Productivity and collaboration in a hybrid scenario are now possible with innovative tools such as Microsoft Teams. It has been 5 years since Microsoft launched Teams in order to offer an entirely new experience that would bring people, conversations, content, and tools together in ways that empowered users to achieve more. Microsoft Teams has embraced new capabilities to become the hub where hybrid work happens. With over 270 million monthly users, businesses can communicate more efficiently and stay in the flow of their work.
As soon as Microsoft Teams launched, in late 2016, Microsoft deployed it across the company in order to improve their employees’ ability to collaborate. Product owners have taken the learning from the past five years by collecting feedback from their employees, to improve its user experience and to make Microsoft Teams even more enterprise ready.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft Teams turned into a game changer and allowed organizations to keep working and to stay connected as they shifted to working from home. The new favorite collaboration tool enabled employees and customers to successfully work remotely through meetings, chats, and calls while collaborating, and automating business processes, all within a single app.
Let’s delve into the five ways Microsoft Teams has helped transform the way we work.
1. Shifting successfully from on-site to hybrid
When the pandemic hit the Seattle area, around 50,000 Microsoft employees were asked to pack up their desks and work from home. At that time Microsoft Teams meetings more than doubled (2.5 times) globally from 2020 to 2021, with users sending on average 45 percent more chats per week.
As organizations keep implementing a hybrid work model, Microsoft Teams will continue to be a critical component of their success. From conference rooms, to expanded capabilities in meetings, Teams will be key for an improved hybrid meeting experience.
2. Becoming a hub for inclusivity
The main priority for Microsoft as the shift to hybrid continues, is to retain an inclusive environment and employee satisfaction during work. Front row, as well as new hardware in meetings rooms such as AI-powered cameras, are some of the features that will help everyone to participate in meetings.
3. Improving real-time collaboration
After Microsoft’s employees started working remotely, their collaboration NSAT increased by 10 percent. Chats, apps like Yammer and Microsoft Power Platform integrated in Teams, and focused spaces for seamless collaboration, have helped users actively engage with their colleagues as they better communicate, collaborate, and manage access to files and notes.
4. Enhancing productivity with Microsoft Teams
It’s a fact that the latest technology has helped organizations remain productive during remote and hybrid work, so Microsoft Teams has been a large factor in continuing to work effectively and efficiently. For example, at Microsoft, employees use a set of helpful tips and tricks to get the most out of Microsoft Teams and keep their workday and usage of the application as productive as possible. Considerations like meeting length and established norms before a call starts for participants know the expectations and outcomes for a meeting, are some strategies that will help your business improve productivity.
5. Learning and keep evolving
Microsoft knows that staying ahead of employees’ and customers’ growth needs has never been more important. That is why as Teams’ customer zero, they are constantly learning from their employees on ways to improve and evolve the collaboration app. During the last five years they have realized that having access to mechanisms that allow employees to be more informed is an opportunity in the growing journey.
That is why modules like Viva Learning were integrated. This module helps employees discover learning opportunities and recommended training to help them build their skills through the flow of their workday.
One thing we are sure of is that the evolution of Microsoft Teams will continue as it keeps strengthened with presence and shared experiences through mixed reality.
Do not wait to take advantage of Microsoft Teams capabilities with the support of a team of certified experts and thrive in this new era of digital work. Contact us for information about our Microsoft Teams professional services.
