Manage
Microsoft Teams is a lot of things at once: a video conferencing tool, a team messaging hub, and a place to co-author documents in real time, just to name a few. Its popularity exploded during the pandemic, jumping from 20 million daily users in late 2019 to 75 million by April 2020, and today Microsoft reports well over 270 million users. That makes it one of the most widely used business tools on the planet.
But the same flexibility that makes Microsoft Teams so powerful can make setup feel complicated. There are a lot of moving parts, and to get real value from them, they need to be organized thoughtfully from day one. At eMDTec, we help small and mid-sized businesses roll out Teams the right way. Here’s a simple checklist to get you started.
What Can Microsoft Teams Do?
Before the checklist, it helps to understand what you’re working with. Microsoft Teams brings chat, video meetings, file sharing, and app integrations into one workspace, so your team spends less time switching between tools and more time actually getting things done. When it’s set up well, it becomes the digital front door to your whole workday.
Microsoft Teams Versions
Good news for budget-conscious businesses: there’s a free version of Microsoft Teams that covers the basics, plus paid plans bundled with Microsoft 365 that add more storage, security, and administrative control. You can learn more about the available plans on the official Microsoft Teams plans page. Most growing businesses land on a Microsoft 365 plan for the added features.
Easy Checklist for Setting Up Microsoft Teams
Follow these five steps in order and you’ll have Microsoft Teams organized, adopted, and working for your business instead of against it.
1. Set Up Your Teams and Departments
One of the biggest advantages of Teams is dedicated spaces for each group to collaborate. Don’t let everyone create their own teams at random, or you’ll quickly end up with a disorganized mess. Plan your structure first, then set up teams around real departments or projects.
2. Add the Right Team Members
For each team, add the people who should take part and see the resources posted there. Usually that’s the members of a specific department or project group. Getting membership right from the start keeps sensitive conversations and files in front of the right eyes only.
3. Set Up Team Channels
Beneath each team sit channels, which help organize conversations by topic. Within a marketing team, for example, you might add separate channels for campaigns, content, and events. This keeps discussions focused and makes it far easier to find what you need later.
4. Set Up Team Tabs
Tabs are a productivity secret weapon. If your accounting team constantly needs a tax reporting website, add it as a tab so nobody wastes time hunting for the link or login. Pinning the tools and files people use most turns Teams into a true command center.
5. Schedule Microsoft Teams Training
Company initiatives often fail for one simple reason: people weren’t properly trained. If your team isn’t comfortable in Microsoft Teams, they’ll drift back to old habits and you’ll lose the benefits of the switch. A short, focused training session makes all the difference in adoption.
Need Help Implementing Microsoft Teams? eMDTec Can Help
Setting up Microsoft Teams the right way pays off in productivity for years. If you’d rather skip the trial and error, eMDTec can plan your structure, configure everything correctly, and train your team so Teams sticks. We’ll help you get the most out of the platform from day one.
Ready to get Microsoft Teams working for your business? Schedule a free consultation with eMDTec, or call us at 973-295-5570.