Improve Communication During the COVID-19 Crisis with Microsoft Teams and the Power Platform
In recent weeks, organizations across the United States have struggled to adapt to the changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Amongst the many challenges that organizations are facing is the need to communicate information quickly, effectively, and efficiently. This includes information disseminated from organizational leaders to employees in various departments, as well as communication between employees.
Microsoft Teams is an excellent tool for staying connected while working remotely. It allows employees to take part in video meetings, send each other updates via chat, and share important files with just a couple of clicks.
In addition to the capabilities included in Teams, Microsoft recently released a free Crisis Communication app that organizations can download, customize, and start using right away. Built with the Microsoft Power Platform, this app gives team members easy access to updates from health authorities, government officials, and news, along with content specific to their organization and industry. The app also makes it easy for users to share their status and send requests for help to a dedicated Teams channel.
How to Use the Crisis Communication App
To get started with the Crisis Communication app, the first thing you’ll need to do is download it. Microsoft has provided detailed instructions on how to download the app here.
Once you’ve followed the instructions contained in the link above, the Crisis Communication app should appear on the Power Apps home screen under Your Apps. Click the ellipsis next to the app, choose Add to Teams, and then select where you’d like to save the zip file.
With the zip file downloaded to your computer, launch Microsoft Teams and open the Teams Apps screen. At the bottom of the menu on the left-hand side of your screen, click Upload a Custom App, locate the zip file, and select it. Keep in mind that a Teams Admin can make the Crisis Communication app available for the entire organization, whereas a regular user will only be able to make the app available to themselves and the teams they’re a part of.
If you’re a Teams Admin, it can be a good idea to pin the app to your Teams app bar to ensure that members of your organization see it and can easily access it. Doing so is easy: simply open the Teams Admin Center, click Setup Policies under the Teams Apps menu item, and select which policy you want to update. Next, click Add Apps (located in the Pinned Apps section), and click the Crisis Communication app. All users subsumed under the policy you selected will now be able to access the app directly from their Teams app bar.
Individual users who upload the app can also pin it to their app bar: all they have to do is open the app, right click the app icon from their app bar, and then click Pin.
Working Remotely with Microsoft Teams
This free Power App courtesy of Microsoft is a great way to centralize important COVID-19 crisis-related communication within your organization. By harnessing the capabilities of both Power Apps and Microsoft Teams, your organization can keep team members on the same page and ensure rapid dissemination of crucial information.
If your organization is grappling with the challenge of transitioning employees to working remotely, Microsoft Teams can make the process easier. There’s never been a better time to incorporate Teams into your organization’s toolkit. With Teams, employees can collaborate on important projects, keep each other updated, and connect via video and chat on the fly.
JourneyTEAM can help your organization get started with Teams quickly and easily. We can also give you access to a free six month trial of Teams: click here to learn more.
Watch the Crisis Communication App Demo From Microsoft: