Getting Started With Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Training In Philadelphia

Microsoft Teams is a recently developed project management platform that offers a full suite of features for businesses of all sizes. Here’s our quick guide on getting started with Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Teams Defined

Microsoft Teams is a software platform that enables multiple team members to collaborate on projects more easily, especially for remote teams with employees in various locations. Microsoft Teams offers standard features like conference calling and file sharing, as well as real-time chat channels that keep your staff connected.

How to Join a Team or Create a New One

There are two ways to become a member of a Microsoft Team. You can join an established Team by being invited to the Team by someone else or being given a code to enter. Or you can choose to start a new Team. If you do, there are several features available to customize your dashboard. You can create a private or public Team and use an existing template to follow, or you can build yours from the ground up. Last, you’ll add members to your team and assign each of them a role.

How to Build a Team’s Channels

One of the most desirable features of Microsoft Teams is creating chat channels, similar to how Discord works. Every team is given a “general” channel to start with, and many businesses choose to use this for announcements or administrative tasks. Within your team, new channels can be created for specific projects, topics, or departments. In each different channel, you can collaborate with team members by chatting and sharing files.

You can add or remove members to a Team as you wish, allowing these employees to be directly involved only with the Microsoft Teams that relate to their work. Your staff won’t have to sort out what notifications are for them and which ones are for another project that they’re not working on.

How to Manage a Team

Managing a Team is easy using the “Manage Teams” tab on your Microsoft Teams dashboard. You can assign each team member one of three different roles — an owner, a member, or a guest. Owners have more administrative privileges than members, and members have more administrative privileges than guests.

You are automatically the owner of a Team that you create, and only owners can send invitations to new team members. Consider making at least one or two others in your company Team owners so members and guests can continue to receive support if one owner is unavailable.

How to Manage Your Channels

You can add, delete, and manage channels within your dashboard in the “Manage Teams” section. Channels are at the heart of Microsoft Teams, so it’s important to ensure that yours are set up for success. Use the analytics tab to view how many team members are signed in at any given time and for how long and to get an idea of how your team is utilizing each channel. Analytics is especially helpful for managers of remote teams who need to monitor the work activity of employees.

How to Communicate Using Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams also makes it easier than ever for your staff to collaborate and work together in real-time. You can connect team members with audio and video conference calls for meetings as needed, and the chat feature allows staff to get quick answers to questions so they can continue making progress on their work.

Why Choose Menark Technologies as Your Trusted Partner With Microsoft Teams?

Setting up Microsoft Teams and learning how to use it effectively may not be something you or your in-house IT staff can do on your own while you continue to operate your business. It’s a big undertaking, and it’s important to have experienced support you can rely on while you focus on serving your clients.

Menark Technologies is a trusted managed IT services provider in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and the MidAtlantic Areas. Call today for more information about how Microsoft Teams can help streamline your business operations (866) 339-0959.