The whole process collapses if you can't use macros. That said, even Word's standard Normal template is a macro-enabled one, and many users doubtless store macros there. Saving the document as a template obviates the need for the user documents to contain macros and, provided the template folder is a designated Safe one, anyone whose workstation has access to that folder can use the document without ever using a document containing macros.
Saving a Word document in the docx format wipes out any macros in it. Saving the document as a .dotm template, means the docx documents Word creates from it don't need the macro.