Connecting Microsoft Teams to Third-Party Software
Learning the ins and outs of using Microsoft Teams can save your company money by saving you time. Start by learning the top 15 tips for using Microsoft Teams. After you memorize the keyboard shortcuts and slash commands, and hide the Teams in which you do not participate on a day-to-day basis, you can further increase your team productivity by integrating third-party apps. Learning the Teams tips and integrating the software reduces the time spent to accomplish your work, which increases productivity.
Once you familiarize yourself with the special features of Microsoft Teams, you can begin to leverage its abilities to team up with other apps. One of Microsoft Teams' biggest boons to productivity is its ability to integrate other software. You can connect Trello, GitHub, Zoom and many other apps to add power to Teams.
Imagine never having to close one app to use another. You never waste time to find another app you need because you can access it from within Teams. When a team member includes a link to a webinar in a Teams chat or message, you click the link, and due to Zoom integration, the webinar in Zoom opens immediately.
You immediately enhance Team productivity by integrating the apps members use regularly. You can integrate an app for Team-wide use using a tab or chat, and you can add an app you like using by adding it to the sidebar.
Add a Sidebar App for Yourself
To add a third-party app that you use from your sidebar, click on the ellipsis menu, also called the "three-dot menu," on the left sidebar. Choose the “More Apps” option. A menu of available third-party apps will appear, and you can choose the one you want from the hundreds listed.
Let’s use Trello as an example — click on the Trello option, then click the "Add" button. When the app appears on the sidebar, click on it and sign in to your account.
Add Third-party Apps for Whole Team Use
To add a third-party app that everyone can use, choose the "Tabs" option. Choose these judiciously because too many tabs can make the team's interface unmanageable and still cause people to need to search for something. Efficiency and organization should be at the top of your team interface priorities.
In the Team window, click the “+” button to add a tab to the team interface. From the apps menu that opens, choose from the list of Microsoft and third-party apps available. Click on the app for which you want to make a tab. If the app you want isn’t offered, choose the “website" option and add the URL of the cloud app. Your tab will appear — your whole team can use this app, but each team member must have their own account on that app. Each person must sign in to their account from Teams before using the app in Teams. For example, a western New York construction firm building an office complex in Buffalo, NY might add a tab for the website for the Buffalo Planning and Zoning office and regulations to make compliance easier.
When you want to use an app in Chat, you add it in the chat window for the team. Open the “Chat” window, click on the ellipsis menu located on the bar running across the bottom of the screen, and choose the “More Apps” option.
Choose from the list of third-party apps or add a website using that option.
Using these processes lets you integrate the apps your team regularly uses into the Microsoft Teams environment. You only need to open one application to accomplish your work. Every team member can quickly share files created in any app included on the team interface, knowing everyone else automatically has the right software to open and edit the file.
You can learn more about making Microsoft Teams work best for your business by contacting Buffalo Computer Help, serving western New York with 21st century IT consulting. We can help you integrate apps into Microsoft Teams and train your employees on the best methods for using Microsoft Teams so you increase productivity. By working more efficiently, your employees accomplish more in less time, which tallies up the savings for you.