By Haley Clark & Nick McCourt
The future of the workplace is hybrid. The pandemic acted like a bulldozer for the concept of remote work, normalizing (through force) something many companies were only beginning to consider.
The hybrid workplace — with some workers at home and some in the office — comes with challenges. How do you bring together people and prevent confusing, ineffective communication? How can you ensure the people on your team can work seamlessly, whether they’re at home or the office? And how do you make sure all this information remains secure within your organization?
The answer to these questions is already available, and your business is likely already paying for it. It’s Microsoft Teams, and it’s part Microsoft 365. We think you ought to get the most out of the tools you’re already paying for. This article will go over how Teams can help your team collaborate better, simplify the workplace, maybe even save you money, and be a secure communication solution.
What is Microsoft Teams, anyway?
Teams is Microsoft’s business communication platform. Centered on individual and “channel” chats, it also offers seamless video calls, file sharing, and more, with integrations into other Microsoft products you already use.
In fact, Teams is already part of Microsoft 365 licenses, which means your company may be paying for Microsoft Teams without using it at all.
| How Microsoft Teams can make you more productive
There’s no need to switch from Outlook to Zoom to Google Docs with an average Teams workflow. Staying inside the same program can help focus in a world where most employees are continually switching between inefficient and disjointed software programs.
Teams reduces your email load to what’s necessary and vital. No more sending emails and sharing files back and forth, having a thread become lost in your inbox, and getting overwhelmed by a huge unread number. With Teams, you’re able to text day-to-day communications with colleagues instead of using email for everything.
You can work with colleagues together in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. No more sending a file back and forth, wondering which one is the most recent, losing it in your inbox or your downloads folder. Instant editing power as the file stays in Teams makes collaboration so much easier.
Meeting Recap is a helpful new feature for situations where some teammates miss a meeting. It automatically saves meeting recordings, produces an automatic transcript, and saves the chat and shared files.
Your team can catch up on their schedule and don’t have to rely on someone sharing notes or having a refresher before another meeting. Even people who were there might use the transcript to refresh their memory in the future.
| How Microsoft Teams can simplify your setup
One of the biggest features we’re excited about in Teams is the ability to call. Not a Zoom or Skype call, but actual calling from your office phone number.
This solves a ton of logistical problems with phones in the age of work-from-home. Many workers have simply been using their personal cell phones during this period, which comes with concerns.
There’s no need to download three or four different software solutions (Zoom, Skype, Slack, etc.) and remember the different passwords, keep them updated, etc. Teams can handle everything these solutions do, so why deal with it?
Teams has options that “just work,” solving issues you didn’t know you had without you doing anything. One of these is the ability to follow your voice and face during a video call. If you veer too far to the right or the left, it tracks and (often successfully) attempts to center you. It makes for a more seamless and professional display, and you don’t have to fiddle with anything.
| How Teams can save your company in expenses
As mentioned previously, we think it’s essential to make the most out of what your company is already paying for. Why pay for a Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft license when the latter has a program that offers the same functionality as the former two?
This consolidation also helps the organization and its IT Managed Services Provider to streamline and defend communications at a higher level.
Earlier in this article, we talked about simplifying your setup with Teams Calling from an office phone number. This doesn’t just help the individual worker. It can significantly impact an organization’s processes and expenses. Instead of buying a phone for each of your employees, you simply need to keep doing what you’ve been doing: providing the computer, headset, and software.
An upcoming feature is Panels, which is Microsoft’s entry into the new world of “space management facilitation devices.” Basically, it’s a device outside of a meeting space that answers the questions: Who has this meeting booked? Who are the attendees? When is it scheduled for? When is the room available?
In this current world, this type of information is very helpful before you head into a physical space that might have people inside.
| How Microsoft Teams can bring your team together
Microsoft Teams has shown our team here at Integris that you don’t need to be in the same physical office to be connected.
We’re at the point where we welcome team members that we haven’t met in person, yet because of Teams these new colleagues still feel like part of a close-knit workplace.
Being able to casually text a teammate, make a channel with anyone (and everyone), or hop on a video call feels as comfortable as heading over to someone’s cubicle for a quick chat.
Even the little things — like “Together Mode,” which places videoconference participants together in a virtual auditorium — contribute to a friendlier and closer atmosphere among colleagues. Microsoft has announced more upcoming scenes, ranging from a conference room to a coffee shop, to suit any mood and meeting style.
| A secure remote environment with Microsoft Teams
As companies start working more online, there are increased security issues. Even companies with specific compliance concerns should find solutions within Teams. Yes, Integris is an MSP and we focus on cybersecurity, so it’s very important to us.
Different software in this space, like Zoom, have had security concerns in the past. Truthfully, there’s not nearly as much accountability from a smaller organization in comparison to Microsoft. Microsoft must deal with their products being used in businesses where security is paramount and has developed solutions around them. There are much more robust security settings for Teams than many competitors out there.
In Short…
Microsoft Teams is a great tool in any business’s arsenal, especially in this world of remote working. It can help your team collaborate and operate all in one place. It also simplifies your home office setup, eliminates unnecessary equipment and software, and could even save your business money. And it’s secure. Best of all, it’s something your business is likely already paying for — why not make the most out of what you already have?
