Many of know how use Microsoft Teams for its chat functionality and perhaps web conference calls but what most people don’t know is Teams is built to be the central app for all your business activities.  You are provided a default chat group.  This allows you to communicate with not only your own organization’s team but other organization’s utilizing Teams.  Of course, the more your team utilizes Teams…  the more features you are going to want to take advantage of.   The chat feature on the application is the gateway to many other key features for conducting your business needs.  We will introduce these features here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teams contains a default chat communication that also includes an easily accessible communal file sharing location in SharePoint.   Businesses know how to use Microsoft Teams chat but fail to apply best practice when scaling up communication from there.  Always start by creating channels first before ever pursuing creating another Team Site.  I would remove the ability for other Team members from creating another Team site. An organization with ten people probably only needs two Team Sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While many know how to use the Microsoft Teams SharePoint through poking around enough on the Teams app, they may not know how the SharePoint location can also be accessible through file explore when utilizing OneDrive for Business on the Windows desktop.  Illustrated below is your SharePoint Library in File Explore and some related resources:

Desktop SharePoint Library Sync is Out of date, Rogue Files… oh my! – Network Antics

Sharepoint OneDrive IT Support – Network Antics

 

 

 

 

 

 

Businesses who may not utilize Teams on a regular basis know how to use Microsoft Teams for accepting invites and participating on a Teams conference call.  However, they do not know how to create a conference call.  Click the “calendar” tab and you instant access to your Outlook calendar.  Click “Meet now” if you feel compelled to have a web conference call with your team or a client.  See  Microsoft Teams Support for your first SharePoint Site – Network Antics for more specifics on syncing the desktop to SharePoint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, a soft-phone is available at your finger when click “calls”.  Frequent users who know how to use Microsoft Teams calls feature for conducting a call web-cam call but do not realize they scale the calling features to a full-on VoIP PBX with the purchase of an additional license.

How to use Microsoft Teams with SharePoint & other key features Summary

Teams at a glance looks like a fairly basic chat system that is supposed to compete with Slack but savvy users who really know how to use Microsoft Teams take advantage of all of its features including conference calling, file sharing on Sharepoint, and making phone calls to your team as well as a full blown business phone system.

 

Additional Resources:

Conference Call Software Support and Reviews – Network Antics

Teams Phone Conference Dial-in Number and Phone System Greeting – Network Antics