How to Deploy Microsoft Teams with Best Practices

Integrating Microsoft Teams into Office 365 has produced tangible benefits for businesses, including easier IT management, a more secure and compliant environment, and the opportunity to increase productivity. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, can improve the employees’ teamwork experience and facilitate more productive collaboration between individuals and small groups.

The workforce today is looking for more team environments, a more meaningful connection to their work, and a greater sense of purpose, and while we recognize that every company is different, these are all trends that are becoming apparent in workplaces of all sizes. End-user engagement issues are a part of any software rollout, and recent Microsoft research found that half of the global business leaders said employees expressed fear of the new software.

One way to motivate employees and rekindle a culture of collaboration within your company is to craft a solid change management strategy for rolling out Microsoft Teams.

If you want your digital transition to go smoothly, think about these best practices for raising end-user awareness and encouraging adoption:

Create Your Team

Getting your stakeholders, corporate partners, investors, and technology leaders together is the first step in forming a reliable team that can assist with any aspect of the implementation process. It would help if you formed this team by drawing representatives from different divisions to represent diverse opinions and explore potential problems. IT professionals can offer insights on health, security, and operational manageability, while top executives can emphasize real applications and how the technology supports company goals. Establish early enthusiasm and clear expectations for team members in advance. To reap the benefits of this new technology, employees must first appreciate its value and be motivated to adopt it.

1) Prioritize Realistic Business Projections

Remember that the user is at the center of any implementation of collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams. Instead of focusing solely on functions and IT solutions, it’s important to consider a wide range of possible scenarios and the difficulties those employees may face. First, you need to define the roles of each team and department in your company so you can develop an effective implementation strategy for each unit. Employees should be involved in the process of defining the company and employee-specific risks in order to develop a clear picture of concerns and a strategy for dealing with them. By setting clear objectives and keeping everyone in the loop, you can boost morale and ensure a smoother rollout with the help of your staff.

2) Technical Deployment & Maintenance Plans

Having an effective technology plan can help improve the user experience during your technological transformation. Having a firm grasp on the nuts and bolts of the technical implementation of your new technology at work can help you avoid problems and keep your employees happy. Determine the technical suitability and preparedness of your organization for the execution of Microsoft Teams; become familiar with the tools and technology you already own, the processes that need to be finished in good time, and the expert training that will need to be supplied to ensure proper use of technology. Make sure you have a strategy in place for after-deployment support as well.

3) Establish The Teams’ Internal Channel Layout.

A popular aspect of Teams is that it allows businesses to create an unlimited number of “Teams” in which only selected users can see the content. Each of these could be organized according to any useful category, such as:

• Project.
• Department.
• Team.
• Seniority.
• Social Interaction and Activity.

 

Unless specifically requested and granted access, the communication and its contents will remain hidden from anyone who is not a member of the designated ‘Team’. It is important to communicate the “Team” structure throughout the organization once it has been established.

While many companies simply throw open Teams without much thought to its structure, we urge caution. In the beginning, it may be prudent to restrict the number of users who can create Teams so that you can maintain some measure of control and give some thought to how you want to organize your staff.

4) Explain The Specific Plans For Using Teams As A File-Sharing And Storage Platform.

Teams’ default file-hosting platform is SharePoint. If your company uses MS SharePoint for file storage, you’ll need to decide how you want that system to connect with Teams. Do you want to let people use Teams itself to manage files, or do you want to refer back to located SharePoint structures? So that you don’t end up with a proliferation of data stores that eventually wind up adding confusion to the team, now is a good time to evaluate how you store files and how you want individuals to access them.

Stop Testing & Start Integrating

Stop testing and start integrating In order to gain insight into how Microsoft Teams is received by your organization, it is important to conduct preliminary pilots across multiple departments with participation from colleagues and stakeholders. Pay close attention to user feedback and adjust your strategy for widespread rollout accordingly. Improve adoption and user satisfaction regardless of the platform by aligning your deployment with corporate goals and providing guidance for employees.

5) Drive Adoption Through Measurement & Management

It takes more than just installing new software to foster productive teamwork and a more open work environment, which is why technological advancements aren’t the only factor in driving digital transformation in your company. Maintaining a user-centric perspective is essential, so be sure to tune in to feedback and maintain open lines of communication to adapt your adoption strategy as needed. Maintaining high levels of enthusiasm and engagement can be accomplished through measures such as recognizing and rewarding those employees who are showing leadership in adopting new methods of working and holding company-wide celebrations of success.

Incorporating cutting-edge tools into the workplace does not have to be a herculean effort, as we are well aware. The unparalleled degree of customization and management that Microsoft Teams offers is one of its greatest strengths. By adhering to these guidelines, you can avoid the difficulties associated with user adoption and take full advantage of the enhanced communication and collaboration capabilities of Microsoft Teams.

Make Sure Microsoft Teams Is Implemented Effortlessly

Overall, starting a new Microsoft Teams deployment need not be a difficult task. The platform’s unprecedented level of configuration and control, as compared to Slack, which provides little direct user control, is one of its main advantages. Unfortunately, having so many options also make it difficult to ensure that they are set up to meet your needs, depending on the size of your organization and the complexity of your IT infrastructure.

But if you adhere to these best practices, you’ll be on your way to taking advantage of all the features and powerful communications capabilities that a Microsoft Teams implementation will bring.

The performance of Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business can be enhanced by businesses with the help of Code Creators Inc., a world leader in unified communications solutions. Get in touch with a consultant to learn how Code Creators Inc. can make the deployment of Microsoft Teams simpler.