office 2003. They can try and keep their old
version as long as they can, but, eventually,
they will have to upgrade since MS Office
2007 will become the business standard.
Businesses are naturally reluctant to upgrade
because they don’t see the benefit — either in
productivity gains or because of the extra
cost. But, while this recent upgrade comes
with a learning curve, it is well worth it.

If employees can take advantage of the
extensive improvements in MS Office 2007,
businesses will see direct impacts on their
bottom lines. Microsoft has taken steps to
reduce the numerous headaches that continually plague users of previous versions. Plus,
MS Office 2007 is sharper and faster, and the
reduced file sizes can create efficiencies for
your office network.

What is different about MS Office 2007?

The most significant change that users will
notice immediately is the new ribbon interface utilized throughout the suite. This modifies the existing version of the file menu that
previous MS Office users have become
accustomed to. Microsoft intended to make
the appearance more intuitive to the end user, and it has a distinctly different feel than
previous versions of the product. Users who
have a comfort level in the more traditional
Microsoft interface might be challenged to
navigate it initially because it is so different.

What are the benefits to changing over?

Even though the ‘ribbon’ represents
change, the idea behind it is to make all of MS
Office more visual and more intuitive. Once
you learn how it works, you can get more
done faster because other processes are
done ‘behind the scenes.’ There is also a feature that prevents files from being corrupted
and unusable — a headache that has plagued
previous versions. Excel sheets are bigger
with more features. Files saved in MS Office
2007 are smaller, which means more room on
the computer. While these behind-the-scenes
changes may not be as sexy as the ribbon,
they provide tangible benefits to a business.

What challenges have you seen from businesses that have upgraded?

Because of the change in appearance, there
has been a challenge for employees to learn the new system. Training is very important to
maximize the ROI of a company’s investment. Without it, the transition will be counterproductive in the short term because users
will become frustrated when they can’t navigate as they do traditionally. In the long term,
the frustration may fade, but, without training, companies will not realize the full benefit
of the transition. Another challenge that has
cropped up is the incompatibility of documents produced with the new version with
computers that still have older versions of
MS Office. Microsoft has addressed this
problem with a converter, which can be
downloaded from the Microsoft site.

How would you suggest someone learn to
navigate the differences in this product?

There are a variety of MS Office 2007
training options available, including day
training sessions designed specifically to
address only the new features associated
with MS Office 2007. This is a cost-effective way for businesses to provide training
for their employees without a large investment of their time or retraining them
about areas they already know.

How would someone decide on whether or
not he or she should upgrade?

Frankly, if businesses don’t use MS Office
all that much — they write a letter once in
awhile or use a spreadsheet occasionally —
it’s probably OK to continue using the older
version. But, companies that use MS Office
as an integral part of everyday business need
to look into upgrading. There are ways to test
out the software before you put the expense
into it. That said, I think it’s important to realize why Microsoft has decided to change its
user interface. A lot of users only access a
small percentage of the MS Office software’s
features. The idea behind this new version is
to make the interface more visual to encourage people to leave their comfort zone and
experiment more with the esoteric features
that could help a business.

BILL MCCLUNG is the IT program director at Corporate College, www.corporatecollege.com, which offers employers custom-designed
training programs to enhance future workforce development, job growth and job retention in Northeast Ohio. Reach him at (216) 987-5806 or [email protected].