User Review
( votes)Keep Your Organization Connected During COVID-19 with Microsoft Teams and the Power Platform
Over the past few weeks, organizations nationwide have been forced to undergo a dramatic operational shift as a result of COVID-19. More than ever before, employees and entire companies are working from home.
For businesses using a cloud-based CRM solution like Dynamics 365 CRM, it’s been easy for employees to access important customer data and continue to perform the day to day tasks associated with their position. But working remotely requires more than just an efficient cloud CRM solution: team members also need the ability to communicate quickly and easily, especially about important information related to COVID-19.
Microsoft Teams makes it easy for organizations to keep their employees connected, focused, and moving forward on collaborative projects. Thanks to its seamless integration with Dynamics 365 CRM and other Microsoft solutions, Teams is the ideal platform for intraorganizational video and chat communication.
To take things a step further, however, Microsoft recently developed a free Power Platform Crisis Communication app to make it easier for organizations to disseminate essential information in a crisis situation. This gives team members quick access to news and updates from health authorities and other trusted outlets, as well as organization-specific announcements. Additionally, the app gives team members the ability to submit help requests to a dedicated channel in Microsoft Teams.
How to Get Started with the Microsoft Crisis Communication App
Your organization can get Microsoft’s Crisis Communication app up and running in a matter of minutes.
Microsoft has provided detailed instructions for downloading the app here. Once you’ve followed those steps, open the Power Apps dashboard, locate the Crisis Communication app under Your Apps, click the ellipsis, select Add to Teams, and save the zip file when prompted.
Next, open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the Teams Apps page. From the menu on the left side of your screen, click Upload a Custom App and select the zip file you just downloaded. If you’re a Teams Admin, uploading the app will make it available organization-wide. If you’re a regular Teams user, you’ll make the app available for yourself as well as any teams you’re a member of.
It can be helpful to pin the Crisis Communication app to the Teams app bar, as this makes it easy for employees to access it. As a Teams Admin, launch the Teams Admin Center, select Setup Policies under Teams Apps, and choose which policy to update. Then, click Add Apps and select the Crisis Communication app. This will add the app to the Teams app bar for all users included in the policy you selected. Keep in mind that individual users can also pin the app to their app bar, even if an Admin hasn’t done so for the entire organization. Regular users can simply open the app in Teams, right click the icon in their app bar, and choose Pin.
Get Started with Microsoft Teams
For organizations already using Dynamics 365 CRM, the combination of this free app from Microsoft built with the Power Platform along with the capabilities of Microsoft Teams makes it easier than ever for employees to stay up to date on important information and announcements — especially during times of crisis.
If your organization is struggling to make the transition to a remote workforce, you’re not alone. If you’re currently utilizing Dynamics 365 CRM, Microsoft Teams is the clear choice for communication within your organization. Team members can collaborate on projects, attend video meetings, and share important files and documents — all from one centralized location.
Do you need help getting started with Microsoft Teams? JourneyTEAM has the knowledge and expertise to get you up and running right away, and we can offer your organization a six month free trial of Teams. To learn more, click here.
Watch This Short Crisis Communication App Demo From Microsoft
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Article by: Dave Bollard – Head of Marketing | 801-436-6636
JourneyTEAM is an award-winning consulting firm with proven technology and measurable results. They take Microsoft products; Dynamics 365, SharePoint intranet, Office 365, Azure, CRM, GP, NAV, SL, AX, and modify them to work for you. The team has expert level, Microsoft Gold certified consultants that dive deep into the dynamics of your organization and solve complex issues. They have solutions for sales, marketing, productivity, collaboration, analytics, accounting, security and more. www.journeyteam.com
