Remote and hybrid working has become a way of life for so many employees. With the team split up most of the time, and sometimes even working in different time zones, having a way to share documents and to collaborate from a distance, is the absolute best way to ensure that business continues as usual.
Of all the available Cloud based collaboration and communication tools, Microsoft Teams in Office 365 is the best for all businesses using a remote or hybrid office strategy.
When Microsoft Teams is the go-to hybrid and remote office communications tool, team members don’t have to feel as though they are far apart.
Since the programme is designed to be really easy to use, and comes complete with an intuitive interface, users can enjoy instant messaging, video calls, and they can also set up virtual meetings, making those all-important face to face catch ups a whole lot easier to handle.
Aside from the tool’s ability to host meetings and to keep the team in touch with one another, Microsoft Teams is also easily integrated with the other Office apps.
Microsoft Teams works seamlessly with Word, Excel and SharePoint, just to name a few of the popular apps, and it allows for uncomplicated file access and file sharing, which goes a long way towards improving company productivity.
And since Microsoft Teams can be accessed from a desktop, laptop, or a mobile device, it is perfect for employees on the go.
The Perfect Internal Communications Tool
One of the most neglected aspects of business is internal communications.
And yet this is one of the most important parts of a business, because it is what ensures that everyone knows what is going on.
While some companies might rely on old school email correspondence to keep staff in the loop, such technology doesn’t always work as well as it should. Instead, it can end up clogging up inboxes, causing staff to miss the messages, and there is also no logical sequence to the replies, as colleagues will answer at different times.
Teams, on the other hand, ensures that everybody gets the message at the same time and that they also all see the replies at the same time. This way, no one is left out of the conversation.
The Best Practices for Effective Collaboration in Microsoft Teams
Although Microsoft Teams is a fairly uncomplicated, straight forward programme (especially for those already familiar with Office 365), there are some best practices that you can follow to make the most of your Teams experience.
Channel Setup
The success of your Teams collaboration and communication essentially starts with how you get setup and how your channels are structured. For example, you should organise staff channels according to the projects they are involved with, the departments they work in and you should create channels on various topics. This way, team members will get the information they need and they can save time by only reading what they need to know.
Notifications and Status
Microsoft Teams allows users to customise notifications and to set their status. Setting up custom alerts according to importance ensures that the team can prioritise and organise their day. They can also set their status to Available, Busy, or Do Not Disturb.
Participation and Engagement
The only way collaboration can work properly is if those using the Teams platform are engaged. The best way to do this is to encourage the team members to not be shy about contributing their ideas, and giving feedback. They can also be encouraged to use the Teams mentions to get the attention of specific members.
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