Author: Ciara McMillan, Crimson
In the past, remote working has been difficult for housing teams who found issues with technology, information and communication. This has all changed thanks to software such as Microsoft Teams, but how do you use it to work effectively?
Messaging
Teams messaging allows you to chat to you co-workers while you all work remotely. The messaging function is one of the most common uses of Teams, and it is often the first stage of use for many companies. You can message an individual or a group, and you can instantly share files, start a meeting or invite others into your group. The chat function also has the option to start sharing your screen, and even features emojis, GIFs and stickers. You can keep track of your previous messages and files and is a much more concise communication platform in comparison to standard emails.
Meetings
Meeting are made easy on teams. Teams removes the issues of travel and meeting rooms, and instead you simply join or organise a meeting, no matter where you are. You don’t need to have a Teams license to join a meeting, so you can include clients, customers or suppliers. You can also record the meeting to share with others, as well as the option to show your face, your computer screen or a presentation during the meeting.
Documents
You can also upload files to Microsoft Teams, which you can share with the rest of your team. This means you’ve all got access to the same files and can keep track of the latest versions. Whether you are sharing Word documents, videos or PDFs, you can have everything you need in your Teams files. You can watch members of your team work on the same document as you while you are on a call, and you can also access your OneDrive files alongside your Teams files.
Live events and conferences
Live events cost money. From venue hire, to catering and travel costs, events often take a lot of time to organise, as well as a large portion of the marketing budget. During the current coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, it is a health risk to hold large events, which has led to many cancellations. With the help of Microsoft Teams, events can be made virtual, with the live events option including a maximum capacity of 10,000 viewers – while a standard Teams meeting can include up to 250 people. Live events on Microsoft Teams allow you to have a producer, and several presenters, which are all remote on their own devices. The producer chooses which screen to show and starts the event. This is not only a cheaper alternative to large live events, but it also means that those who are self-isolating can still partake in the event. You can also use this function for internal company meetings, staff training and company announcements. Microsoft Teams has witnessed a surge in demand due to mass home working across Europe. This can put extra pressure on the service, however Microsoft hasbegan to stabilise this, so live events and meetings should be back to running smoothly.
As more people start to use Teams, the software becomes more effective. Teams is made for collaboration and communication, so the higher the number of users the better. This group of people also need to use Teams in the same way, by keeping the majority of communications, documents and meetings in Teams.
