Tip of the week: How to get even more out of your Microsoft Office files

If you’ve ever spent an hour or two working on an important Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document — only to discover that someone else was making changes to their own copy of the same file — this tip is for you. Because while these kinds of files help us do great work every day, collaborating on them with teammates can be frustrating. To make this process a little smoother, try using the new Dropbox badge. The next time you’re working on a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document that’s stored in a Dropbox folder, look for the blue badge towards the edge of the document window. The badge will tell you if someone else is viewing or editing the file you’re working on, right from inside your document. So if you’re working with an Excel document full of sales numbers — and you see that Jill from finance has the doc open too, and is saving changes — you’ll know to check in with her. Even if the people you work with are in a different office, the badge lets you collaborate much more effectively.