Top 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the team collaboration platform fromOffice 365, featuring capabilities that enhance teamwork and help develop and advance projects more quickly and efficiently.

Real-time collaboration features include chat, note-taking, and file sharing; companies can also integrate additional technologies such as Microsoft Planner (the project planning app) and GitHub (the code hosting and review platform).

Microsoft Teams has the potential to transform teamwork within any organization, and we’ve compiled our top 10 tips below to help companies get the most out of Teams:

1. Avoid team duplication

Microsoft Teams does not check for duplicates, so we recommend verifying whether another team or channel with the same purpose already exists before setting up a new one Teams. This is especially important if you’re using self-service creation for groups Teams and Office 365.

2. Set up channels with care

Channels help to organise team conversations and are dedicated to defined topics, projects - whatever is needed. The advice is not to create too many channels from the start, but to add as the project develops, as each channel has its own Files tab in the team's document library and creating empty channels creates redundant tabs.

3. Create a team for each project

By assigning a dedicated team to each project, it’s easier for team members to stay focused on that specific project, as well as to find and organize relevant documents more easily. This is particularly important when employees are working on multiple projects—and will become even more important once Microsoft Teams is updated to allow external users to join a team.

4. Remember that a team is also a group (Office 365)

Office 365 Groups is another app designed to help improve collaboration in the workplace by using tools Office 365 that allow employees to collaborate more closely when creating documents, project plans, or meetings.

Groups can be set up using various tools, including Outlook, SharePoint or Planner—and Teams, since a group is automatically created when a new team is created.

For owners of an existing group wishing to add a team, connect the group to the team, otherwise another group will be created with the same name, but a different ID number.

5. Defining Naming Conventions

Sometimes difficult to apply if the creation of a self-service team is required, as a good communication ethic needs to be established across the company, it is advisable to define naming conventions for teams and groups. This can be supported to some extent by the Administration Centre, and - for example - by blocking the use of certain words, or by defining specific suffixes or prefixes to be applied.

6. Do not customise shared document libraries

It is recommended to avoid adapting the default document library. This can be used for general purpose sharing, facilitating access to all those who need these shared documents. Customised document libraries can be set up on the team site for team-related files.    

7. Train team members to use 'folders

Team members who are switching from SharePoint Teams will need to change the way they interact with files, and in particular learn how to work with folders, an integral part of the Microsoft Teams platform.

8. Create a consistent user file experience

You can access files on Teams through the chat feature at Teams or through the team’s website at SharePoint. By creating tabs using SharePoint for all document libraries on the team site and a tab with the “Website” connector on the team site, all team members will be able to see new files regardless of their location.

9. Ensure that connections are bi-directional

Two-way connections between Teams and SharePoint are created by adding a link to the Teams team on SharePoint, copying the URL of the Teams team, and adding it to the Quick Launch links. This link will open the team when you go to Microsoft Teams.

10. Share the experience at Teams!

Share tips, ideas, and issues with the Microsoft Tech community. As a self-help forum, it can be invaluable, and Microsoft takes your feedback and comments very seriously. As Microsoft Teams is deployed to an increasing number of organizations, the potential for feedback grows, and businesses can derive even greater value from it.

Lambert Consulting, a partner in the success of your projects UCC Office 365