Microsoft Teams has emerged as the go-to solution for communication and collaboration in virtually every industry. Designed to unify distributed tech and employees, enhance productivity, and improve company culture, Teams can help companies of all sizes and backgrounds to achieve essential goals.
Part of what makes the Teams ecosystem so attractive to today’s business leaders, is how flexible the landscape can be. With endless apps, integrations, and customisation options to choose from, organisations can easily tailor their Teams instance to suit their specific needs.
In the retail landscape, Microsoft Teams provides companies with an efficient way to bring distributed staff members together, wherever they are. Front-of-store employees and customer experts can synchronise their efforts via the same comprehensive ecosystem. With Teams, leaders can leverage the innovative digital tools they need to enhance backend team performance, and empower frontline workers at the same time.
Recently, Microsoft shared insights into its continued work on the Teams platform, and how it can enhance employee performance in the retail sector, as part of the National Retail Federation (NRF) event, 2023. Here’s what retail companies can expect from Microsoft Teams.
Connecting Store Teams with Efficient Communication
During the NRF event for 2023, Microsoft highlighted a number of pre-existing and new solutions, specially created to boost communication, connect employee experiences, and streamline operations in the retail sector. According to the company, countless retail employees struggle to maintain connections with the rest of their colleagues, particularly when working on the frontline.
Around 61% of retail staff say leadership messages never reach them, and a further 31% say they believe their voice isn’t being heard when they attempt to communicate potential issues. To address this issue, Microsoft updated the Teams Walkie Talkie feature with transmission usage reports, and a “prompt to join” capability. The prompt to join feature allows the Walkie Talkie device to automatically select the last channel in use for a conversation.
The new usage report solution will provide admins with downloadable insights into overall call quality and application usage. These enhancements will also be rolled out on devices from industry-leading partners working with Microsoft, such as Zebra Technologies, Samsung, and Honeywell. The devices come with dedicated buttons for Walkie Talkie functionality.
Leading companies like L’Oréal have already begun taking advantage of Teams’ built-in collaboration tools for its frontline workers. The company introduced Teams to help beauty advisors share insights from interactions with customers with headquarters and leadership teams in real-time. Elsewhere, Ahold Delhaize is leveraging teams to align frontline workers and back-end staff, for end-to-end collaboration across the workforce.
Enhancing Retail Store Operations
Microsoft noted many frontline workers in the retail landscape are still reliant on legacy tools and systems to accomplish their work. However, with built-in solutions in Microsoft Teams, such as Shifts, Tasks, and Updates, organisations can effectively improve workflows and efficiency. Notably, retail companies also have the option to create their own custom, low-code apps, using the Microsoft Power Apps ecosystem, without the need for developer knowledge.
During Microsoft Ignite 2022, the leading company introduced a new partnership with UKG, to build a Shifts connector solution for UKG Dimensions. This offering gives frontline workers the freedom to request time off, accept open shifts, clock in or out, and more, from within Teams.
Additionally, Microsoft drew attention to the benefits of the Updates app in Teams for retail companies. This simple but intuitive app supports store team members in completing comprehensive workflow checklists, and maintaining efficiency. As of January 2023, Microsoft began rolling out deep link sharing for the Updates app, which allows teams to create specific links for each update.
What’s more, to help save time in the retail space, Microsoft introduced the Updates Power Automate connector, which supports workflow automation with intuitive triggers and actions. Companies like River Island have used these technologies, as well as Microsoft Tasks in Teams to replace their multi-step workflows into simple, consistent processes.
Enhancing Retail Employee Experiences
During the NRF event, Microsoft also drew attention to the changing priorities of employees in the retail space, and around the world. According to the leading technology vendor, today’s employees want a more connected, meaningful, and empathetic experience in their jobs. However, 62% of retail staff members still say their leadership teams aren’t committed to building company culture.
For frontline workers, the focus on wellbeing and connectivity between team members is particularly poor. Around 51% of staff in non-management positions say they don’t feel valued, and believe more should be done to reduce burnout and improve wellbeing.
