Tutorial / Cram Notes
The Readiness Toolkit is designed to help IT administrators and deployment teams understand how Office add-ins and VBA macros will perform with Office 365 ProPlus. Through inventory and analysis, it provides insights into potential issues that might arise during the update process.
Preparing to Use the Readiness Toolkit
Before using the Readiness Toolkit, you need to:
- Identify devices running Office applications and collect inventory data.
- Collect inventory data which includes the add-ins and VBA macros used in your organization.
Inventory Collection
- Install the Readiness Toolkit on a device and collect inventory data.
- Use a centralized report generation by deploying the Readiness Toolkit across multiple endpoints via Group Policy or management tools like System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).
- Collect and aggregate the report data in a central location for analysis.
Analyzing Compatibility
The Readiness Toolkit can identify potential issues with add-ins:
- Add-ins: The toolkit checks whether each add-in is already known in the Readiness Toolkit’s database and classifies them into categories – ‘Works’, ‘Works with issues’, or ‘Investigate’.
- VBA Macros: The toolkit scans for known VBA macro compatibility issues and provides a report indicating the level of compatibility.
Example Usage
An example of using the Readiness Toolkit:
- Run an inventory report to gather all the add-ins in your organization.
- Analyze the report, which may show a set of add-ins that are classified as ‘Works with issues’.
- For these add-ins, detailed information about the issue and possible solutions are provided.
Addressing VBA Macro Issues
If the Readiness Toolkit identifies potential VBA macro issues:
- Review the list of issues identified in the report.
- Make adjustments to the VBA code where possible to ensure compatibility.
- Test the updated VBA macros in an Office 365 ProPlus environment.
Report Outputs
The reports generated by the Readiness Toolkit include several key sections:
- Overview: General information about the assessment and a summary of findings.
- Detailed Findings: Specifics on add-ins and macros, including compatibility ratings and issue descriptions.
- Recommendations: Tailored advice on how to resolve identified issues.
These reports can typically be reviewed in Excel format, and you can view critical data structured as follows:
| Category | Description | Compatibility Level | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add-Ins | Name and version of the inventoried add-ins | Works | No action required. |
| Works with issues | Review issue and remediation steps. | ||
| Investigate | Detailed analysis needed. | ||
| VBA Macros | Location and summary of the macro | Compatible | No action required. |
| Minor issues | Review and adjust code. | ||
| Major issues | Significant rework needed. |
Final Steps
Based on the findings from the Readiness Toolkit:
- Develop a remediation plan for incompatible add-ins and VBA macros.
- Communicate with add-in vendors or developers if external assistance is required.
- Conduct pilot testing with a selected user group to gather feedback and ensure smooth deployment.
Conclusion
Utilizing the Readiness Toolkit is an integral step in planning for Microsoft 365 App compatibility. This preparation helps to mitigate potential disruptions during the deployment of Office 365 ProPlus and ensures a seamless transition for users by identifying and addressing potential compatibility issues with add-ins and VBA macros. With detailed reporting and guidance on resolving compatibility issues, IT teams can confidently move forward with deployments, knowing that their organization’s productivity will not be hindered.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: The Readiness Toolkit for Office add-ins and VBA is available for macOS.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit is designed for use with Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows. There is no macOS version of the toolkit.
What information does the Readiness Toolkit provide when assessing compatibility for Office add-ins?
- A) Add-in names and usage frequency
- B) Office document locations
- C) Add-in certifications
- D) Server uptime statistics
Answer: A) Add-in names and usage frequency
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit provides detailed information about the add-ins in use, their names, and how frequently they are used, which aids in compatibility and readiness assessment.
True or False: The Readiness Toolkit can be used to scan for compatibility issues with Office macros.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit includes the ability to scan for VBA macros within Office documents and assess their compatibility with newer versions of Office.
Which document formats can the Readiness Toolkit scan?
- A) .docx files only
- B) All Office document formats
- C) Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
- D) .xlsx and .pptx files only
Answer: C) Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit can scan Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files including their respective legacy and modern formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt and .docx, .xlsx, .pptx).
True or False: Administrators require Microsoft 365 E5 subscription to use the Readiness Toolkit.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit is not tied to a specific subscription level and can be used irrespective of the Microsoft 365 subscription.
What outcome can be expected after running the Readiness Toolkit in an organization?
- A) List of installed software
- B) A score indicating the level of cloud readiness
- C) Report identifying add-in compatibility issues
- D) Recommendations for hardware upgrades
Answer: C) Report identifying add-in compatibility issues
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit specifically provides reports that identify compatibility issues with Office add-ins and macros, aiding in app readiness assessment.
True or False: The Readiness Toolkit automatically remediates all identified compatibility issues.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: The Readiness Toolkit identifies compatibility issues but does not remediate them automatically. Remediation requires further action by administrators.
Which type of data can the Readiness Toolkit collect from an organization’s Office documents?
- A) Personal user data
- B) Metadata only
- C) Macro and add-in usage data
- D) Network traffic data
Answer: C) Macro and add-in usage data
Explanation: The Toolkit collects data on macro and add-in usage within Office documents, which is essential to assess app compatibility but does not include personal user data.
True or False: The Readiness Toolkit requires an internet connection to generate compatibility reports.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: While an internet connection might be helpful for accessing the latest resources and definitions, the Readiness Toolkit can generate compatibility reports offline as well.
Which report can be generated by the Readiness Toolkit to assist with VBA macro compatibility planning?
- A) User activity report
- B) Macro Impact Analysis
- C) Add-in usage frequency report
- D) Network performance report
Answer: B) Macro Impact Analysis
Explanation: The Toolkit can generate a Macro Impact Analysis report, which provides valuable insights into the impact of VBA macros on compatibility when upgrading Office.
True or False: The Readiness Toolkit supports automated deployment to multiple devices in an organization.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: The Toolkit can be deployed across multiple devices using software deployment tools, making it suitable for larger organizations.
What does the Readiness Toolkit offer to help manage solutions for compatibility issues?
- A) Detailed resolution guidance for each issue
- B) A built-in automatic issue resolution feature
- C) A direct link to company-wide user training
- D) Financial compensation for app downtime
Answer: A) Detailed resolution guidance for each issue
Explanation: The Toolkit provides detailed guidance for resolving identified compatibility issues but does not automatically fix the issues nor offer training or financial compensation for downtime.
This blog post about using the Readiness Toolkit for app compatibility in Microsoft 365 is really informative, thanks!
I was a bit confused about the difference between the Readiness Toolkit and the Compatibility Toolkit. Can someone clarify?
How comprehensive is the Readiness Toolkit in assessing VBA macros?
Is the Readiness Toolkit available for free?
Do I need to run the Readiness Toolkit on every machine in my organization?
Anyone managed a smooth transition using the insights from the Readiness Toolkit?
I’m having trouble generating the readiness report. It keeps failing halfway. Any suggestions?
Are there any alternatives to the Readiness Toolkit?