In our last piece, we looked at some of the features of Microsoft Teams which work together as an interoperable whole that streamlines productivity across your workflows.

In this piece, we go into more detail about the benefits of operating from a single platform such as Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Teams – one system, the advantages

Although it was originally released in 2017, Microsoft Teams really hit its stride after the pandemic struck, offering a remote-friendly way of collaborating, communicating and organising work in a single platform. It now has a staggering average of 250 million daily users. For businesses, these are the benefits that they stand to reap from adopting a streamlined solutions such as Teams.

Cost

The combining of a range of apps into one solution offers a range of cost advantages; not only does bundling tools together into a single-subscription solution lower costs compared to using a range of separate tools, the monthly subscription model offers a more flexible, precise, and generally lower-cost solution for businesses that can also scale quickly with their needs.

Management

Managing a Teams subscription is easy because the tools fall together in one bundle, but alongside this, it is possible to configure the range of Microsoft 365 apps that your teams would use in a single handy interface, making management of the platform itself an easier experience compared to managing a range of separate tools and trying to integrate them together into an efficient set of workflows.

Productivity

At a certain point, an excessive number of apps decreases productivity; for example constant context shifts between a range of tools and platforms can decrease focus and sustained productivity across your workflows. For a smooth experience, the integration of Microsoft tools into Teams makes continuous productivity a lot easier for your people. Small moments of lost productivity can seem inconsequential, but when they are added up together in a year-long time frame, it becomes clear that thousands of pounds of productivity are being due to a less streamlined set of tools.

For productivity, Microsoft Teams can be a subtle but big game-changer for businesses seeking to make the best out of each working day from moment to moment.

Technology simplified

The fact that cloud apps are more straightforward to set up than their on-premise counterparts does not imply that they are hassle-free. The apps will still need IT specialists to manage them across a range of responsibilities, including user setup and configuration, removing or editing users and access permissions, rolling out updates, and more. But within one solution, the Microsoft 365 platform, managing users, app configuration and updates becomes much easier and more efficient.

Data analysis

Data is the lifeblood of businesses and an increasingly important asset that can be leveraged. Data is much easier to analyse and leverage when it is held within a single overall solution that enables your data points across a range of applications to be viewed and correlated together within a single platform. When your team has a comprehensive understanding of your data and what it reveals, they can anticipate your company’s demands and better serve your clientele in accordance.

Security

Cyber threats are increasing in their prevalence and severity. Increasingly intelligent threats are crawling the web looking for access points that can be exploited. By bringing your tools together into a single platform, this streamlines your security surface rather than dispersing it across a range of apps and virtual locations that could be weak points that are exploited to get wider access into your network. Often for example, users have the same password across multiple accounts, which enhances the threat a single organisation can face despite having a range of channels.

With Teams, Multi-Factor Authentication comes as a standard tool that can be used to add additional layers of security for your all in one platform, giving a more robust cyber security posture for your business, whilst allowing it to benefit from the efficiencies of an all-inclusive platform for work.

With these benefits covered, let’s look at ways to determine if your company has too many apps.

How to know

A few simple questions can be used to determine if your organisation is using too many dis-integrated tools within its processes and workflows. On the positive side, identifying if it is possible to streamline your business’s toolkit further means more opportunities to increase efficiency, productivity and the employee experience.

Here are some questions you can use to determine if you’re business may be using too many fragmented tools:

Are different departments using differing apps that have a similar functionality?

Is important information scattered across many different tools, which forces employees to search for this information for longer than they’d need to?

Is it hard to connect different parts of your organisation together? Does it seem that they are functioning somewhat separately from one another?

If you answered yes to these questions, then it’s probably time to analyse your organisation to find a superior way that unlocks its ability to operate and grow more seamlessly. Microsoft Teams can be a great solution for your business in this context. We hope that these last two pieces has helped you to assess the potential value of this platform for your business. If you’re unsure, please do feel free to reach out to us, we’d be glad to answer your questions and to offer tailored advice!

Value from your tools

BCNS make business easier and more cost-effective by guaranteeing that you and your team are always connected to each other and your clients. We can also guarantee that your team are using the latest version of every application you need to ensure that your systems are secure, and you are getting the best possible benefits from your tech. Our team of experts will assist you throughout the transition and beyond to be sure you achieve exactly what you desire. At the same time we can reduce your expenses and improve your security as well as performance! Contact us now and find out how we can help you with your IT and move into a more productive future.