Learn What You’re Missing in Teams

Microsoft Teams is the all-in-one communication and collaboration component of Transwestern’s Microsoft 365 platform. Its robust capabilities provide numerous benefits beyond the chat, voice calls and video conferencing we’re used to. Rita McKenzie, VP, Client Experience & Support, explains how with features such as app integration and file storage, we can more efficiently capture information, share files, manage projects and connect with team members, partners and clients – all from the Teams interface.

Why should team members be using Microsoft Teams?

Rita: Transwestern has committed to Microsoft’s integrated 365 platform as its core computing technology. This suite of best-of-class solutions – including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint – meets Transwestern’s current and future business needs and supports the collaboration that drives our success.

When we introduced Teams in 2019, it was used primarily to chat and make calls. During the pandemic, the adoption of video conferencing increased along with additional tools like screen sharing, webinars and Teams rooms. These features allowed us work across geographies, offices and functions with ease by giving us quick access to people, information and knowledge when needed. Using Teams streamlines daily activities, allowing us to connect and react in real-time via multiple channels, without getting stuck in the slog of phone tag or an email back-and-forth.

At Transwestern, where do you see Teams being used most effectively?

Rita: For starters, Teams has replaced the need for a desk phone, which cuts down on equipment and maintenance costs. Also, through the TW All Team channel, we can get messages out to our entire population quickly, and these messages are archived for future reference. Additionally, different offices and groups are using Teams in a variety of creative ways. For example:

The account team for DWS, one of the firm’s strategic clients, connects via Teams on issues related to property management and client accounting.
Research Services uses a dedicated Teams channel to share and debate local market trends.
The Houston Admins Team channel helps coordinate job coverage and project completion.
To capture real-time news, National Marketing set up a news feed from its media monitoring service directly to the Marketing & Communication and Research channels.

These are just a few of the ways we’ve seen Teams bolster collaboration across the organization.

What are the key Teams features to know?

Rita: There are some simple features people aren’t always familiar with that really come in handy.

First, you may recall that we recently communicated a new integration between Teams and Workday. While the entire Workday platform is not accessible from Teams, it can be used for recurring tasks such as approval of time sheets, driving greater efficiency for people managers.

Another time-saving feature is the ability to make a call directly from Chrome or Edge by clicking a phone number online. This capability did not exist when Teams was initially introduced, and it’s a great improvement over copying and pasting a number into the Call tab, especially on mobile devices.

Meeting Notes is a convenient tool to capture and share notes internally when a Transwestern team member sets up a meeting. Only people who are invited to a meeting before notes are created will have access to them initially. Others can request access, and the owner of the notes will be notified via email.

Hey, want to win a prize? If you have used the Meeting Notes feature in Teams, send a message to Rita with the meeting topic. The first 5 team members who respond will receive a TW swag item!

Finally, several search and filtering options can help you find messages, people, files, and other info shared in Teams. Start any search from the search box at the top of Teams. When you type a word or name, Teams will show related results. Either choose one of the suggested items or press Enter to get a full list.