Simple Setup Checklist for Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a lot of things. It’s a video conferencing tool, a team messaging channel, and a tool for in-app co-authoring, just to name a few. During the pandemic, the popularity of Teams skyrocketed.rnrnUser numbers for MS Teams jumped from 20 million in November 2019 to 75 million in April 2020. As of this year, Microsoft reports a user count of 270 million for the platform. This makes it the most popular business tool for team communications.rnrnBut one of the things that makes the app popular is also one that can make the setup complex. Microsoft Teams has many moving parts, but to use them effectively they need to be well organized. Additionally, users need to have a chance to learn the system and train on best practices.rn
What Can Microsoft Teams Do?
rnFirst, let’s look at the different areas of Microsoft Teams and what it can do. Then, we’ll give you a simple setup checklist to help your team get up and running productively.rnrnYou can think of Teams as a virtual office in the cloud. It’s a centralized hub where teams can communicate, collaborate, and manage tasks. There is also an external communication component to Teams. You can use the app to video conference with anyone. You can also invite guests to a chat channel.rnrnHere are some of the features of MS Teams:rn- rn
- Siloed chat channels rn
- Security for team communications rn
- Integration with Office apps rn
- Integration with 3rd party apps rn
- File sharing rn
- Video and audio conferencing rn
- VoIP phone system (with an extra add-on) rn
- Keep all team resources in a single place rn
Microsoft Teams Versions
rnSome good news for small businesses is that there is a free version of Microsoft Teams. If you sign up for a Microsoft 365 business plan, you get the app included, but with a few more features.rnrnMicrosoft has also been pushing MS Teams for personal use. So, you can use it to keep your departments better coordinated at work. Or to manage family video calls or PTA meeting collaboration. It’s a versatile and scalable virtual office platform.rnEasy Checklist for Setting Up Microsoft Teams
rn1. Set Up Your Teams/Departments
rnOne of the advantages of Teams is that it allows you to set up specific areas for your groups to collaborate. You do not want everyone to set these teams up on their own, or you could end up with an unorganized mess.rnrnSome ideas for setting these up:rn- rn
- Set up teams by department (accounting, marketing, etc.) rn
- Add a company-wide team (where everyone can collaborate) rn
- Set up teams by role (office managers, executives, etc.) rn
2. Add Team Members
rnFor each team, add the members allowed to take part in that team. These would be people that can see the resources posted in that team area. It would normally be the members of the department or group that the team is designed for.rn3. Set Up Team Channels
rnThe next level beneath the Team is the Channels. These team channels help organize conversations. For example, within a team set up for your marketing department, you may decide to add three channels. This keeps conversations more focused and makes it easier to find things.rnrnFor instance, you could have channels for:rn- rn
- Website Management rn
- Social Media rn
- Offline Advertising rn