August 24, 2021
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4
min read

From video and audio calls to group chats and sharing files, Microsoft Teams has helped revolutionize the way we all communicate at work (particularly since the spring of 2020, when remote working became the norm essentially overnight). According to Microsoft, more than 115 million people currently use Microsoft Teams every day, and there are a variety of apps and features available to help those workers streamline their Teams experiences (think: integrations with Asana for project management and tracking, Slido for live polls and pulse-taking, etc.). That said, not all Teams features are created equal, and not all users are privy to the security threats that might crop up while on the platform.

But worry not, IT administrators — the Microsoft Teams admin center allows you to track, manage, and (perhaps best of all!) control the features and settings that are available to your organization’s employees, helping reduce risk while also boosting productivity.

Wondering how to optimize Microsoft Teams admin center like a pro? We’ve got you covered.

Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities

Before diving into optimization techniques, it’s important to designate key administrators and managers for Microsoft Teams. There are a number of roles in Teams, and thus several functions you can delegate: Teams Administrator, Teams Communications Administrator, Teams Communications Support Specialist, Teams Communications Support Engineer, and Teams Device Administrator. (Microsoft offers a full rundown on the capabilities and responsibilities associated with each Teams role here.)

Once you’ve established who’s responsible for what, you can collectively get started on optimizing the Microsoft Teams admin center.

View, Manage, And Update Teams

If you’ve been designated a Teams Administrator for your organization, you’ll be able to view, manage, and update team (with a lowercase t!) groupings in Microsoft Teams. Management tools can be found under the Teams node in the Microsoft Teams admin center (look for Teams → Manage teams); each is backed by a Microsoft 365 Group, giving you a bird’s eye view of the groups and teams that have been enabled in your organization. Details like the team’s name, members, channels, owners, guests, etc. are all included here. You can also add, edit, archive, and delete key settings for each team — making them private or public, for instance, or removing guests from outside your organization.

Create Microsoft Teams Templates

Creating Microsoft Teams templates — or “predefined team structure[s] with a set of channels, tabs, and apps,” in Microsoft’s words — can enable you to build collaborative spaces quickly and efficiently. With templates, you can pre-install helpful apps and create consistency across channels, improving the user experience (and hopefully driving adoption) while optimizing the Microsoft Teams admin center.

Curious about how to get started? Microsoft has a helpful guide for creating Microsoft Teams templates here.

Establish Custom Messaging Policies

As the name implies, messaging policies are used to dictate the chat and channel features available to users on Microsoft Teams. The global policy is automatically implemented across your organization, but you can also create and assign custom messaging policies as you see fit via the Microsoft Teams admin center.

To implement a custom messaging policy, simply go to Teams → Teams policies (in the left-hand corner of the Microsoft Teams admin center), click “Add,” enter a name and description, and save. Voilà!

Manage Apps in Microsoft Teams

As discussed, apps can be huge timesavers (and lifesavers!). There are more than 700 apps available in Microsoft Teams — from project management tools, like the aforementioned Asana, to the Power Virtual Agents app, which makes it easy to create and deploy bots that can serve as an IT helpdesk or answer FAQs. (What can’t these apps do, you ask? The limit does not exist.)

But again: not all apps are created equal. Using the Microsoft Teams admin center, administrators can view, manage, and potentially block any and all Microsoft Teams apps available to your organization. You can also customize which functions are available to which teams or channels — giving certain groups access to apps that other groups may not be granted. Simply review app permission policies, app setup policies, and custom app policies and settings to create specific app experiences for specific groups, or individual users, across your company.

Monitor Microsoft Teams Activity with CoreView

Last but certainly not least, you can utilize CoreView to monitor and manage the way Microsoft Teams is being used across your organization. In fact, CoreView may or may not be the only Office 365 management system that can help you optimize Microsoft Teams. (Just imagine us brushing the dirt off our shoulders.)

Specifically, our Teams management actions and reports give you detailed information about exactly how your company’s users are interacting with and collaborating on Teams — from which users are active to how information is being shared externally, and so on. As ever, CoreView also allows you to filter this information, allowing you to export, save, print, and schedule reports whenever (and however) you need.

From an administration standpoint, you can utilize CoreView’s Virtual Tenants and role-based access control (RBAC) to give full or limited access to Teams information and administration.

Learn more about how we can help you optimize your Microsoft Teams admin center with a personalized CoreView demo today.

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