If you’re not productive, you’re going to be left behind
The pace of work is ever increasing, and having the right tech to optimise your day makes all the difference. Set against that background, Microsoft Teams has become an indispensable tool for improving workplace efficiency and collaboration. We thought we’d explore how you can maximise productivity using some of the fantastic features of Microsoft Teams, and ask a couple of our Gamma Teams experts to weigh in with their thoughts.
Streamlined communication
Effective communication is the backbone of any productive team, and Microsoft Teams excels in this area with its chat and messaging capabilities. The ability to forward chat messages directly is a small, but impactful, feature that streamlines communication.
Jack Carr, Team Leader (Solutions Consultants) at Gamma clarifies the feature: “You can now forward chat messages. Previously, you’d have to do a bit of good old-fashioned copy and paste. Now you can forward them on to either an individual colleague or a group if required.”
Tom Hunter, Solutions Consultant at Gamma adds, “This is another small feature that has a big impact and improves the general quality of life of the application for users. Any small change for one person can be a big change for another, and all these small changes add up to make the platform as user-friendly and intuitive as possible.”
Intelligent Recap: Leveraging AI for efficiency
One of the most powerful productivity features in Teams is the “Intelligent Recap,” which uses AI to summarise meeting content. This feature is invaluable for keeping teams informed without requiring everyone to attend every meeting.
Jack explains, “A big takeaway is around intelligent recap for meetings. We’re seeing more and more meetings in our diaries compared to years gone by. The important thing is you don’t necessarily need to be there for all the meetings anymore.”
Tom supports this view: “Co-Pilot will take that information, consolidate it, and provide a snapshot of the key points. Even if you’re not on the calls and your name gets mentioned, you still get all the information you need without relying on others to bring it to you and potentially forgetting.”
Enhancing virtual meetings with augmented reality
Managing virtual backgrounds can be a challenge, especially for those working from home. Microsoft Teams offers augmented reality enhancements to virtual backgrounds, guaranteeing a professional appearance in every call.
Jack notes, “With augmented reality added to our virtual backgrounds, you can tell it to do what you want. Maybe your lighting’s not very good, or you just need to tidy up the room behind you. You can tell Teams to do it for you.”
Tom adds, “The augmented backgrounds, again, would have been more useful during Covid when the wife and kids were running about in the background. But it’s a useful feature nonetheless.”
Simplified Audio-Video Controls
Quality audio and video are crucial for effective virtual meetings. Teams’ simplified audio-video controls give users more granular access to their devices, which provides both better call quality and a professional appearance.
Jack remarks, “We get a bit more granular access to what our end-user peripherals are picking up. For me, if you can’t organise home lighting to save your life and you end up looking like a Bond villain on all your calls, you’re able to adjust some things to make sure it comes across better.”
Efficient Administration
Administrators play a critical role in maintaining productivity in a digital environment. Microsoft Teams provides several features that make administrative tasks more efficient, such as the ability to schedule maintenance windows outside business hours and extended telemetry data availability.
Jack explains, “First, we have maintenance windows that can be set within Teams Admin Center. We’re not going to push out updates to Teams-managed devices during business hours, minimising disruption to users.”
Tom elaborates, “With Teams Premium license, telemetry data extends up to seven days from the conclusion of the event. So, even if a user takes a couple of days to report an issue, IT admins have a better chance to diagnose and resolve call quality issues.”
Data Control and Security
Data security is a top priority for any organisation. Microsoft Teams offers robust data control features, such as preventing chat forwarding and applying watermarks to meeting recordings, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure.
Jack expands on the importance of security, “Controlling data is growing in importance, especially related to meetings. With Teams Premium license, administrators can set privacy policies for meetings, preventing chat messages from being copied or forwarded for sensitive reasons.”
Tom agrees, “Cyber security is huge, and this is another layer to keep data safe. Controlling data is crucial, especially when federated with another organisation.”
Investing in the right tools
To fully leverage the productivity features of Microsoft Teams, it is essential to invest in the appropriate licensing, such as Co-Pilot or Teams Premium. These investments can ultimately pay off by boosting productivity and making sure that users get the most out of the platform.
Jack hammers home the point, “Some features are included with Co-Pilot licensing or Teams Premium licensing. We’re getting to a point where, if you want to leverage Teams to its maximum capability, investing in the right licensing is non-negotiable.”
Tom supports this view: “Having Co-Pilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., would eventually pay for itself with that added functionality. Users would be far happier with the platform, and because they have an AI doing the heavy lifting, productivity would increase.”
Continuous improvement is the name of the productivity game
Microsoft Teams is a productivity powerhouse that continually evolves to meet the needs of its users. By leveraging features like intelligent recap, augmented reality backgrounds, simplified audio-video controls, and robust administrative tools, teams can significantly enhance their productivity.
Tom wraps things up with his final thoughts: “Microsoft is continuously rolling out updates to improve user experience, which is crucial in a tech-driven world.”
With these features, Microsoft Teams gives organisations the means to maintain high productivity levels, adapt to changing work environments, and keep their data secure. Overall, it’s a top choice for digital communication and collaboration in the modern workplace.