Transitioning from WordModulePlus to Microsoft 365 (Office Online)

Important: WordModulePlus is built on an outdated technology that is no longer supported by Microsoft. Therefore, if possible, it is recommended to use Office Online instead. Office Online requires a Microsoft 365 Business subscription but does NOT require that anything be installed on user computers.

Transition to Microsoft 365 (Office Online)

PolicyTech's strength is the ability to edit documents directly within the application, avoiding the need for constant uploading of external files. In the past, WordModulePlus was the technology that has enabled this in-app editing capability. However, due to technology changes in newer versions of the desktop Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft’s emphasis on the Office 365® online experience, and the aging underlying technology of WordModulePlus, NAVEX has invested considerable time and effort developing the next generation of integration - Office Online.

Document owners can use Office Online to edit documents in both Word Online and desktop Word. This also includes Excel and PowerPoint files. An end user’s desktop version of Word does not need to be the Microsoft 365 version. They will be using the free Word viewer.

Making the Transition

The following includes information for a successful transition from WordModulePlus to Office Online for decision makers, IT personnel, PolicyTech administrators, and PolicyTech users.

For your Decision Makers

Your decision makers should consider the following before deciding on the Office Online integration.

  • Users will be presented with your organizations’ log in screen to access Microsoft 365. By logging in, this will enable the Office account and connect without the need of the Word Module.

  • Users may use either the desktop version or online version of Word.

  • PolicyTech Tools add-in which allows inserting properties and links into the text of documents is available in the App store for administrators to centrally deploy. See Centralized Deployment for more information.

  • The user experience and available Office Online features may change as we receive input.

  • The experience for users who only read and attest to documents is minimally changed—just a bit of a change to the look and feel of the document screen.

  • If you are currently using PDF Converter to convert all published Word documents to PDF for viewing and downloading, be aware that enabling Office Online overrides the PDF Converter functionality of presenting documents to readers as PDFs, and that all published Word documents are displayed using Word Online.

  • Readers do not need an Office Online subscription to view and attest to published documents. The only users that must have Office Online apps enabled are those who create documents, collaborate on (help to write) them, and revise them as reviewers or approvers. Users can still download a copy of a published document by saving it as a PDF through the Word print feature.

Important: If you decide you want to enable Office Online, we strongly recommend that you enable it in a test or training system first so that you can determine if/when the time is right to enable it in your production system.

For Your IT Professionals

Your IT Professionals should consider the following before deciding on the Office Online integration.

  • Remove PolicyTech as a trusted site.

  • No Internet Options changes are needed to use Office Online in a Chrome or Edge browser because they do not use a Trusted Sites model.

  • Enable Office Online Applications. You must have an Office 365 Business subscription to use PolicyTech’s Office Online. Use the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to make sure that Office Online has been enabled for all users who create, collaborate on, review, and approve documents in PolicyTech.

For PolicyTech Users

PolicyTech users have several available resources to get up to speed with Office Online integration.