Office 365 Team Collaboration Group

Microsoft Office 365 is one of the most productive tools introduced by Microsoft. Basically, it refers to the subscription plans that include access to Office 365 applications as well as cloud-based SaaS products for business environments. These services include Exchange Online for email, Lync Online for unified communication, SharePoint Online for collaboration, the suite of Office Web Apps etc.

When it comes to using Office 365 groups for team collaboration it is very simple. It becomes easier for the user and his/her team to collaborate and communicate through Groups in Office 365. One can easily create and handle groups using Exchange Online. The user can create Group according to the team requirements and tools usage. As each team works in a little different way in an organization.

Why to use Office 365 Groups for Team Collaboration?

There are numerous features and functionalities that make Office 365 Groups useful and efficient for team collaboration. Some of the reasons which make Office 365 a reliable and smart choice for team collaboration are explained below:

• Simple as Adding an Email Address: One can easily setup Office 365 groups and administer them. The user has to follow the steps given below to set up an Office 365 group from Office 365 online.
  1. First, go to Office 365 navigation bar, click on the People option and then click on the New option in the drop-down
  2. Now, from the New dropdown, you have to select Group to add a new Group
  3. Add a name to your Group and then select the Create button
  4. Finally, add Group Members and then select the Add button

• No Learning New Software: There is no need to spend the time or expense of training the team/group on a new software system. Moreover, MS Office Groups have identical functionalities and features of Office 365. It also has the same user-friendly interface and intuitive layout that Microsoft Office owns. It reflects that the user’s team can work in a trouble-free way on Office 365 Groups application. If the user wants to use the full functionality of the Group using other software then usage of the multiple software platforms are required. If the user adds new software more and more then the solution will become more complex.
• Addition of External Users: Not only the employees of the organization but others can also take benefits of the collaboration. Sometimes, the user needs to collaborate with the teams and third-party consultants outside the office premise and the organization’s domain. Then the user can easily do this task with Office 365 Groups. When the user adds an external user to the Microsoft Office Group then it is known as Guest Access.
  This allows the external user to access the SharePoint Team Site, including the Document Library (files), shared OneNote Notebook and shared Outlook Calendar invitations directly. Moreover, after getting Guest Access one can also receive emails sent to the Group and can send the emails to Groups. The external users do not have direct access to the Group shared Inbox or Group shared Calendar or Group shared task Planner. As they are not part of the user’s domain.
  Now, with this feature, the user can easily invite external users to join a new Group. It also provides a quick way to work with the clients on new projects and with third-party consultants on the fixed timeline projects. One can easily expand small ideas to work groups in a few simple steps.
• Easily Expand Conversations: Most of the users face the situation in which their single question email expands into twenty emails. Before they are aware of this, their Inbox is flooded with multiple emails. It becomes difficult for the user to find the details articulated ten emails ago to add a pitch deck or formal project plan. But with Office 365 Groups, the user can easily expand conversations with the application called as Conversations.
  According to the user, conversations can be a continuous stream of comments or responses on the same topic. It can be also a catalog of various discussions that are related to that Microsoft Office Group. Moreover, the team member who has subscribed to the Group can receive email notification when there will be a response addition to the Conversation.
Note: If you are using an older version of Outlook then make sure that you have subscribed to the Conversation to receive the notification.

• Highly Mobile and Extendible: Groups are greatly extendible and accessible. The best part of the Office 365 Groups is it a mobile-friendly platform. It means that the team member does not have to present in the front of the desktop screen all the time. The Groups application can be downloaded from Windows Phone App Store, Google Play, Apple App Store. In addition, Office 365 Groups are also extendible. It can be connected to more than 50 connectors to popular platforms/applications such as Twitter, MailChimp, Asana, Trello, GitHub, Zendesk etc.

Final Words

Groups are easy to set up but they require a good strategy, planning, and architecture. So, that they can work in an effective manner for a longer period of time. Moreover, there are many benefits associated with the Office 365 Groups. In the above section, we have explained some reasons which make Office 365 Groups most reliable and hassle-free service for team collaboration activities.