Transforming Digital Workspaces with Microsoft Teams
Over the past few years, organizations have started to rethink and redefine the digital workspaces they provide, recognizing that a digital workspace can bring a plethora of benefits.
Many of the benefits relate to employee engagement. If organisations can make it easier to get work done, bringing together different systems to a single point of entry while enabling mobile and home working, this can lead to productivity improvements and increased customer service levels.
During this same timeframe, Microsoft Teams has grown from being a collaboration tool to become a fully functional digital hub. Teams brings together data and functionality from multiple sources into a single point of entry with communication and collaboration at the core.
Teams brings that same functionality onto mobile devices, enabling work on the move, decisions at pace, and highly engaged employees.
Arguably a de facto digital workspace for many enterprises, Microsoft Teams has now become the essential platform for managing key business processes. We now see technology suppliers of all sizes working to bring integration points between their solutions and Teams.
For example, SAP delivers some point solutions and the capability to share links to Fiori apps through Teams. One approach is to bring the Fiori paradigm inside Teams, so that users would be able to use a Fiori app embedded inside Teams instead of a web browser. Arch provides a different approach, through Looply.
Looply enables the integration of SAP processes to Teams using Microsoft Adaptive Cards. This means that users are given a Microsoft experience instead of an SAP experience.
Many more employees use Teams than Fiori LaunchPad / Workzone. So, using Teams for internal process notifications reaches more users, with no need to send internal emails with links back to a Fiori Inbox.
Such process notifications can be dynamic, actionable notifications, so work can get done directly within Teams, without branching to an SAP application.
In the fast-paced world of digital business, time is often equated with money, and inefficiencies can add up to significant lost opportunities. One of the most common bottlenecks in organizational processes is the traditional approval mechanism — emails that get buried under a pile of other messages, with no process visibility to see where actions are taking too long.
Looply can transform many key business processes, such as:
Purchase Order approvals
Approvals for purchase orders and capital expenditure often involve managers and budget holders who greatly benefit from Teams-based notifications to keep purchase-to-pay processes running smoothly.
Master Data Request approvals
Requests for changes to master data like cost centers, customers and suppliers can be performed with ease.
Process alerts
Users can be alerted about process failures such as EDI or Workflow issues, with a link to resolution documentation and relevant SAP Fiori app.
HR approvals
Requests for leave or expense reimbursement can be routed through Teams so that all the details are included within the card for swift manager approval.
Bringing such processes into Teams can deliver a range of immediate benefits:
- Instant Access and Visibility:
Looply notifications in Teams bring important approval requests directly to the forefront. Unlike emails that can be missed or overlooked, a notification in Teams demands immediate attention. It’s there, prominent, and can’t be ignored, ensuring that critical business tasks don’t get lost. - Streamlined Communications:
Instead of going back and forth over emails or hunting down chains of messages, Looply notifications bring all the necessary information into a single, consolidated space. Teams allows for real-time collaboration, meaning clarifications and discussions can happen instantly, leading to faster decision-making. - Context at a Glance:
Looply notifications can be enriched with essential details, visuals, and links. This means approvers don’t need to dig into separate systems or databases to get the full picture — they have everything they need right within the notification. - Interactive Approvals:
Gone are the days of static notifications. Now, within the same interface, approvers can give the nod, ask for revisions, or decline, all with a click or two. This interactive element not only accelerates the approval process but also reduces the margin for errors. - Integrative Potential:
With platforms like Looply, these dynamic notifications can be powered by intricate workflows that fetch data from other systems (like SAP) in real-time. This ensures that the most current and accurate information is always at hand when decisions are made. - Analytics and Feedback Loop:
The use of dynamic notifications in Teams allows for a robust feedback mechanism. Organizations can track approval times, identify bottlenecks, and continually refine the process to achieve even better efficiency. - Mobile-Ready and Universal Accessibility:
In today’s remote-working era, not everyone is glued to their desktop. Dynamic notifications in Teams are mobile-responsive, ensuring that approvals can be given on-the-go, further reducing wait times. - Unparalled Security:
Leveraging Microsoft Teams’ security features, businesses can ensure that their data and workflows remain protected while still being accessible to the right personnel.
Looply transforms how businesses design and deploy notifications, turning them into powerful interactive experiences tailored for Microsoft Teams, which enables organisations to transform their digital workspace.
Looply will be launched at SAPinsider Las Vegas in March 2024.
Find out more at https://www.arch-global.com/products/looply/