What is included in every Foundation Package?

All packages follow four structured phases: Assessment & Planning (reviewing your current environment and identifying gaps), Configuration & Implementation (deploying the relevant security or management controls), Testing & Validation (piloting changes with a small user group and refining configurations), and Knowledge Transfer & Rollout (full documentation, IT staff training, and operational runbooks before company-wide deployment).

What deliverables will I receive at the end?

Every engagement concludes with a full handover package: a detailed assessment report of your current environment, complete configuration documentation with step-by-step guides and screenshots, ready-to-use communication templates for notifying end users, an operational runbook for your IT team, and training materials for ongoing management.

How long does implementation take?

Timelines vary depending on the complexity of your environment, the size of your organization, and the availability of your IT staff and key stakeholders. Every engagement begins with an assessment phase that gives us a clear picture before committing to a delivery schedule.

Do you implement everything, or do you guide our team?

There are two engagement models. In the first, I deliver the full implementation plan, hands-on configuration guidance, and complete knowledge transfer — then hand everything over to your internal IT team to execute and maintain. In the second, we agree on a contracted engagement where I manage the end-to-end implementation. The right model depends on your team's capacity and preference.

What do we need in place before starting?

You will need an active Microsoft 365 subscription at the appropriate licensing tier for the chosen package, Global Administrator or equivalent access to your tenant, availability of key IT staff for workshop sessions, and 3–5 willing users for the pilot testing phase.

What is not covered by a Foundation Package?

Each package has a clearly defined scope. Generally out of scope are: features requiring higher license tiers than specified, third-party integrations, custom scripting beyond standard Microsoft 365 capabilities, formal compliance audits, and ongoing managed support. Post-engagement support and optimization services can be arranged under a separate agreement.

Who from our organization should be involved?

At minimum: an IT Administrator with tenant access, and an IT Manager or decision-maker who can approve configuration changes. Ideally also include security personnel and help desk leads who will manage the environment after handover. A group of 3–5 test users is needed for the validation phase.

Can we get ongoing support after the package is complete?

Foundation Packages are structured, time-bound engagements designed to end with a full handover to your team. Ongoing support, post-deployment optimization, and continuous managed services are available through separate agreements tailored to your organization's specific needs.

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Microsoft Bookings: Stop Scheduling by Email

Microsoft Bookings is included in every M365 Business plan. Here's what it does, how to set it up, and why your team should already be using it.

10 March 2026By Marek Ratassepp

Microsoft Bookings: stop scheduling by email

We're continuing our series on Microsoft 365 features that come with your business licence but rarely get used. So far we've covered Microsoft Planner. This time it's Microsoft Bookings.

If you've ever spent 10 minutes going back and forth over email to agree on a 30-minute meeting time, Bookings is the tool that makes that stop. It's been in Microsoft 365 for years. Most businesses on a qualifying plan have it.

What Bookings actually does

Bookings gives you a scheduling page with a link you can share with anyone. They open it, see your available slots, and pick one. A confirmation goes to both sides. The time blocks in your Outlook calendar automatically. If you've set up Teams meetings, a unique Teams link is generated for each booking.

That's the core of it. No phone tag, no email chains, no double-bookings because two people both thought Thursday at 3pm was free.

There are two distinct modes worth knowing about:

Personal Bookings handles your own availability. You set your working hours, create meeting types (a 30-minute intro call, a 90-minute strategy session, whatever fits your work), publish your page, and share the link. Put it in your email signature and you're done. People book time directly without needing to ask first.

Shared Bookings is built for teams and service-based businesses. You create a shared page, add staff members, define the services you offer, and customers book with whoever is available. Think of it as a lightweight appointment system for a small office.

Both sync with Outlook. Both support online meetings via Teams.

How to set it up

Go to book.ms and sign in with your work account. You can also find Bookings inside Teams or Outlook by clicking the Apps icon on the left rail, searching for Bookings, and pinning it.

Step 1: Create your page

For Personal Bookings, you set your name, available hours, and time zone. For Shared Bookings, you also configure the business name, staff members, and the services they provide.

Start with Personal Bookings if you just want to solve the scheduling problem for yourself. You can always add a shared setup later.

Step 2: Define your meeting types

This is where you set what people can actually book. Name the meeting type, pick the duration, choose whether it's a Teams call or in-person, and decide if you want buffer time before or after each slot.

You can add a simple intake form here too. Asking people to answer two or three questions before they book saves everyone time in the meeting itself.

Step 3: Publish and share the link

Once your page is live, you get a URL. That link goes in your email signature, on your website contact page, in your LinkedIn bio. Anywhere someone might want to reach you.

Outlook also lets you add a "Book time with me" button to your email profile, so recipients can book directly from any email you send them.

Step 4: Turn on reminders

Bookings sends automatic confirmation emails on booking, and reminder emails before the meeting. Enable them. No-show rates drop when people get a reminder the day before and an hour before. SMS reminders are also available if your business needs them, but Teams Premium license is required for that.

Things to know before you start

Bookings may be turned off in your tenant. Some Microsoft 365 administrators disable it by default. If book.ms doesn't load for you, that's likely why. Someone with admin access needs to enable it in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Shared Bookings creates a shared mailbox in Exchange. All appointment data, staff details, and customer information are stored there. Your existing Exchange compliance and data retention policies apply to that mailbox. Worth checking if your business has specific data handling requirements.

Bookings is not a CRM. It collects basic information from whoever makes a booking, but it's not built to replace a customer database. If you're handling sensitive client data regularly, think carefully about what you're collecting and where it lives.

What you can set up yourself

Personal Bookings is a 15-minute job. Go to book.ms, follow the setup, copy your link, add it to your email signature. That's it.

Shared Bookings for a team takes more planning. Get the service definitions right before you go live, make sure staff schedules are accurate, and test the booking flow as a customer before sharing the page publicly.

If Bookings is disabled in your tenant and you don't have admin access, you'll need IT help to turn it on. The setting itself is straightforward, but someone needs admin credentials to reach it.

Microsoft Bookings is included in most M365 business plans with no additional cost.

Personal Bookings manages your individual schedule; Shared Bookings is for teams and services.

Setup takes 15-30 minutes and connects automatically with Outlook and Teams.

Customer and appointment data is stored in Exchange Online under your existing compliance policies.

If Bookings is disabled in your tenant, an admin needs to switch it on before you can use it.

Need help getting Bookings running, or want a proper look at what your M365 licence actually includes? Get in touch.