How Microsoft 365 & Teams Modernises Collaboration
People have collaborated on tasks for millennia, however, the collaboration tools we use and the projects we work towards have evolved considerably. Much of the world now operates in a fast-paced knowledge economy, meaning that efficient communication and collaboration tools are needed to ensure that ideas, information, and other intangible assets are effectively shared. This blog examines how Microsoft 365 and Teams are examples of tools that organisations can use to foster a modern collaborative workplace environment.
The Need for Modern Collaboration Tools
Challenges of Traditional Collaboration Methods
Workspaces centred around clerical and administrative work have existed for thousands of years, but the office as we know it today started to take shape in the 18th and 19th centuries due to industrialisation. A distinct office culture began to develop as companies often adopted the same trends and innovations to improve their output. However, once organisations adopted a new technology or business practice, they would often hold on to them until they became very outdated. This risk aversion would lead to issues not becoming addressed until far too late, potentially creating work environments that could stifle the very things they tried to encourage.
For instance, offices allow for large numbers of people to gather, with the potential to foster a very collaborative environment. Despite this, the phenomenon of communication silos became widespread, which is where teams or departments of people form that only communicate amongst themselves and often ignore the broader goals of the business. Another example is email, which has communication at its core, but poor utilisation of the technology has led to many workers experiencing email overload, where almost nothing gets properly communicated and workflow is at risk of constant interruption.
Flexible Work in the Modern Economy
Many businesses that have offices have similarly been reluctant to change their practices regarding working location, even though computer and mobile technology has allowed for the possibility of remote and hybrid work for many years. It was only the recent covid-19 pandemic that forced companies to adopt distance working policies, which in many cases have been successful enough for a lot of organisations to keep to some extent, albeit often scaled-back. Remote and hybrid work are also part of a broader trend of flexible working, in which companies experiment with things like shorter work weeks or the option to temporarily work in different branches.
Flexible working policies can only succeed if the right collaboration tools are in place, because it becomes much harder to work together in different locations and on different work hours while using techniques geared towards traditional office work. Therefore, organisations now pay greater attention to choosing the right tools for them. These often come in the form of applications, websites, and software, meaning that they are now sharing the spotlight that was previously only reserved for hardware innovations. For greater simplicity and centralisation businesses often prefer to use bundles of tools by the same provider, with the options provided by Microsoft being among the most popular.
Overview of Microsoft 365
Microsoft is known for producing productivity software, with Microsoft Office traditionally being their core offering. Some of the most famous of these are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, which cover word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and emails respectively. The suite has expanded over time and has experienced different branding, being rolled into the Office 365 subscription-based offering, which has since been rebranded into Microsoft 365. The current brand offers a variety of subscription plans to cater to different needs, such as consumer, small business, enterprise, and education. For example, Word is a staple across all subscription plans, while content management tool SharePoint is unavailable in the consumer plan.
Microsoft 365 Cloud Integration
Organisations typically prefer standardisation across their work practices, so that it becomes easier for colleagues to understand each other’s work and collaborate on it. Regarding software, if it is relatively easy to use and produces acceptable results, then it may be a candidate for widespread adoption across a whole company. However, in the last few years cloud integration has become an additional determinant as to whether software becomes standard use across a business.
Cloud integration is a concept whereby tools and technologies bring together applications and IT environments on to the cloud. The purpose of this is to ensure that files and applications can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. Access regardless of location is of course of huge benefit to organisations as it promotes flexibility. Even businesses that have largely stuck to the traditional 9-5 office-only work pattern can see the benefits of cloud integration, as files can be easily shared among employees and hardware issues do not automatically mean files are lost.
Microsoft 365 ticks all the above boxes, from being relatively easy to use to incorporating cloud integration, making it an incredibly popular choice for implementation within businesses. It is by no means perfect and plenty of companies select other productivity software and applications that better suits their needs, but Microsoft 365 is widespread enough that almost everyone with computer experience has been exposed to their applications, given it a major head start compared to its rivals.
Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance
Microsoft considers security to be a partnership – they protect Microsoft 365 services while the user is responsible for protecting data, identities, and devices. Several security features are built-in as part of the service, while there are also additional controls that can be customised. For example, email has built-in anti-phishing controls, while all user data is encrypted and held on servers in hidden locations. Microsoft also states they comply with GDPR, HIPAA BAA, and other data and security compliance legislations. However, customers may not realise that a part of the user’s responsibility is to take charge of their own security outside of what Microsoft provides as a default.
For many years it has been the case that while Microsoft has provided options for data backups and multi-factor authentication, the user is responsible for putting them in place – though policies are always subject to change. This can of course pose a security challenge, but many organisations opt to stay with Microsoft and simply educate their employees about their responsibilities, to benefit from what is a secure suite of software. Another option is to approach service providers to manage aspects of the Microsoft experience. For example, at FluidOne, we can take care of one specific aspect such as Backup as a Service, or we can provide a broader Microsoft 365 package that covers installation to licensing to security management.
Overview of Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is an application that is centred around team collaboration. It has historically been a part of the Microsoft 365 suite, but a transition has begun to make it require a standalone subscription. Although this may cause some people to reconsider their licenses, the usefulness of Teams due to its integration with the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite will likely mean that companies will only move away from it if they fully migrate to an alternative, such as Google’s G Suite. This is because while much of the rest of the Microsoft 365 applications focus on completing specific tasks or more formalised communication, such as email, Teams acts as a communication and collaboration hub for them all.
Teams fulfils its role as a hub not only through utilising the previously mentioned app integrations, but also by chat functions, calls, video conferencing, and file sharing. These features put teamwork at the centre of the app, meaning that it is useful for organisations of any size. For example, an employee can work on a Word document or Excel spreadsheet that their colleagues can access through Teams and make their own edits. They can then chat about the project or host a meeting that is put into their Outlook calendar, all through one app.
Key Features For Modernised Microsoft 365 Collaboration
Microsoft has helped to modernise collaboration at work through its position as a global leader in software. Many organisations already used Microsoft products, meaning that if any Microsoft 365 and Teams updates featured new collaborative tools then it was available to be readily adopted by those organisations. Having these tools in place at the time of the covid-19 pandemic also raised the influence of Microsoft 365 and Teams on collaboration, because they essentially provided a template for a new way of flexible working that the world had to rapidly get used to. The features of modern workplace collaboration found in Microsoft 365 and Teams include:
Real-Time Collaboration
Documents can be instantly co-authored, allowing collaborators to work together from the beginning. Similarly, across all documents regardless of authorship, editing can be conducted in real-time by multiple people simultaneously, and feedback received instantly.
Integrated Communication
Until very recently all business communication took place using segregated methods – in-person meetings, emails on the computer, and calls on a phone. Teams integrates multiple methods on one app, allowing seamless transition between typed chat alongside video and voice calls, without a person ever having to switch device or even switch apps. Communication between a whole organisation can now be achieved regardless of location.
Task Management and Planning
Being able to work on present tasks effectively is not enough – employees need to be able to manage and plan their future tasks. Working on a variety of tasks with different project leaders can lead to a chaotic work environment. That is why Microsoft 365 has integrated planning and calendar functions in several of its apps, such as Teams and Outlook, as well as having apps dedicated to task management like To Do.
File Sharing and Storage
Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint all allow for file sharing, which means that files can all be accessed in centralised hubs and stored securely. Gone are the days where the only way to retrieve a file was to find the precise email sent to you and then make sure to save it on your device. File organisation can be done logically, and colleagues can easily access files for collaboration, while also having their own private cloud storage that gives them file access on any device.
Third-Party App Integration
No single software suite can provide for all possible business needs, resulting in most organisations needing to utilise other software and applications. Microsoft 365 is no different, but it at least allows for integration of third-party apps, making such applications easily accessible and able to be used with Microsoft 365 apps. Examples include financial software like QuickBooks and or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools like Salesforce.
Constant Evolution
Although business leaders can be cautious, they are often still open to new ideas if they have the potential to help their company. One of the attractions of Microsoft 365 is that new features are regularly added, which could be of benefit to organisations. As an example, over the past year Microsoft has been integrating its generative AI chatbot Copilot into its applications. Its ability to be used to search for information and generate text, among many other uses, means that many businesses already have a use for it. However, as it is still in its infancy, the true scale of its potential is not fully known.
Conclusion
Microsoft 365 and Teams have proven themselves to be integral to the organisations that utilise them, particularly with regards to their ability to aid with collaboration and teamwork. With flexible working arrangements likely to remain in some shape or form over the coming years, collaborative tools such as those produced by Microsoft are only going to be even more influential.
At FluidOne, we understand that you want what’s best for your business. However, picking a software suite such as Microsoft 365 is only the first step: it needs to be properly utilised. Our Business IT team can help you migrate to Microsoft and receive customer support – and everything in between.
Want to know if you are getting full value from Microsoft 365? Get in touch to find out more.
