Using Microsoft Teams to create a team-centred workplace
Microsoft 365 Microsoft TeamsTo enable productivity and collaboration it is important to put the right tools in your team’s hands so they can focus on delivering great work. Microsoft Teams could be just what you need to help build a team-centred workplace.
Microsoft Teams is not just a corporate chat app. Microsoft Teams is a hub that gives members access to conversations, documents and apps all in one place.
Microsoft Teams can help transform daily routines and provide new, more productive ways of working.
Here’s some ways that Microsoft Teams can help:
- Instead of sending emails and waiting for a response you can chat online in real time.
- Instead of attaching documents to emails and creating numerous versions of the same file you can keep documents in one location and link them to your conversation.
- Instead of waiting in turn for people to contribute, multiple people can work together in the same document at the same time without disruption.
- Instead of remembering URLs or saving bookmarks to websites and online apps, you can create tabs and provide quick links to useful tools.
The key elements of Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a flexible platform. There are three key elements that can be used to build your unique environment:
1. Teams
You can create multiple ‘teams’ within the application. If you think about Microsoft Teams as a building, then teams are different floors of your building. Teams are usually created for a group of people working closely on a common goal, for example, department, division or project. You can create a private team and invite only specific people, or you can create a public team and allow everyone to join.
2. Channels
Channels are used for organising conversations around specific activities within a team. Using the building analogy channels are rooms.
3. Tabs
Tabs are used to provide quick access to online tools and services that commonly used by a team’s members. There are numerous types of tabs that can be added to channels. Tabs can be compared with room furniture.
Configuring Microsoft Teams to suit your organisation
Below are some examples of how Microsoft Teams can be configured.
From the examples above you can see how with one product you can build a team-centred work space that meets the specific needs of different groups of people.
But that’s not all…
There are other advantages that makes Microsoft Teams even more attractive.
Firstly, Microsoft Teams doesn’t require special licenses; it’s included in all Office 365 for Business subscriptions.
Secondly, you don’t need special skills or knowledge to get started. You can configure your first team in minutes using the user-friendly interface and system prompts.
Thirdly, you can allow team members to create and change teams, channels and tabs as they go, so they always have the right set of tools. Or you can have a full control over the whole environment and make sure everything is consistent and in line with your policies.
