Why Microsoft Teams is Essential For Today’s (and Tomorrow’s) Remote Work Environment
The world is working remotely right now.
This will probably continue long into the future.
Gone are the days of early morning meetings in conference rooms with whiteboards and projectors. The global pandemic has caused a major shift in the work setup, leaving a lot of organisations struggling to adapt to the new norm – even now.
According to a recent survey, about two-thirds of Australians are working from home. With this sudden shift, it’s essential to establish and maintain effective communications between yourself and your entire team.
How businesses are adapting to remote work
We have seen several companies adapt to the situation by implementing various digital tools and new practices to help their employees adjust to this era of remote work. However, there are still challenges when it comes to effective digital collaboration that ultimately affects employee productivity levels.
People always perform best when they work well together and have clear transparency over what’s going on around them so they can contribute. This can be tough when everyone is not physically together. This is why it’s important to look at collaborative digital apps that offer effective ways to remain connected.
One of the most powerful of these apps is Microsoft Teams.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams, or simply MS Teams, is a business communication platform designed to facilitate workspace chat and video conferencing, file storage and application integration.
This collaborative app helps your team communicate, share files, organise tasks and store documents with up to 1TB of space – all in one location. With Microsoft Teams, you can also schedule meetings that sync with your MS Outlook calendar.
Why choose Microsoft Teams for your business?
While many businesses use Microsoft Teams as their main communication tool, it has so much more to offer than just this.
For instance, it provides a central digital space where your team can go to access files, communicate around projects and topics, maintain good relationships and make creative decisions similar to how it would work in a traditional office setup.
Microsoft Teams is also very user-friendly and offers a suite of comprehensive features that will improve team collaboration while promoting a thriving work environment.
5 benefits of using Microsoft Teams for your business
- It improves efficiency.
One of the top advantages of using a collaborative app like Microsoft Teams is that it streamlines workflow and saves time.
Through the MS Teams app, there is no need to switch between multiple applications as it already offers multiple integrated features like chat, meeting, video calling, Microsoft Office 365 and other third-party tools which make your remote environment work more seamlessly.
- It promotes collaboration.
Microsoft Teams is designed specifically so your team members can effectively collaborate and share their ideas digitally as easily as if they were in the office. For example, they can all brainstorm remotely using the integrated Microsoft Whiteboard, making each team meeting more effective and engaging.
- It boosts productivity.
Working hours are being consumed and lost through long, multiple email threads. Scouring for files and important messages within your inbox is time-consuming, frsutrating and can slow everyone down.
Microsoft Teams is designed to facilitate better productivity through easy file and message retrieval which provides a streamlined and simplified user experience.
- It will kickstart digital transformation.
Businesses that don’t have a digital transformation strategy in place tend to struggle with adapting to the remote work environment.
One of the first steps forward in a digital transformation journey is to invest in a smart collaboration app like Microsoft Teams. Since it’s a cloud-based system, everyone from your team can access information from any device, anywhere, at any time.
- It enhances interdepartmental relationships
Maintaining healthy communications within your team can be a challenge given the current remote work situation.
Despite all the tech around, your team still want genuine human interactions. Microsoft Teams accommodates this with great features that make virtual meetings feel more natural and engaging.
For example, MS Teams’ Together Mode is designed to enhance virtual meeting experiences and help participants feel close even when they are physically apart by placing all video participants into a virtual space, such as a meeting room.
Transitioning to a more permanent (or semi-permanent) remote working environment can be challenging because business owners and management are expected to find the best solution to promote effective virtual collaboration within your team.
Fortunately, the right collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams allow your team to work together effectively.
At Centrix, we provide bespoke and streamlined collaboration tools that will help achieve your business goals. Our expert IT team will strategically evaluate your set-up and provide the best solutions that are customised to your unique business needs.
Our Managed IT Experts can enhance the way your business collaborates
Don’t let distance hinder your business from achieving optimum growth, daily productivity and overall success.
With Centrix’s extensive knowledge and digital expertise, we can help you implement systems that ensure you will thrive in today’s remote work environment.
To start, book an IT Health Check or contact us today.