So you have been using Microsoft Office for as far back as you can remember and now your organisation wants to move over to Google apps or G Suite tools as they are known by now. Your first thoughts maybe "I thought Google only did searches?". Well how wrong could you have been. Google are known for their search engine. But Google has a vast array of technology in use and being developed and this technology is not just in IT. For example they have Smart thermostats which allow you to turn on your heating or hot water via an app on your phone!!
We cannot ignore the fact that Google is here to stay and will be with us for a very long time! This may not be such a bad thing as some of the apps available from Google not only would benefit your work life but also your personal life.
So for those of you not of the Google kind, did you know that Google has it's own set of Office productivity tools? In Microsoft Outlook we email and Google has Gmail to do tasks you would perform in Outlook. In Microsoft Word we word process and Google Docs does pretty much the same thing. In Microsoft we have Excel for working with spreadsheets (the program that allows us to do calculations, charts etc). Google Sheets is the equivalent. Microsoft PowerPoint tasks can be replicated in Google Slides. So most of the tasks we perform at work with our Microsoft tools can be performed with Google apps.
If your organisation is moving from Microsoft Office you will not have to completely forget what you have learnt so far in the Microsoft tools and start afresh as most of the functionality in Microsoft is available in Google Apps. For example if you wanted to insert a table of contents in Word, this can easily be done in Google docs. If you wanted to insert a function in Excel for example Vlookup, all the Excel functions are supported in Google Sheets. Google has the added benefit of having additional functions, specific to Google itself.
When using Google apps, you have to get used to a little change. First and foremost, Google apps are mainly web based (Offline versions of some apps are available). The Microsoft Office applications are local, so you have access to a version of Office under your PC login. If you want to access Google apps then you have to login via an internet browser. This is because Google is a cloud based technology. This has its obvious advantages. There's no software to install and you can work anywhere. You can even access and edit your documents from your mobile.
Changes to the document are synced to the Cloud immediately and everyone can have access to the same document. There is no need to email documents back and forth. You're able to collaborate on a document in real-time. Presentations, spreadsheets and documents are all easily editable by multiple people at the same time.
Google Chrome is the best browser to use if using Google apps although other restricted functionality is available on other browsers. If you're thinking, "why are we using a browser?", well this is how technology is moving. Microsoft has its own set of Cloud tools called Office365 which is also browser based. We are starting to move away from programs being installed locally and only being accessible on that PC or device and moving to a model where we can access our work anywhere. Hence, a lot of technology is becoming browser based in order to support this model and whether you like it or not or whether its Google Apps or Office365 you will soon have to become familiar with cloud based technology.
What is the Cloud?
To simplify this concept of the Cloud, think of the Cloud as being storage of information which can be accessed anywhere. Within that storage you have your own set of tools for work such as Gmail, docs, sheets etc. You may already be using the Cloud at home, for example do you have a personal Gmail account? Or a Dropbox account? Well these are Cloud based and can be accessed via a browser on any PC or device.
So if your organisation is moving over to Google apps - Keep Calm & Think Google !!

Tahir Shafiq
Tahir is a London based (TAP & MOS accredited) trainer and consultant and has been involved in the training industry for more than 15 years. Having joined QA in 2007 as a desktop instructor he has moved into the role of Principal Technical Learning Specialist and leads the Google Workspace end user curriculum as well as being the course owner for the ‘Learn to Code’ end user courses and Microsoft 365 subject areas such Power apps & Power Automate. Tahir has worked on many projects from a variety of industries and has been involved in consulting and training for large international organisations. Some of these projects include high profile IT projects and rollouts which started in the UK and were rolled out internationally.
Tahir has a vast skillset ranging from the Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace and many bespoke products and is experienced with Cloud technology but also delivers Digital Transformation & social media seminars. Tahir also has experience of various programming languages such as VBA, HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
Tahir’s expertise is used to Scope, Create, and Deliver on various projects. He can also learn new technologies quickly and deliver and support training for bespoke business applications and is often utilised as a Lead Trainer on projects.
Tahir is also a MOS Exam Invigilator for QA and an extended learning trainer for QA’s “Attend from Anywhere” course offerings and is a mentor at QA offering his support to all of his colleagues. Tahir can deliver training in the classroom aswell as virtually using platforms such as Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Zoom. Tahir was voted Business applications ‘Trainer of the Year 2017’ and runner up in 2018 by his peers.
Specialist Areas
Microsoft 365 apps, Google Workspace, Cloud Technology, Business Change, Bespoke Technology Training, Migration Rollouts, Course creation & authoring, Computer programming, 2nd line support, Digital Transformation, Virtual and e-Learning
Professional Qualifications
- PRINCE2 Practitioner - Foundation
- Associate Member of the British Computer Society
- Association for Project Management (PFQ) – Foundation
- MLPI member of the Learning & Performance Institute
- Institute Certified Training Practitioner (ICTP)
- Computing & Information Systems, Master of Science (MSc)
- Biochemistry & Physiology, Bachelor of Science with honours (BSc)
- Microsoft Office Specialist Invigilator
- TAP – Training Accreditation Programme
- MOS Master Office 2003, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019
- MCAS Master Office 2007
- ECDL Master / CLAIT
Knowledge includes:
- Office 365 – including Teams / OneDrive / OneNote etc.
- Google Apps
- Microsoft Power BI
- Microsoft Power apps
- Microsoft Power automate (Flow)
- SharePoint
- Microsoft Teams
- HTML / CSS / Javascript
- Microsoft Office VBA Programming
- Microsoft Office 97 – 2019
- Microsoft OneNote / Visio / Access / Publisher
- Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
- Apple MAC / Office for MAC – 2011 /16 / 365
- Blackberry / Apple / IPAD / Android
- SPSS – Stats software
- Smart Board Technology
- Methode (Newspaper Publishing Software)
- Camtasia 2020
- Lotus Notes 8.5
- Skype for Business
- Webex
- Zoom
- Lync
- Tandberg
- SAP HR systems
Industry Experience
Tahir has provided training, project support and consultancy services for QA on many different projects spread across all industry sectors. He has been involved in some large IT migration rollouts at multiple organisations including ITV, NHS, Nestle, Barclays, Macmillan, Civil service, British American Tobacco, Fidelity, Essex County Council, Parliamentary Digital Service. He is an expert on working on IT projects often within a large team and has been the Lead training consultant on many occasions.