WorkplaceBuddy eases your Teams adoption journey through helpful tips and a personalised learning pathway. The company was founded in 2020 and is based out of Amsterdam. WorkplaceBuddy helps in Microsoft 365 adoption through smart training interventions via Microsoft Teams. It uses a chatbot-based interface to interact with end-users, learn about their unique goals and needs, and personalise the learning experience accordingly. To that end, WorkplaceBuddy is a Microsoft Silver Partner.
WorkplaceBuddy comes with a robust library of pre-built Microsoft 365 content, covering Yammer, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, among others. It also uses gamification principles to encourage sustained participation and steady progress. Learning experiences are tailored as per persona as well.
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WorkplaceBuddy targets two types of customer audiences – end-users and resellers. The latter can leverage the platform as part of their delivery services, enabling Microsoft 365 adoption through the WorkplaceBuddy tool. Also, while WorkplaceBuddy has its content library, you can always customise and extend it further to support your e-learning requirements.
Let us review the WorkplaceBuddy app for Teams in detail.
Inside WorkplaceBuddy for Microsoft Teams
The WorkplaceBuddy app is free for the first five days, so you can easily get started without any preliminary subscription or licensing hassles. Keep in mind that WorkplaceBuddy costs €4.74 per user per month from the sixth day onwards, with special discounts for non-profits and WorkplaceBuddy in Dutch.
You can download WorkplaceBuddy directly from the company’s pricing page. You could also visit Microsoft AppSource or the application store in Teams.
WorkplaceBuddy for Teams offers the following core features:
- The WorkplaceBuddy chatbot – The intelligent chatbot is among the critical features of WorkplaceBuddy, and it greets you immediately after you log into the app. New users must complete a bot-based interview session, where the WorkplaceBuddy chatbot asks you several questions about your job role, skill requirements, and learning objectives. Throughout the learning experience, you can ask the WorkplaceBuddy chatbot for tips on common Microsoft 365 tasks, like adding apps, creating documents, conducting meetings, etc.
- Learning content library – The WorkplaceBuddy chatbot is one way to find and access learning content – the other alternative is to browse the learning content library. When you open the WorkplaceBuddy app, you will find the Learnings tab right next to the Chat tab on the top. Here, all the available content and learning pathways are listed as per specific categories – for example, learnings that match your profile, learning for a particular product, etc. every learning pathway is tagged as per the functionality it covers, the skill level of the learner, the role, and the product. Also, you can search for content using the search bar on the top-right.
- Personal profile manager – As mentioned, WorkplaceBuddy provides Teams users with a personalised learning experience. To deliver this, the app ingests, stores, and dynamically updates your personal learning profile, which will determine the recommended pathways. Click on the Your Profile tab next to the Learnings tab on the top of the WorkplaceBuddy app. Here, you will find a history of your completed learnings, knowledge score, learnings in progress, and the number of hours you have potentially saved by learning new Microsoft 365 skills.
- Content customisation – It should be noted that WorkplaceBuddy is a turnkey product, which means that you can start using the app right out of the box without any customisation or organisation-specific configurations. However, WorkplaceBuddy allows you to create a tailored learning experience. You can add your homegrown Microsoft 365 content to the library so that Teams users can search it. You can also design customised conversation flows that are accessible when a Teams user speaks with the WorkplaceBuddy chatbot. Keep in mind that this content is in addition to WorkplaceBuddy’s regularly updated repository.
- Gamification – Gamification is a key feature of WorkplaceBuddy that encourages adoption. Every learner is assigned a persona name and a skill level, progressing across various levels as they complete the recommended learning pathways. You can also win badges when you complete specific milestones.
Why the WorkplaceBuddy App Makes a Difference
WorkplaceBuddy is among the few Microsoft 365 learning and adoption tools that provide a personalised and gamified experience without requiring a standalone app. Also, it is affordable and rich in customisation.
What We Think
WorkplaceBuddy is an excellent option for small, mid-sized and large companies looking to deliver personalised Microsoft 365 content under a budget. You can download it here.
