Collaboration has always been key in the workplace to achieve efficient teamwork. But with the drastic changes of the last few months, what used to be an alternative reserved to more tech-savvy users became the norm.

Videoconferencing replaced in-person meetings, remote sharing of cloud-based documents replaced endless streams of photocopied papers, and even after work gatherings got replaced by Zoom parties!

Telework's new reality

Chances are you’re not working the usual 9 to 5 and that going to the office means walking a few steps to your computer. Work is about collaboration involving teams spread across time zones, cities or continents.

At Present, this meant leveraging Microsoft Teams as one of the main collaborative tools on top of the rest of the Office 365 suite so that our team could remain organized and structured throughout the pandemic. But the changes were not only experienced internally. Many of our clients are looking to invest in collaboration solutions, now more than ever, with the industry showing a 322% increase of engagement with the various platforms available today.

Whether you’re using Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Slack or Zoom, the need for all-around solutions encompassing communication, file-sharing and project management is probably one of your main concerns right now, as your team’s flexibility has become an asset in today’s reality.

Why Microsoft Teams ?

With an ever-expanding user base, Microsoft Teams is often the default go-to for enterprises wanting to deploy an integrated platform across their user base. Why is that? 

• Teams is included in the Office 365 suite and integrates seamlessly with other tools such as Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Multiple users can access documents at the same time, improving their workflows and the sharing of information.
• The tools are accessible via any device.
• Security is improved thanks to administrative control and encryption; downtime is reduced to a minimum.
• Above all, improved collaboration and information sharing through Teams means saving time. Studies show time savings from 1 to 8 houlinrs per week per employee. This is huge and allows for more efficient, more focused work across your teams.

A range of possibilities and uses

Besides, even though they are often overlooked, other tools integrated in the Office 365 suite such as Planner, Flow, PowerBI or InTune allow you to coordinate tasks, have a better view of who works on what, automate workflows, share dashboards, as well as manage mobile devices and app access, all for better supervision and maximum efficiency.

On top of all this, deployment is extremely simple with no downtime. It is now possible to activate a massive number of users on the platform within a few minutes, with flexible payment plans and the possibility to remove users anytime should the need arise.

The pandemic proved to be a catalyst for the widescale adoption of collaboration platforms. Employees everywhere were forced to become familiar with technology they didn’t use in the past, and there is likely no turning back now. A new level of expectations has been created through these solutions, and a new appetite for technology making your employees lives easier means collaborative platforms are here to stay in the vast majority of enterprises.

As a certified Microsoft Gold partner, Present provides the expertise to leverage the many benefits of Microsoft 365 and ensure a fast and smooth deployment and efficient management post implementation.